The Scot Commemorative 16th April

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50703/2016/04/16/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50704/2016/04/16/advanced

 

- those arent the departure times on the Ticket ?

 

If they want us back on earlier at Carlisle I am sure they will let us know. However if it leaves Crewe at the time above some people there and at Wigan may miss it.
Although it will mean getting our Bucks Fizz and Cooked Breakfast a few minutes earlier perhaps.

 

Well just time for a nice walk round Steamtown on the way out! No, after last week and a deep breath I did like Mr Oswald and decided to transfer. Hope to see some of you. I've never done the little section at Park South so I like that.

 

Not possible for us and kudos to RTC for being prepared to hold our payment as a credit on our account until we can find something we can get back from.

 

e-mail just arrived from RTC as in line with RTT =
The new timings for the tour (pasted from email) are as follows:

Crewe - outbound 08.29, return 22.02

Wigan North Western - outbound 09.17, return 21.18

Preston - outbound 10.10, return 20.34

Carlisle - arrive 15.50, depart 17.36

 

Minor tweaks for pathing purposes i guess.

 

They offered the same to me but I have stuck with it northbound only. Well done to RTC who have shown flexibility in the past unlike other tour companies

 

Just for the record, its actually 141 miles from Carlisle to Crewe, but that doesn't diminish in any way the force of the point being made here. The timings equate to an overall gross end-to-end average of just over 31 mph, and a net average, excluding layover times at the four intermediate stops, of just over 42 mph. Sometimes the difference between the gross and net averages can be important, because they can reveal the possibility of energetic point-to-point running, but sadly that doesn't seem to be the case here.

 

The return path is not what we would have hoped for. However, based on my last 2 stops at Carlisle, 19 Mar Mid-day Scot 50L and 02 Apr CME 78L we may be trying to make up some time. There was also 09 Apr CCE, which for me was very, very, very late.

 

Paths between Preston, Wigan and Crewe have been often pedestrian for some time. The last occasion I experienced sustained, relatively lively running was the Tin Bath diverted via Crewe and Derby a few years back.

 

Re paths it seems to me the biggest constraints on Saturday are at Carlisle and at Carnforth DUGL. Given the timetabling of the Bridlington and Ely trains, this train must either depart Carlisle by 12 or arrive at 4 (we are doing the latter). Departing at 12 probably implies a 7 departure from Crewe so as to get out of Carnforth 0920 to arrive Carlisle 1040. That gives a good run northbound over Shap and is probably feasible southbound also but at the expense of a significantly earlier departure from Crewe than advertised and probably not what RTC would have wanted.

At the micro level, in the slot they are in, maybe they could have gone for an hour and a half to service the train at Carlisle and a 1720 departure straight down to Carnforth. But that is risky at Carlisle and the Bridlington is due off Carnforth at 1816--- any significant delay to that and maybe the Scot is left queueing up on the main line?

None of that is commenting on south of Carnforth.

An hour from Plumpton to Carnforth is quite a decent schedule isn't it?

 

Only as my Dad just had to ask...and having looked I'm a bit concerned (but I suppose is to be possibly expected) are we likely to have a rear gunner with us all day and it looks like the whole train will be turned on arrival at Carlisle.

 

The engine doesn't need a diesel, and it hasn't put a foot wrong since returning !

 

Big Al - I've got my fingers and everything else crossed in the hope that you are right!