Sugar Loaf Mountaineer : 7/07/18 - now 23/09/18

SRPS coaches spotted heading to Bescot this pm.

 

The most sensible post on here

 

So as we say all too often...that's not going to happen then.

 

I would normally defend our volunteers and societies to the end, but this one was entirely predictable and preventable by LSL. No way should they have been still working on it last night, a decision should have been made the previous Friday to either cancel / postpone or seek a replacement.
I shall reserve judgment and see how things are handled tomorrow, at least a 37 is better than a 66! LSL supplying their 40 would be even better, as would making it to Carmarthen.

 

The decision to cancel had to of been made a few days ago at least - could never have been made now. There are too many parties involved to cancel last minute : DBS / DRS/ SRPS/ Arriva/ Pathfinder / Heart of Wales group, plus us paying guests, even Huw Edwards!
Alas, all eggs were in one basket and the basket gave way - with no Plan B it would seem. The lack of a Plan B is the biggest issue here with 45231 a known risk, this is a loco that hasn't run in months.

 

They won't - it'll be Pathfinder, and they won't either. From Pathfinder Tours' T&Cs:

"Subject to clause 6 above, if for reasons beyond the promoter’s control it is necessary to substitute the advertised locomotive with an alternative steam or diesel locomotive as the case may be then no compensation shall be payable. If it is necessary to substitute the advertised steam locomotive with a diesel then compensation shall be paid as follows: a £15 per person refund or a £30 credit voucher to Standard Class passengers, £20 refund or £40 credit voucher for First Class/First Class Plus passengers, and a £25 refund or £50 credit voucher for Premier Dining passengers. No other liability shall be incurred."

 

It hasn't run on a steam hauled tour on the mainline for 3 years has it? Last time I remember it running was with a diesel for company over the Marches on RTC's Cheshireman in September 2015? It did a mainline test early in 2017 up north but since then its been in the workshop more than out of it. Did a couple of loco+POB runs and didn't it fail on the Mid Hants this year?

 

Already made a request to Arriva for a full refund. Nothing to lose. We're not getting up at 0500 to set off at 0600 for a 2 1/2 hour drive to Shrewsbury, and then not get home until 0100 Monday morning for a diesel hauled train over the HoW line.

 

Whilst that is a fair comment I think it was grossly negligent not to seek 44871s availability on standby when from the IoS statement it has been clear for some time that the 45231s fitness would be a close call. 44871 is at 10A presently, is it not?

 

A rare agreement between us there, particularly on this type of issue, but you are quite correct with that statement. Can't help but think if this was an RTC/WC job, such a comment would be jumped on as unreasonable

 

You won't get anywhere - Arriva are the promoter, with Pathfinder the booking agent. Arriva will just refer you to Pathfinder re refunds. You're bound by Pathfinder's T&Cs. Pathfinder will just quote paragraph 11 of their T&Cs at you, as I did.

It'll be up to Arriva to issue any other refund as a goodwill gesture, but there's more chance of Shergar winning next year's Grand National than that happening.

 

Not necessarily so if you argue that the T&Cs are unreasonable. You just have to be determined. Everything needs to be in writing, well argued and polite. Promoters do not want this issue tested in court.

 

Another sensible post what is Nat pres coming to

 

Problem is the only body that can determine if a contract term is unfair is a court. Who has the money to take that potential cost on for £100 or £200?

 

Happy customers come back...unhappy ones look elsewhere. Best kept secret in British business.

 

Which they are to Pathfinder...

 

That is true too, you are on a roll here!
In a niche market, though, sometimes the customer is faced with Hobson's choice.

 

- Since she was acquired by LSL 45231 sat at Carnforth for a long time awaiting replacement
parts as she had "borrowed" some from another Black Five. The parts were taken back and
replacement parts had to be made.
She was out of action for two years during which time she received attention at Crewe.
- From Crewe she was sent to the MHR on hire to work the 2017 Santa Specials and Christmas
services (she arrived later than planned I think). However, she failed around the middle of
December and was out of action until February as she required some serious repairs to her
super heater header and one of her main steam pipes IIRC. She was fixed just in time for the
MHR Gala. A planned further weekend of operation over the MHR was cancelled due to bad
weather.
- She then moved to Southall from the MHR in March which is the last time I saw her in steam
(picture below). She required more work at Southall before heading to Crewe.
Between leaving the MHR and going back to Crewe she has been out of action and never made it
to the SVR for a hire period due to more problems being found.
With her recent run of bad luck a standby steam loco would have been a sensible idea I think.


Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

I said this moons ago about the issue with the locomotive not running in nearly three year's and everybody was more concerned about the timings. If you don't turn up in the day, does that void you of any possible gestures as you declined to travel on the new format of motive power ? And as usual the Pax, no more about the challenges of this route, than the booking agent/promoter !

 

Yes - it's a cancellation by the customer. See the bottom of this page:

https://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/index.php/conditions-of-booking.html

"Refund requests will be considered in accordance with the following scale for day excursions, expressed as a percentage of the total value of the booking: over 28 days before the date of running - 90%, between 14 and 28 days before the date of running - 75%, between 5 and 13 days before the date of running - 50%, within 5 days of the date of running - nil."