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Tornado Christmas Steam Specials (A1SLT/ UKRT)

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Where's Mazeppa?, Jun 28, 2016.

  1. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    UK Railtours, as booking agents, have today released details of two more outings for Tornado in December.

    "The Bath Christmas Express" Thursday 1st December http://www.ukrailtours.com/product/the-bath-spa-christmas-express/

    "The Christmas Canterbury Tale" Monday 12th December http://www.ukrailtours.com/product/the-christmas-canterbury-tale/

    It may be that these outings will wind up Tornado's non-BBP 2016 main line programme, although the A1SLT website is still indicating a Saturday 3rd December "tbc" entry that at one stage was earmarked for a London-SVR excursion with the dubious title of "The Flying Hamburger".

    Although seemingly aimed primarily at the Dining fraternity rather than the hoi-polloi, the Standard Class offering looks very reasonably priced - by today's standards - for (hopefully) shoveage-free main line steam in the South of England - an increasingly rare commodity nowadays. And as a point of interest, I would imagine that the itinerary of Canterbury outing is timed to coincide with the date for resumption of services on the Dover-Folkestone section of the return leg
     
  2. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    Would be good if the Dec 3rd was a run to Shrewsbury as it doesn't look as if there will be any 'proper' steam runs on the North and West late in the year. Used to love the Ludlow Christmas Fayre train on the last Saturday in November. Ah for the good old days when there were 2, Past Time or Pathfinder and Steam Dreams.
     
  3. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    A brief perusal of the A1SLT website tonight indicates that the 3rd December date has now been removed - within the last 24 hours. So that may well be that for 2016, but you can never be sure. The two Christmas outings take this year's main line tally, excluding BBP work, to eight, plus now, as unconfirmed rumour suggests, a Torbay this coming weekend as well. So more or less in line with the reported statement of the A1SLT Chairman (this months HR Issue 217 Page 65) that the aim is to do "around nine trips" this year - but then "twelve or more" in 2017.

    It will be interesting to see how this plan unfolds for next year. It would appear, from the HR piece, that there will be an increasing emphasis on First Class Dining, certainly borne out by the latest UK Railtours Newsletter received today that mentions that the December Canterbury trip will be "mostly" First Class Dining and offer only "limited" Standard Seats. (Please note, incidentally, that this is an observation, not a criticism)

    How this strategy, and the choice of interesting destinations that goes with it, will sit with the kind of routes and suitability of paths that might be hoped for by the enthusiast/ timing fraternity to enable sustained locomotive performance remains to be seen. It would probably require some heightened degree of imagination/ originality to devise twelve or more compelling outings without resort to, for example, a significant content of ECML-based itineraries, with all the punctuated running that seems to go with Tornado's forays on this route nowadays.

    North & West.....oh yes please! S&C when reopened, for sure! Devon Belle - "Simply the Best"! And maybe other re-runs too......but please, please not the 158 minutes for 80 miles path as scheduled from Newcastle to York for the returning Silver Jubilee Talisman that we suffered last September. Anything but that!!
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2016

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