Vintage Trains to Weston Super Mare

I wouldn't have thought the RTC tour need be an issue as it is going through to Minehead so will not be occupying the NFW section for very long ?

I haven't been on the WSR for a while, but I didn't realise they used the NFW triangle to turn their locos during a gala. The last time I attended a gala there, some locos faced Minehead, on a particular day, while others face BL, and it stayed that way throughout the day, possibly changing the next day so again, I don't see this getting in the way of the loco on the VT train using the triangle.

Lastly, I'm not sure where the notion of alighting at NFW came from ? Malc in post #31 suggested that passengers could have the option of alighting at Taunton, but I don't recall anything being suggested about NFW, other than it's triangle being used as a turning facility ?

 

The length of time the tour occupies the Norton section is much longer than most people realise. It starts when the BL signalman releases a token for the section, which then has to be taken by road by the WSR Conductor Driver to Taunton station where, in communication with Exeter panel, it is passed through the token machine on TN platform to allow the Exeter signaller to release the signal onto the branch. Then the train can proceed to Bishops Lydeard. When I have been involved in this process, I have allowed not less than 1 hour to allow for traffic in Taunton.

The notion of alighting at NFW came from a post by RalphW which I repeated at the top of my first post.

 

Well thanks for that, very interesting. I must confess I hadn't realised the process was as time consuming as that so can see how accommodating two specials onto that same stretch could be an difficult, though surely not impossible with the right timings etc ? Given the alternative is tender first to Bristol and back which has it's own difficulties, it does seem more likely that NFW would be used, unless of course it's planned to have a diesel on the back ?

Re alighting at NFW, I realised this had been mentioned in Ralph's post, but assumed this was a misunderstanding, as it had never been actually proposed it be done.

 

I've no doubt that Ben will tell us how it is going to work when the brochures (on-line and hard copy) appear.

I'm likewise intrigued about the Poole train. My guess is that Poole has been chosen as the destination as opposed to Swanage or Weymouth because it would be possible within a resonable time frame to run back tender first from Poole to Eastleigh, service the loco, turn on thr triangle there and back to Poole so that one of the two Rays (Poole or Churchill) will show all the world that 5043 can tackle Parkstone Bank without a single slip. Only my guess and I may be completely wrong here, but it wil be a pretty exciting run if I'm right!

 

The run with 35005 as I recall was steam to Eastleigh where it came off to service and turn, EWS class 47 (yes it was that long ago) down to Poole and 35005 ran down to Poole tender first in the layover.

 

Very much doubt that Ray Churchill would be doing this trip as there is a Royal Duchy on the Sunday and he usually does these trips.

 

Indeed, especially if 34067 is rostered as he seems to be the Driver who consistently gets the best out of her.

 

Well 34067 is one of the rostered locos so it is very short odds on that Ray will be doing it if she is working that trip, in fact you could put your house on it! and he has admitted that he loves driving her because she always provides him with a challenge and we all know he relishes a challenge!

 

Where is the info about that? Not currently showing on the VT website, nor on uksteam.

 

Also depends what routes drivers sign, I can't recall seeing Ray Churchill north of Crewe for example, certainly seem more likely to find him if your routes in the Midlands or West Country.

 

Go to booking page on VT website

 

Stand out tour, for me ! The Duchess, over the Marches will be good too !

 

You are very unlikely to see Ray Churchill driving north of Crewe unless there is a shortage of steam drivers and he is the only one available then he would have a conductor/pilot driver with him, not sure but don't think Ray Poole signs that route either, Ray Churchill and Andy Taylor are the only ones that sign the route for Cornwall.

 

You clearly don't have a lot of experience dealing with passengers, many of whose are regular repeat travelers. It might seem simple on paper, but when you are approaching York at over a mile a minute and you are having to explain the situation to 400 people.....Ralph, you know I feel your pain!

 

How we turn the train is still a subject of discussion. Idealy we would like to turn the loco at Bristol either on the way there or return, then run one leg from BTM to WSM tender first.

More details when we have firm answers.

 

Many thanks for the answers Ben, will await with interest. I guess whether you turn the loco at Bristol or not, you will still have to move the train out of WSM Station during the layover. That said, there are one or two sidings at WSM which may be useable, though I've never seen anything in them other than Track Maintenance vehicles and the like. Not sure if they're even long enough to accommodate the train. Will look forward to your updates,

 

Ray Churchill has done a few runs north of Crewe to Chester as he was driving 4965 on Dec 19th's Chester Carols trip and Ray Poole is a regular taking the Welsh Mountaineer on from Chester to Blaenau Ffestiniog. I Would personally like to see a Castle running tender first on the Bristol to Exeter line and this tour (subject if im available) I might be going on. But in response to Spicer21's comment on 45mph on a 100mph line being impossible, The Welsh Mountaineer on the Chester to Llandudno Jcn section runs tender first on a 90mph line. Iv been on that tour twice in August 2013 and August last year with 2 different locos, 2013 with the K4 & the 8F last year and despite being maxed at 45mph for tender first running they haven't caused any trouble so I think it should be ok.

This also nearly happened with last year's trip's to Cornwall as DB Schenker are being a pain regarding the turntable at St Blazey, we must all be patient on what Vintage Trains will be planning to do for this tour and hopefully something special might come out of the bag.

 

Good point, and on reflection, "impossible" was the wrong word. By far the majority of traffic on the BRI to WSM section of that main line is stopping services limited to 75mph with one non-stop XC service per hour. Unless FGW WoE services happen to be diverted that way that weekend, which is possible, but as yet probably unknown, a 45mph path should be achievable.