RTC 2026

I have no idea, but your post makes it sound like the 2026 RTC programme is unusual. It all looks pretty standard to me for the the first 3 months of the year with mainly CME's and CCE's, trips on Valentine's Day or the nearest Saturday to it (next year the actual day). The only "novelty" if you want to call it that is the Whitby trip, but that needs to be early in the year due to NYMR Whitby operations (although a couple on here seem to thing the NYMR may not last that long).
Depends I guess on support crew availability or SLL's willingness to let a WCRC support crew work it. 10A is a way bigger commitment in time and money than 81C

 

Oh no. It wasn't that I found it unusual, the programme of trips looks very similar to last year. I was more just wondering if 34028 would go up north to lighten the load off Tangmere. Or maybe Swanage are having it for the winter. Who knows.

 

Would also assume a Riley 5 will be available for its normal winter stint so wouldn’t bet on 34028 coming North.

Who knows by then everything may have changed anyway.

 

Maybe they held off planning any pending confirmation of the availability of 34028? It's a Southern engine and its owning group are southern based, and certainly in the past SLL have stated their intention to see it running mainly on Southern routes. Don't want an early falling out with SLL like that with the A1 Trust!

 

Fair points. We'll just have to see what happens next year.

 

I believed it to their intention too, I just heard a rumour a few months ago that SLL were open to it doing a season at Carnforth running on S&C. Again unconfirmed was just curious if anyone here had heard the same.

 

A swap with Tangmere, maybe? Black 5s really don't look the part down here, and Clan Line hires are few and far between.

 

Black 5's look the part anywhere really.

 

I don't think Tangmere would come down south again. I'm probably wrong but given the amount of times that loco has broken down they appear to prefer to keep that at Carnforth. But I hope that's just a rumour that's incorrect.

 

Now are railtours published until September 2026.

Does anybody know if there will be a 'Great Britain' in 2026?

 

That's a good question - I have noticed there are still no other UK Hols or Day trips advertised over that same period we went this year !

 

They appear to be here
https://www.railwaytouring.net/uk-2026

 

Yes they are after this year's same period slot for the GB, which finished May 4th.