Vintage Trains - 2021

I've been out and about today but just looked at VT's booking form for tomorrow and see that it now mentions that there's no steam. Bit late? Chatting to chaps at the lineside for 35028 today the feelings were very anti VT for the way they've acted recently. I too read Micheal's comments in SR. I found it hard to comprehend that this was the same person with whom I shared an unlit carriage with chickens in Burma and whose father was the inspiration for my travels to China. I look forward to continuing my support for them in the autumn program.

 

Surely the chaps lineside are enjoying the spectacle of a steam engine in action to photograph and would be anti any operator who didn't supply a suitable subject for them to photograph?
The aspirations of Vintage trains are to be admired but the reality is West Coast Railaways and Saphos are the two big players in the market and anyone else is left to do the best they can with the resources left available to them.

 

Quite a few assumptions there. One that they were all there to photograph. Two, the ones I spoke to were all steam travellers and that was what upset them, the lack of honesty and the long term damage this can do to the firm. They were out today because the train came from London and we were all in Worcestershire so it would be impractical to travel. That’s why we are so supportive of VT where it matters, in buying tickets. Please don’t tar us all with your brush.

 

Having invested in VTLs share issue I find Whitehouse’s comment in the latest SR mag most concerning, on top of the other recent problems. Changes of key personnel along the way, with more to come according the the AGM notice, do nothing to reassure me either.


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6233 might come into the frame now they've completed fitting the new cylinder linings to the outside cylinders and want to return to the mainline soon. Think they were due to go down to Tyseley sometime this year.

 

Listed as rostered loco for two trips in October, and also as a loco they planned to use this year.

 

45596 is being used by Steam Dreams as well. They have worked one additional trip for RTC who have had to cancel one trip due to no available loco. List of 45596 bookings,
Bahamas rail tours
Following the rather miserable and uneventful last 12 months we are now able to announce that Bahamas has no less than 11 main line trips booked between the 18th July and the 3rd October. Most of these will be from London, marking the first time that 45596 Bahamas will have ventured in and out of London main line stations under our ownership. We will be working with both Steam Dreams (https://www.steamdreams.co.uk) and the Rail Touring Company (https://www.railwaytouring.net)
The trips are:
18th July – London Paddington to Salisbury and return (SD)
22nd July – London Victoria to Faversham and return (RTC)
24th July – London Paddington to the West Somerset Railway and return (RTC)
1st August – Taunton to Par and return (RTC)
5th August – London Victoria to Weymouth and return (RTC)
8th September – Holyhead to London Paddington (SD)
23rd September – London Paddington to Cardiff and return (SD)
28th September – London Paddington to Penzance (SD)30th September – Plymouth and Par shuttles (SD)
1st October – Penzance to London Paddington (SD)
3rd October – London to York (SD)
Following this last trip 45596 will return to the KWVR for the winter.

More good news is that Bahamas will also star at the Nene Valley Railway’s Jubilee Gala weekend over the 28th – 30th August. The loco will also be operational on service trains over the previous weekend the 21/22nd August. There will also be footplate experience, Dining Trains and an Evening Charter whilst the loco is at the Nene Valley. For more information please see https://www.nvr.org.uk
Whilst this of course means a summer and autumn holiday for 45596, it requires some real hard graft for our Loco Support Crew to ensure proper care for the engine, and also requires some dedication of the sales team to provide the necessary outreach support, both on the main line tours and over the two weekends of the Nene Valley visit.
If you feel you would like to lend a hand do please get in touch with either Steve Allsop, Steve Peach or Garry Howard for the support crew, and either John Hillier or Peter Smith for the sales team.
There is a possibility we may have a small gathering of members at the Nene Valley during the loco’s visit. This is the most ambitious programme we have ever undertaken in the 49 years since 45596 returned to the mainline, but of course after the famine of the last 12 months the feast of income, which we expect to generate from these excursions, will be most welcome and essential.

 

Just read the piece in SR. Speaking to a couple who were not enthusiasts on a recent RTC trip , there most disappointing trip was one that ended up diesel hauled. SD did a survey many years ago and people did mind what was on front as long as it was steam.

 

The issue of concern is not the use of diesels, which indeed seems to have been unavoidable, but the reported delay in VT explaining the situation to customers. If they weren't sure until the last minute whether steam would be available or not, they could have announced that they were hoping to use steam but that they might have to use diesels.

 

Going to the SVR first for the autumn gala (and presumably to run in).

 

I’m not at home and haven’t checked, but I think the text on the class 20s was what I wrote for the SVR’s Diesel Bash programme in the spring? Not that I’d mind in the slightest!

Patrick


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Absolutely, albeit as someone who doesn’t have a problem with diesels a little explanation goes a long way, don’t treat your customers as mugs, especially those who have booked expecting something on the front that goes chuff.
From past experience having to explain to those around me from why there’s a ‘vintage diesel’ hauling their train on various railways goes a long way to placating people, if VT are having problems on the Motive Power front why not just be honest about it?
Trust and Goodwill take a long time to build up, it doesn’t take long to lose them though.

 

I’d be having a word Patrick! A couple of complimentary tickets would be my minimum fee!

 

A friend spoke to someone on today's Shakespeare who having commited to transport from Manchester and a hotel was very disappointed to have diesel haulage which was exactly my point made on this NP thread last Friday at 1:15pm.

 

I can understand their disappointment but I am surprised anyone books a non-cancellable hotel and train ticket for a steam tour unless they are prepared to go to the destination anyway.

 

I would just like to know something about is 5043 supposed to be doing the vintage trains tour to Swindon and Oxford on the 25 September? Or is it now going to be 7029 or 6233 rostered for the Swindon tour and the Licky bankers are the morning and afternoon tours going to be 7029 and 9466 now or could it be 6233 and 9466 ? Cos on vintage trains facebook page I've seen that 6233 will be doing the remaining steam tours for 2021 that 5043 was meant to be rostered it says on the post on V.T. facebook is correct would anyone know?

 

All I'm just asking is 5043 going to be used on 2021 vintage trains autumn and winter tours?

 

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2021/0...aces-gwr-castle-for-vintage-trains-tours.html

Last line:
"7029 Clun Castle and 6233 Duchess of Sutherland will be the locomotives to haul all Vintage Trains steam tours in 2021."