WCRC Licence Suspended

VT, RTC and SD have postponed all their steam tours this week, haven't they? What's the first one that might run with a different TOC? WC's own Carnforth-Carlisle-Whitehaven-Carnforth on Sat 11th? It would make an interesting test-case: Do DBS have crews that know the route? If not, could they also hire a conductor? Who from? Can WC hire an air-brake loco that's gauge-cleared? If they can get a loco but can't do the coast route, would they change to the S&C instead?

If they can run it as planned, then maybe mainline steam can continue while WCRC sort themselves out. I'd expect them to postpone it, though, in which case the Cath.Ex over the S&C on Thu 16th is the next possibility. We shall see...

 

34067 is probably in gauge, so too a Riley 5.

 

Worth remembering that VT's rake is vac only too so trying to sub a dual brake loco would be a moot point.

A thought - if DBS don't have 47's on their case anymore, then who the hell operated the Riveira 47 as the backup for the Torbays ?.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by saying that DBS don't have 47s on their 'case' any more, whether they operate them probably has more to do with whether their drivers still sign them. It would seem that some of the Bristol lads do.

 

I think VT will probably postpone all their tours until WCRC are allowed out to play again. However, if they are able to run some of them with an air-braked loco then, in the circumstances, I hope WCRC would provide air-braked coaches without charging VT extra for them.

Is 34067 "on the books" for DBS? I think someone hinted earlier that it isn't. However, one (or both) of IR's Fives would do nicely, if they can be made available.

 

If I were to try and think this through

1. Will West Coast survive until 11th May?
2. How many of their customers will survive?

If you get past that there is then the significant 'reputation risk' attached to using them. While some of the tour operators might not have been fully aware of how they were behaving, I dont think that they are under any illusions now.

To add to that there is then the 'Scottish' question. Looking at the news from Scotland the potential loss of The Jacobite is a big issue up there and given the inclusion of steam in the Scotrail franchise how will Scotrail feel about working with them? Might we see Scotrail operating steam on its own account or Holyrood stepping in to do something to ensure The Jacobite runs with steam.

Whatever happens I think that the future looks at best interesting

 

Reading a previous post, I was given the impression DBS no longer had class 47's on their safety case.

 

Pretty sure he had a couple of the old EE coaches to be restored to mainline standard too.

 

Who can say for sure?..... only NR form where I'm sat, and I for one can't see much happening until Mid May - though who the hell knows!

"IF" tours such as GB VIII "are" to run, then at the mo, it will most likely be box hauled - take it or leave it, and as RTC have block booked god knows how many hotels, they will have no choice but to accept!

How much lost income they can claim from WCRC will be down their insurers.........

 

Thats an interesting point - how will insurers look at WCRC after this?

 

Is anyone in a position to exploit that oppotunity, though? Is there actually enough money to be made to justify the investment in setting up?

 

A TOC just for charters?
That falls into the realms of the old cliche about how to make a small fortune - start with a large one!

 

If there was a shed load of money to be made in Steam Charters, a shed load of TOCs would in there fighting for it. They aint, its a very difficult labour intensive specialist market that only works with economy of scale. Thats why you have, in effect, only one TOC making money out of it. Well they were making money anyway.

 

Like in most industries I suspect, they will look over the terms of their cover and adjust premiums according to the perceived risk, or worst case decline to cover any said parties.

 

Question. Are the steam drivers at West Coast Railways actually employed by them receiving an annual salary with contract? If not, and they are mostly on what is known as Zero Hours contracts or employ "as and when needed" then they surely become their own agents able to work for whom they want? Look, this is a bit of a wild card, but if this is the case and DBS is able to "hire" them for selected steam tours during he dispute, could this not work? It would provide drivers to cover routes not worked by DBS steam crews and avoid every WCRC tour being cancelled.

This may be wishful thinking on my part and the DBS steam drivers, although few in number, could have something to say about it!!

The other concern I have is that NR has given 15th May for WCRC to satisfy them on a number of key points. Is there any realistic chance of them doing this in time? You know how quickly days and weeks pass by, there just seems to be too much to get sorted and with it, the risk of further cancellation beyond the May deadline.

I really do have a feeling that DBS along with excellent pool of steam drivers will have a role to play in this crisis. If other steam drivers can be "brought in", then things may not turn out as badly as they seem just now.

 

^^^ My thoughts too. As for making the 15th May deadline, at least WRC won't be distracted by running trains!

 

But they may distracted by trying to find other TOCs to run their trains for them!

 

The more you think about it, and the deeper this discussion becomes, the more you realise what a precarious position mainline steam has been in for a while now, especially after SD went back to WCR. Not sure what strategy WCR had for maintaining a strong link of Drivers, but it seemed many of them were from the "older end" so to speak.

I remember concerns about the continuing availability of steam crews being voiced back in the 90s, and I'm sure we all remember the EWS crew training runs. There just hasn't been the same commitment to training since then it seems to me, and I do wonder if this can be allowed to continue, even assuming WCR return in May. Maybe a short term solution as others have suggested would be more Owner or Owner Representative Drivers overseen by TIs, some of whom could be sourced from the pool of older drivers recently driving for WCR presumably. If this issue isn't addressed, we'll probably end up with a handful of steam tours a year, or none altogether, regardless of whether NR would be willing to welcome them or not.