RTC 2022

The London Overground and I believe the Underground are also on strike and this has created a difficulty for me and no doubt a lot of others. I’m on board with the Bahamas team but have elected to drive to Slough and join the train there.

 

Email from RTC:

In my opinion, it has been clear for so long that it would be impossible to run the tour as advertised that they should have just cancelled it a week or so ago. I'm now out over a grand for an experience very different to what I booked, and one that will probably be quite unpleasant in a Mk1 at 30 degrees plus!

 

I feel for anyone who has booked on the train, it’s a tough call for RTC, people will have paid for hotels and perhaps taken a day’s holiday on Friday. I heard about this yesterday but couldn’t say anything until it was made official. Your day wouldn’t have amounted to much more anyway as you would have only had Bahamas being towed or pushed round by a diesel with the risk of fire from hot ash finding it’s way out of the ash pan. The Bahamas Loco Society have lost a day’s on train sales and the steaming fee. To make up for that they should be working the August 27th trip in place of Clan Line assuming we get some rain by then.
The good news is that I understand that Saturday’s rail strike does not involve the Underground or the Elizabeth Line.

 

Also it would seem unlikely any steam on the West Somerset either so yes not what we would have booked for!

 

Which links to my point earlier. Enthusiasts may be prepared to give it another go but we are, so we are told, a tiny proportion of the passengers these days. How many of the 'ordinaries' will think twice before parting again with a 'grand' for something as I said earlier, is so far from from that advertised to be almost unrecognisable. I see the commemoration for Colin Kerswell is diesel. Having met and chatted with the great man several times I wonder what he would have made of this. Again, it seems the world knew of the fire risk at least a week ago. My wife tell me that she has read that a comment that has been made to a passenger that they "signed up to the T&Cs when booking". Indeed this is the case but there is also the possibility they won't need to to read them next time as they won't be booking. Using T&Cs as a threat is in my opinion dangerous territory.

 

The best you can hope for is that RTC will make a gesture with a partial refund

 

Looking at the RTC T&Cs, they state:

My emphasis.

IANAL, but I would argue that there was plenty of time to cancel or postpone the trip in this case.
I appreciate that RTC, WCRC and the Bahamas group were all doing their best to pull something out of the hat, even it was always going to be a 'show pony', and I can't really criticise them for that, but I think sometimes it might be better to make an early decision to give up and cancel, rather than let the situation drag on to what seemed like an inevitable conclusion.

Obviously, I'm not party to all the details, and I appreciate there may be cost implications for who has to bear costs related to cancellation, so it may be that there was simply no other option than the current situation.

 

That is the sort of question that could be set as a study question.
I do not know the answer, but in this case you have a railway tour where the passengers may not be able to access the tour, due to the part of the railway it picks up from not operating, plus I believe some other areas. (At least according to RTT XR are running).
With my tour company hat on
We never offered more than a range of pick up and drop off points.
With my passenger hat on
I would like a refund as I cannot get there. (Which may or may not be true as you could hotel somewhere but that would be two nights, or drive as an example)


All of that of course is before you add into the mix the habitual diesel (or part diesel), not steam debate we all love so much.

I guess we will have to wait to see the WSR decision tomorrow, but a week of diesel due to fire risk would seem a strange decision if you then run a double headed 9 or 10 coach train hauled by steam.

Of course if the passengers were say flying from Heathrow, it would be nothing to do with the airlines if the only place GWR are operating is BTM-PAD once an hour each way.

 

I can understand you upset (even if 2 x 33 is one of the best diesel combo's I would choose).
However I hope you are not suggesting the tour should be cancelled because it is too hot in a Mk1? As was pointed out to us many times at work when the crappy a/c failed, there is no legal maximum temp, only minimum. So you can be made to work in it but not sit still?
However I can think of one season of CME's where the latter was never achieved in one coach!

 

Can't believe people are moaning when you book a steam tour in high summer you would've expected something like this

I was on the west Somerset steam express in July and it was hauled by a pair of 47s and to be honest it was quite good smooth all the way and back topping speeds of 80mph. I would prefer this than a steam sandwiched in between a diesel.

For people on this tour on Saturday you will probably get a £25 discount on the next tour like what I got from last month

It's better to run the tour than cancel it because of arrangements for everyone involved and the passengers

 

Not suggesting cancelling it, I've endured far worse on tours and heritage railways and we'll be bringing lots of water and battery fans. It's just easier to bear if you've got a steam loco up front and steam drifting through the open windows instead of diesel smoke!

2x33 is probably the least-worst option from WCRCs fleet, better than 57s anyway.

Just hope that, with no GWR trains getting in the way, we won't be held to our booked water or pathing stops!

 

Regarding your last paragraph, that’s unlikely GWR drivers are on strike.

 

I think it's the passengers who will need water stops on Saturday!

A couple of operational questions:

a) Are the Class 33s double heading rather than top and tailing? I would assume so as on the recent Dorset Coast Express run by Pathfinder
b) Are the Class 33s running right through to Minehead if no steam on the WSR? I suppose they could always swap them for the WSR Class 33s if a change of colour scheme is required!

 

The email said two class 33 diesels throughout from London Paddington to Minehead and return, so I'm assuming this means no loco change at Bishops Lydeard. Don't know if there's a path on the WSR that would allow us more time in Minehead.

After an email discussion with RTC, they've confirmed some recompense will be offered to those on the train, but the form and amount hasn't been decided yet.

 

I’m not sure of the way the finances will work but West Coast will save on at least two crew members (one fireman in each direction) and there will be no steaming fee for Bahamas.

 

According to the DEPG, the West Coast pair of 33s will be swapped for the West Somerset pair at Bishops Lydeard.

 

I think it's badly worded on their Facebook page. The DEPG's pair will be on the two service trains, not taking over the charter.

 

The spin and win returns! (Along all the possibilities it entails on the day!)