VT - 5043 to Edinburgh - 26/27/28 May

Re: Vintage Trains -5043 "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe" to Edinburgh - 3 Day Trip 26/27/28

We have the honour of being guests at Bo'Ness for the weekend.

 

Oh yes I remember checking our line diary and seeing your engine is staying with us at Bo'ness! Will be a pleasure to host, give me a pm if you'd like local information on where to eat!

 

Approximately what time are you planning on leaving Edinburgh Ben? Before 9am??

 

I have asked for a departure after 9am - maybe get some of the Monday am rush-hour out of the way!

 

have you got the times yet ben ( dep tysley arr ed dep and arr sunday dep ed arr tysley mon) thanks in advance

 

Any idea when we can expect the tickets posted Ben ?.

 

Deep fried haggis and Mars bars a speciality.

 

All, we are expecting times by first thing Tuesday am. We will send the tickets out via 1st Class post as soon as poss!

We appreciate your patience.

Ben - VT

 

Excellent, really started to get excited about this one now.

 

We'll be getting timings later, but if we base the timings at a 9am start from Tyseley as mentioned on the VT website :

Tyseley ---- 0900
Crewe 1100 1130 ( Water )
Carnforth 1250 1310 ( Water )
Carlisle 1420 1600 Servicing Stopover
Lockerbie ---- 1630
Beattock Sum ---- 1703
Abington 1711 1740 ( Water Stop, last before Edinburgh )
Carstairs ---- 1808
Slateford Jc ---- 1830
Edinburgh ---- 1900

Now these are just estimates and can be way off, but going by previous runs of the Castle between Tyseley and Carlisle, and then using Black 5/Royal Scot ( watering stops + 75mph speed restriction respectively ) North of Carlisle, while looking at 70013 hauling the Auld Reekie in the opposite direction on the Carstairs - Edinburgh leg, these are the timings I roughly came up with.

Now they can be pretty accurate, or way off. Just depends on the start time from Tyesley, stop over at Carlisle, and water stops etc...

Also looking at the timings for the Duchess, my timings above would make sense. Steam railtours often go in to Platform 3, drop off the stock, engine goes for servicing, then comes back to pick up the stock and leave on the return trip. So with the Duchess leaving at 1412, I suspect platform 3 will be left open for the Castle to run in to. If so, it means the steam will pass at London Road Junction.

 

Interesting timings but how far will these meet VT's stated hope of (1) Tyseley departure at 09:00 (2) Carlisle break of 2 hours and (3) Edinburgh arrival at 18:00. I am beginning to wonder about NR standards as my contact still couldn't identify a time within the system as of last night. I feel sorry for VT as need to get tickets and timings to customers is getting critical.

 

Tyseley dep 07:55
Crewe 09:57 10:34
Carnforth 12:48 13:29
Penrith 14:30 14:56
Carlisle 15:20 17:16
Abington 18:32 19:55
Edinburgh 20:55

Full times at uksteam.info shortly

David

Edit: Note - These times may be subject to further amendment.

 

Well I managed to get my Carnforth arrival time pretty much spot on then........

 

These timings are, to put it politely, deeply disappointing. I had been anticipating a leisurely dinner in Edinburgh, not an hour and a half festering in a loop at Abington with no opportunity to detrain. Thanks, Network Rail!

Nick M.

 

Carefull the Duchess doesn't roll backwards in the slipstream

 

No wonder Notwork Fail held back so long on the timings if that's the embarassing dross they came up with, now I have a mission of finding someone still serving food well after 9PM now.

 

More than disappointing I'd say and nothing like what VT had provisionally advertised either. An hour earlier start, 30 minutes less at Carlisle and a late evening arrival time in Edinburgh as opposed to an early one. As I am using public transport that earlier departure would require me to catch a train from here at 1 56am with an arrival time at Tyseley of 7 29am. I will now have to join somewhere else thereby losing some steam traction miles.

I can't blame VT for this but I think it's time that NR sorted out its timing system, not issuing timings till 4 days before a trip is disgraceful. People need to make travel or accomodation arrangements but have to wait now until virtually the last minute. Last time things were this bad NR blamed it onto a change of computing system , what excuse do they use now?

Dave B

 

Couldn't be ars#d to deal with until the last minute? Feel really sorry for those on it & also VT who have to now rush like hell to print the timing sheets, package same + tickets etc & send them all off, several hundred of them. Then hope & pray the Post Office does their bit. I think all praise to NR over the 6201/60019 replacement on the recent Swanage trip has gone out of the window. Hope VT let their feelings known to NR.

 

Ensuring you arrive in to Edinburgh bang on time, there are two Wetherspoon chains local to Waverley station, one is located on Rose Street North Lane :

Waverley Bridge to Rose St N Ln - Google Maps

and the other further along George Street, towards Charlotte Square.

Bear in mind the Edinburgh Marathon is on this weekend so it may be well calling and booking a table in advance for yourself/your party.

There are also your typical food chains e.g Pizza Hut/McDonalds etc... around the side streets of Princes Street if you're pushed for finding somewhere.