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RTC 2018

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Paul42, Aug 18, 2017.

  1. alastair

    alastair Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, I have found them now, confusing website!
     
  2. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    I think something similar has happened once before. Once Nigel (@meltonnorth) found out it was sorted very quickly.
     
  3. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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  4. 26D_M

    26D_M Part of the furniture

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    Last edited: Aug 30, 2017
  5. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    But only listed for the 27/1 from Man Vic. The ones from Euston state 45699 Galatea or 45690 Leander . If I book I will probably get 45669 again (always turned up instead of 46115). Would like to travel behind 45690 again.
     
  6. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Good stuff. Apart from 'The Pennine Explorer', finally a chance to pause and save some money!
     
  7. andalfi1

    andalfi1 Well-Known Member

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    I would be ecstatic if I could travel behind 45669...
     
  8. andalfi1

    andalfi1 Well-Known Member

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    Operator error.
     
  9. mike1522

    mike1522 Long Time Member Friend

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    I hope we get some action from LMS Jubilee Bahamas 45596 in the not so distant future.
     
  10. 26D_M

    26D_M Part of the furniture

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    It has been reported 45596 will be based at Carnforth upon completion so it seems reasonable to assume it will be one of the pool there.
     
    andalfi1 likes this.
  11. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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  12. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Indeed. From my perspective, Oxford Explorer useful for Chichester and Bramley, but looks generally a cheap year after April, which is looking pretty expensive anyway. Might do a repeat itinerary trip up north to keep my hand in and show willing.
     
  13. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    Two steam engines on Shap and the S&C on 11th August; CME and Golden Express. Wonder if 60163 will be seen chasing a Jubilee over Shap as the Brit did in 2015??
     
  14. eggbert

    eggbert Member

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    Still no tours that start from Bristol or the Gloucester area, I know it’s a money making business, but for people like me who used to travel on them I have no opportunity, we seemed to have lost the Devonian tours that would go to Plymouth etc , I know we have the Sunday duchys but a Saturday trip could be more worthwhile.
     
  15. 99Z

    99Z Guest

    50th anniversary of end of steam, feels somewhat underwhelming, considering the 40th and 45th anniversaries.
    Makes you wonder if there will be any mainline steam by the 60th.

    Still, we’ll still be in the EU next April, so we can still see how to really do Mainline steam in Germany in April.. 9 steam locos, 37 trains a day over a long weekend, plus heritage electrics, all for 72 Euro... standing by windows is a must, and the windows will be open, no need to ask “sir” for permission to use the loo and check all windows are closed before you go.

    Mainline steam in the UK remains a lame beast, as the numbers of locos, passengers continue to dwindle and the excitement seems to have turned into mundane commercialism.

    Elsewhere I just saw a prospectus which looks imho to be aimed at enthusiasts to invest in a TOC aiming to operate mainline steam and provide a return to shareholders, you must be kidding, I don’t believe the projected numbers and don’t believe a sustainable profitable charitable steam toc will survive in the short term, the market continues to look enthusiast unfriendly, so why would an enthusiast want to invest ?, as for a financier.. well the projected numbers look pretty bad, can’t see they would be interested either, unless it was just charitable donations.

    Sorry to the fanboys and diehards, but I walked away from mainline steam a few years ago and haven’t seen much to attract me back.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 16, 2017
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  16. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Wow you do like to look on the black side as well as insulting us.

    Firstly looking at what has been happening this year and the plans for 2018, I can't see any real sign of passenger numbers dwindling, RTC have 44 mainly steam hauled trips planned, WCR have 35 in the SSE, and Dalesman series, the Jacobite season gets longer every year, and they have 28 diesel charters planned, some of which do have a steam section as well. VT are offering the Shakespeare over an 11 week period plus several other routes.

    I'm not sure why you thought you needed to bring the EU into your post, in or out, there will be nothing to stop us visiting Germany or wherever just like we did pre EU, but it's no doubt because you are a remainer who still cannot come to terms with the referendum result.
     
    MarkinDurham, 5098, andalfi1 and 3 others like this.
  17. TheLairdofNetherMoor

    TheLairdofNetherMoor New Member

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    To be fair, there are few UK tours left that run primarily for enthusiasts. The market has changed as there simply aren't the enthusiast numbers to sustain it. However, as an enthusiast, I am delighted that mainline steam appears to be thriving with the shift in the market towards dining and at least this still provides some opportunities to ride behind steam at speed, even if the onboard ambience is not so enthusiast friendly.
     
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  18. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Food on the move has long been an attraction. That's not to say it is always value for money given dining opportunities elsewhere but they are not on a steam train and that is the point. As for the RTC - notice the thread title - they seem to continue to try and offer a pretty broad experience and if you are looking for the occasional 'enthusiast' trip, possibly to a rare location then they are the only people who attempt it. However, route knowledge with steam continues to dwindle and so that will be a determining factor in what is on offer into the future.

    Be grateful it exists at all, I say.
     
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  19. TheLairdofNetherMoor

    TheLairdofNetherMoor New Member

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    Agreed. I'm interested in the notion that the Germans do it much better. I have very limited knowledge of preserved operations overseas though. I'm aware that they operate some very intensive "Plandampf" operations over a few weeks of the year, but do they also operate the same breadth of tours across the network throughout the year as we do now in the UK?

    As someone who was grateful even in the SLOA days where you typically had one tour a weekend run over a limited number of routes, I find the idea that UK mainline steam has gotten much worse to be strange (even though I take the point about more Draconian measures onboard).
     
  20. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    I won't say your glass is half empty as I'm sure you don't actually possess a glass. Mainline steam in this country has always been different and the run down of the system to it's present threadbare state doesn't lend itself to the German Plandampf type operation. One thing I do agree on the way you are treated as an intelligent adult across the Channel is refreshing. The thought of being vitually chained to your seat in the UK does put me off ever travelling again.
     

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