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LSL Wales and South West Explorer

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by 5944, Mar 27, 2021.

  1. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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    Sounds like a bit of s**t show ! Usually when the local FB groups pick up on things like this, it's always going to be hectic. I can understand the enthusiasm on the Welsh side, a chance to finally get out and enjoy something local and unusual. I'd give them a bit of slack as they've have been living under the Drakeford regime.
     
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  2. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

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    Oh, so that makes it ok for people to behave like pillocks and nearly get themselves killed by a train does it? Just blame it on the local politicans. What a crass comment.

    Just my opinion

    Peter
     
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  3. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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    Absolutely not ! I should of made clear I was referring to the crowds in general at crossings, overbridges and Llandrindod etc. I certainly don't condone anyone in the four foot. Iv'e seen comments from elsewhere, criticising crowd numbers and having a go at people heading out with the family. No doubt it will be Joe public that caused the delays, though I wouldn't rule it out being one of us !
     
  4. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Irrespective of the public who you can never guarantee will do the right thing, this looks to me like a Hosking Holiday driving a coach and horses Black 5 through COVID restrictions in the guise of legitimate crew training and route familiarisation.

    It's sad that there was a problem but actually it serves them right.
     
  5. Jimc

    Jimc Part of the furniture

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    Coach and horses through the regulations? Are you sure you aren't exaggerating just a smidgen? Seems to me that crew training and familiarisation needs to be done so that all operators on the mainline are ready for when business as usual starts again.
     
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  6. steamvideosnet

    steamvideosnet Well-Known Member

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    The big question on everyone's mind should surely be if the owner was able to flush his khazi on the Heart of Wales line?

    James
     
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  7. Jeremy English

    Jeremy English Member

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    I see the train eventually left Llandeilo at 23.11 last night and got to Carmarthan at 00.33 this morning (Sunday 3rd April). Does anyone know if the reports of the Black 5 failing were true or was that speculation? Presumably after all the shenanigans a new crew had to be found for the train as the original crew would have been way over permitted hours.
    Will the train today run with steam or diesel?
     
  8. Jeremy English

    Jeremy English Member

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    Answering my own question, I now see that today's train is shown as cancelled on RTT due to "problems with a steam engine". Does that mean that the whole remainder of the four day project is shelved? It was due to have diesels after Gloucester so, in theory, the failure of a steam locomotive shouldn't affect those.
    Is there any definitive news?
     
  9. jamesd

    jamesd Member

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    The 20 took the carriages to Carmarthen last night. The Black 5 was due to be swapped for a pair of 37’s at Gloucester today but I believe this will now take place at Pengam this afternoon. New times for today will shortly be in the system but it may well mean the tour takes the main line rather than the VoG to get to Cardiff. This is what I have gathered from the various Facebook posts.
     
  10. Jeremy English

    Jeremy English Member

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    Thanks James!
     
  11. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    A businessman starts up a new company with the express purpose of giving us more opportunities of either travelling behind various forms of motive power in some finely restored stock or going lineside to photograph and video it. Then he takes a train round the country on what is termed as route familiarisation, driver training, shakedown, and probably for publicity ad well.
    I wonder what his reaction is to the vociferous few who with one breath were saying what a great job he is doing, who then turn to petty sniping because he sails clise to the wind on covid rules?
    Could it possibly be because of his politics that while things were not as provocative people were inclined to ignore that aspect but suddenly he's become a hate target?

    Retires to bunker to await incoming. :)
     
  12. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Maybe I have slipped into a bit of hyperbole there and obviously the fact that it attracted spectators who disrupted normal services was not acceptable and nothing to do with LSL But I just don't 'buy' the crew training argument as the only reason for all this activity. I would have thought that the Heart of Wales line is one where you would always need a route conductor. So as I said, I'm not sad that there has been a hiccup in the holiday plans but I do recognise that a new operator has to explore new routes and train up their crews.
     
  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Speaking personally, I'm not at all bothered about his politics but I do care about the impact on other operators and any adverse publicity.

    There is no doubt that the refurbished and upgraded rolling stock at LSL has introduced a necessary improvement in passenger comfort. It appears that on-board service is of the same standard as well. Contrast that quality with, for example, the increasingly tired condition of the Riviera stock. What I am far more nervous about is the possible impact of new money on a market where margins are tight and in respect of imminent new regulations about door locks and toilet retention tanks about to get very expensive.

    Competition may be good but casualties may not be.
     
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  14. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Take cover!

    I don’t have a problem with any of the above items. There is a business to run, and those are all necessary activities.

    What I do have a problem with is the way that these activities are being conducted on what appear from the outside to be strangely in strangely unbusinesslike form, just happening to include provision for the boss to go with interesting traction over very interesting routes, stretching the legal restrictions to their utmost.

    Given the operation is based at Crewe, whatever happened to the Crewe Works test train model, with a trip to Holyhead, or up the WCML to Carlisle? Possibly repeated a couple of times as necessary.

    It’s not the trip, or the activities, that get me, so much as the knowing smirk as the legal justification is trotted out. The vibe is very much “I’m richer and better lawyered than you so I can do more or less as I like”, and it grates.

    I’m not a regular railtourer - I think my last was in 2013. If I were, I’d both take comfort in the money that’s been spent on the LSL fleet, and be concerned that if there were ever an issue, these trips demonstrate I’d be dealing with a company that focused on letter over spirit on every occasion. That’s not a good look from where I sit.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
  15. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

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    Standing back from the immediate issues, what is the easiest element to police? Not the Great British Public nor social media (Facebook etc.,) or the TOC as they can claim a valid reason of route knowledge. That leaves public access to train schedules. If there are too many delay incidents like this there is a chance that rail tour schedules will only be loaded to TSDB and down stream public access systems a few hours before operation.
    Cheers, Neil
     
  16. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Other trains break down down to unforeseen problems and don't seem to cause the froth that this incident has raised.
     
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  17. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Other trains haven’t had reports (Twitter, unconfirmed that I know of) of a driver declaring themselves unfit to continue, seemingly due to trespass. Nor have they followed such a drought.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  18. Steamie Boxes

    Steamie Boxes Member

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  19. 30567

    30567 Part of the furniture Friend

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    But as long as you have to tell the passengers what time to turn up, won't word get out? I can see that doesn't apply to LE movements, private charters etc.

    Who picks up the tab for the delay minutes in circumstances like yesterday?
     
  20. jonathonag

    jonathonag Well-Known Member

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    It actually happens outside of Steam hauled workings.

    I myself, just over a month ago, had a near miss due to a trespass incident by a group of teenagers. Brake into emergency, red button on the GSMR to halt all traffic and signaller informed. At the time, I was 15 minutes out from the terminus of the service I was working and so continued under signaller's instructions. I did however, take the following day off sick as the shock did not hit until I was driving home from my depot.

    It is hardly a situation unique to me, nor is it unique to steam workings themselves.
     

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