"The Wansbeck" 30/03/13 (K1/K4 to Saltburn)

Slightly advanced information on this one....

Wansbeck

This unusual rail tour by steam train covers parts of Yorkshire, Durham, and Northumberland. It passes through rural and coastal scenic areas including Wansbeck, named after the river in Northumberland. It travels along routes with an interesting history, some of which are open for `freight only'. For most of the journey, the train will be `topped and tailed' by steam locomotives class K4 No. 61994 "The Great Marquess" and class K1 No. 62005, one at each end.

Our train leaves Newcastle Central Station at around 09:00 and heads north along the East Coast Main Line (ECML) to Morpeth, the county town of Northumberland. Just north of Morpeth we branch off to the east and travel along the `freight only' Blyth and Tyne Line. We reverse our direction of travel at Bedlington Junction and then head north to Ashington, crossing the River Wansbeck at West Sleekburn.

On arrival at Ashington we reverse again and return to Marchey's House Junction. Here we branch off eastwards passing Winning Junction and continuing to the North Sea Coast at Cambois. We then travel southwards along the coast to North Blyth, a small settlement on the north eastern side of the River Blyth harbour.

We reverse direction of travel at North Blyth and return on the `freight only' line to Winning Junction and West Sleekburn Junction. We then travel southwards on the Blyth and Tyne route to Benton Junction, where we rejoin the ECML. We stop to pick up passengers at Newcastle Central Station, then cross the famous King Edward VII Bridge en route to Tyne Yard, where our locomotives take on water.

We continue southwards along the ECML, passing through Durham with its spectacular Victorian viaduct high above the city. We leave the ECML at Ferryhill and head for Stockton, Middlesborough and Redcar. At Saltburn West Junction we join the scenic freight only line to Boulby, running along the cliff tops with spectacular sea views. The Boulby Potash Mine was opened in the 1970's and is Europe's second deepest mine.

We steam back to Middlesborough where we reverse to join the Esk Valley Line to Whitby. This line is one of the most rural railway routes in the UK. It climbs up into the North Yorkshire Moors National Park before reaching Battersby, an unusual terminus junction where our train reverses. It then runs down the scenic Esk Valley to Grosmont where there is a junction with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a Heritage Railway. There will be a break in Whitby with time to visit the seaside town famous for its cliff-top ruined abbey.

Our train returns to Newcastle, steam hauled, via Middlesborough, Darlington and the ECML.

Train Timings

Approximate timings shown

Station Outward Return
Newcastle 09:00 21:15
Newcastle 10:50 -------
Middlesborough 12:30 18:40
Boulby 13:30 -------
Whitby 15:30 17:30

Train Fares
Fares Adult Junior Family
Premier £189 £141 £519
First £125 £72 £322
Standard £79 £48 £206

Premier Dining includes full English breakfast and a four course dinner silver served at your seat.

First Class includes morning coffee with a Danish pastry and afternoon tea with scones, jam and cream, along with a selection of finger sandwiches.

Standard Class includes a reserved seat at a table for four.

A buffet car is available and serves tea, coffee, snacks and light refreshments. Tables for two can be guaranteed in first class and premier dining for a supplement of £18 per person. (subject to availability)

Booking Form - UK Daytrips

 

Re: "The Wansbeck" 30/03/13 (K1/K4 to Whitby)

Thought it best to resurrect this old thread. 4 of us are booked on it, have been since it was announced. Sadly Whitby has been caped, but the rest is still in place. I was speaking to RTC earlier on another matter, so used the opportunity to ask if timings had been confirmed by NR. Not yet; however no big changes are expected at this stage. We certainly hope not.

 

Re: "The Wansbeck" 30/03/13 (K1/K4 to Whitby)

NR and RTC need to remember there are no postal deliveries after Thursday next week, therefore tickets and timings really need to be sent out by Monday

 

Times for tour (no Boulby or the usual B&T circle).

0850 Newcastle - Freemans LC 1058

Realtime Trains

1123 Freemans LC - Crag Hall 1527

Realtime Trains

1602 Crag Hall - Saltburn 1706

Realtime Trains

1844 Saltburn - Newcastle 2112

Realtime Trains

Best Regards

 

Thanks for the info, Andrew. More chopping of the itinerary there - I hope that no-one booked based on a run to Boulby though...

Mark

 

Looks like the water stop at Tyne Yard has gone as well.

Im very reluctant to book on days out like this as the chopping of the itinery is becoming a bit tiresome.

How do you expect people to rebook onto local tours, if what was advertised, and what is delivery differ completely.

And before anybody says NR intervened, that should have been thought of BEFORE it was advertised.

 

With freight line trips it is very difficult to organise a STP path earlier as the freight users demand the flexibility over the line.

Having said that, all the information is now freely available for tour promoters to check viability before even moving onto the operating company to submit a bid. That is what annoys me.

 

This isn't very good really is it.

RTC advertise this tour to include Whitby and the superb Boulby line. The makings of an excellent day out.
First they axe Whitby.
Now the axe Boulby...well...Crag Hall to Boulby. Which i would imagine is one of the main attractions of the tours. Which is why we paid good money for tickets.

Anyone any the wiser as to why boubly is a no go?

Why didn't RTC check the path was available before advertising this tour and taking people's hard earned cash.

 

This may be a result of last minute NR changes or it may not. Certainly we are unlikely to find out. Sad but these days I don't book for anything "challenging" route wise as I have lost all faith in the ability to deliver anything that looks "too good".

It is true that advance checking route availabilty can be difficult, but the fact that inprobable locos are also regularly advertised (sometimes without speaking to the owning group) doesn't inspire confidence.

Caveat Emptor

 

I know that tour promoters (RTC, etc.) do not check the viability of their tours before they advertise. They have in the past advertised times that conflict with scheduled trains on single lines and have also advertised routes with major engineering blocks known about in advance. These - for some reason - are only identified when the operators train planners actually look at pathing. I'm sure the promoters will say its not up to them to path their trains but I am sure they could do better at spending an hour to look over them before they advertise them.

 

Just to make it clear as I do not wish to offend RTC, I did not suggest that they alone had a problem with viability. I know others do it in the same way.

I have an in depth knowledge of the timings of scheduled trains over the area I work (thanks in part to the standard pattern timetable being in place for much of the day) and have spotted impossible timings and conflicts on a range of promoters adverts in the last couple of years.

 

Why all this unnecessary criticism. The line between Crag Hall SB and Boulby is a private siding over which NR do not time trains as it is not their railway. There is time between 1527 and 1602 for the rain to go to Boulby and back whilst off Network Rail. The same may well apply to the other extremities of the tour where you feel the train is not reaching. It is no different to trains going onto preserved railways. NR do not time the train on the preserved railway.

 

On past tours, these times have been merely timing points that reflect NR’s boundary, although the 25mins at Freemans LC doesn’t seem to be enough to get anywhere near to North Blyth and back. That was the reason I booked on the trip, having been disappointed back in 2010 when 62005 failed before working “The Blyth Spirit” and WCRC only had 1 diesel to work the train, no top & tail. So the rare track itinerary went out the window – it turned into a rather expensive day return to Morpeth!

 

My ticket came yesterday, the letter says 'We regret to inform you we are unable to proceed beyond Craghall due to emergency engineering work, meaning the last 2 1/2 miles of the Boulby branch are not available to us. We are covering all the available branch lines around the Blythe and Tyne route which belong to Network Rail, as some lines have been truncated'

 

Hopefully then, it should get down to North Blyth loop, as the Alcan gates are just after I believe. Strange how there’s been no full times released yet.

 

First leg: Realtime Trains

Second leg: Realtime Trains

Third leg: Realtime Trains

James at SVN

 

WANSBECK - 62005 & 61994 NEWCASTLE - MORPETH - SALTBURN -NEWCASTLE

Times are now up on UK STEAM ( t0330a.htm ) for this fantastic trip. By my reckoning, 62005 will be heading north out of Newcastle Central with 61994 on the rear.

62005 is leaving the train at Middlesbrough at 19:09 - 19:17 where it heads to the NYMR in preparation for its appearance in the gala and then off to Fort William.

It's going to be a long day in Newcastle area with 3 Gresleys running by. Fingers crossed for the weather!