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Vintage Trains 2022

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Sidmouth, Jan 2, 2022.

  1. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    That really doesn't make any sense. I can't see any difference in specifications between the Liverpool trip and the Oxford one. Similar timings, similar length of time at destination. What's the difference? And does it justify an extra £20 in standard for what appears to be virtually the same product?
     
  2. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    Stick with Bahamas! Your daughter seemed to enjoy her trip to Weymouth last year even though the weather was dire when we got there. Last week’s run had quite a few empty seats.
     
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  3. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

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    She did indeed! Unfortunately, London Victoria is a long way from Mid-Wales!

    Sorry to hear about the empty seats, suspect we are all having to think more carefully how we spend our money.
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2022
  4. frazoulaswak

    frazoulaswak Member

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    BR(W) built Castle class 4-6-0 No. 7029 Clun Castle passes through Hartford station on 10th September at the head of Vintage Trains' Mersey Explorer charter from Tyseley to Liverpool Lime Street.

    EOS 5D Mark IV_220910_3734.jpg

    Cheers,
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2022
  5. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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    A fantastic spectacle up Edge Hill Cutting this afternoon with Clun Castle making for a superb sight and sound
    7029 Edge Hill Cutting.jpg 2022.jpg final.jpg
     
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  6. black5

    black5 Well-Known Member

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  7. jsm8b

    jsm8b Part of the furniture

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    Steam between Weaver Junction and Liverpool and therefore the crossing of the Mersey on the 1868 built Ethelfleda or Britannia Bridge is a real rarity .
    The railway viaduct is partnered by the 1961 built road bridge (now known as the Silver Jubilee bridge) which replaced an earlier transporter bridge between Runcorn and Widnes. I can recall a school trip to visit the road bridge in the 1960s (must have been very young) and seeing the uprights for the Transporter still in place, it would be a great tourist attraction if it still were.

    Out and back.



    22D_1152 7029 Widnes 100922.jpg 22D_1174 7029 Widnes 100922.jpg
     
  8. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    The transporter was closed in July 1961 soon after the road bridge was completed. In the late 50s I lived in Liverpool and a couple of times a month we would travel on the transporter heading back to Winsford where my grandparents lived.
     
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  9. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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    A superb showing from Clun Castle on the return leg of the Mersey Explorer. We even managed to chase it to Penkridge on its booked non stop run to Wolverhampton. There's also an appearance from 46115 at the end.
     
  10. steamingyorkshire

    steamingyorkshire Well-Known Member

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    'The Merseyside Explorer' hauled by GWR No.7029 'Clun Castle', seen crossing the River Weaver near Vale Royal Locks and Dutton Viaduct (video following that from 'Scots Guardsman' yesterday).

    Video Available Here

    [​IMG]
     
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  11. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    Trip over the S&C with 7029 appears off , lack of bookings .

    If the trip on the S&C (first for 55 years ) with 7029 cannot sell out at prices which were not unreasonable and certainly well below other operators base price then something is fundamentally wrong in the market
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2022
  12. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

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    I hope you are wrong!!!
    I am booked on this and haven't (yet) been notified?

    Also still available to book on website?
     
  13. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

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    Email just arrived. Tour postponed until April 22nd next year, tour has only just broken even and they wish to leave open to attract more bookings. So at least not cancelled outright.

    To echo @Sidmouth, it is a shock that more people have not booked on this - for me this was the tour of the year, but clearly cost of living and inflation are starting to bite..
     
  14. NathanP

    NathanP Member

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    I do think an element of "S&C fatigue" is slipping in. There are steam-hauled trips over the S&C practically every weekend. I myself have done 4 so far this year. I didn't book on the VT one simply because I couldn't justify to myself buying a ticket and getting up at silly o clock in the morning to travel to an awkward-to-reach part of Birmingham to go on the exact same journey that I have already done 4 times this year. Yes it's 7029 but I've already done loads of trips with that loco, so it's not as if it will be a new loco to me. I remember in the month before he sold Steam Dreams to LSL David Buck told Steam Railway Magazine that he felt there was an over-saturation of S&C trips on the market, and I think he was absolutely right. I love mainline steam as much as the next person, I've done 13 trips so far this year, but it does get a bit depressing sometimes when you see "yet another S&C trip". I'm also starting to cut back on the "marathon" days out - not for budget reasons but simply because my enthusiasm to get up at 4am has waned.

    Or then again maybe I'm just getting cynical. I turned 40 in July and I might just be turning into a grumpy old man!
     
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  15. Rover

    Rover New Member

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    I certainly don't think £109 for cattle class is reasonable in these austere times, with people struggling to pay food and fuel bills and a recession looming! I think we shall see a lot more cancellations in the future, due to lack of bookings. Railtour companies will need to think carefully before regularly increasing their fares, unless they decide to go completely wine and dine, aiming only at the wealthy, who obviously don't mind what they pay. This would ,of course totally exclude enthusiasts, who railtours were originally designed for.
     
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  16. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    Saphos base point for Standard is £155
     
  17. Sam 60103

    Sam 60103 Member

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    Disappointed by the news about the S&C tour. Was hoping to see it at Carlisle. Hope to see it at either Carlisle Next April or possibly at York which might be more realistic.
     
  18. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    not a dig at you personally however and this is VT's point , unless bums go on seats anyone having a day trip out to see it , won't get to do so as the tour is not financially viable to run
     
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  19. Sam 60103

    Sam 60103 Member

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    Fair point. If a trip doesn’t sell enough tickets then it doesn’t run it’s as simple as that. If they can’t make a profit then there is no point.
     
  20. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Disappointing but unsurprising. Yes, the loco should be a draw but if you live in Birmingham and want to go on the S&C it's not far to travel to pick up one of the many trips over the line as has already been said.

    And on that point, even with the economies that West Coast can build into their trips - own locos and rolling stock etc - I don't see their trains running to capacity at present. Presumably they can still make a return but I suspect it's not a booking office 'killing'.
     

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