RTC 2026

Hi.

Very weird question but does anyone know how the seat numbering works for RTC. First time booking with them and got my Seat Number through for the Sussex Belle. Seat 29B. Now I understand B means back to the loco. Is 29 a window seat or aisle seat?

 

Having tried to work this out myself in the past:

Assuming it's Standard class (2+2 seating), then usually it'd be numbered
1 Window, 2 Aisle | 3 Aisle, 4 Window
5 Window, 6 Aisle | 7 Aisle, 8 Window
9 Window, 10 Aisle | 11 Aisle, 12 Window
etc.

So if you divide the seat number by 4, if the remainder is 0 or 1, it's a Window, if the remainder is 2 or 3, it's Aisle.
So 29/4 = 7 remainder 1, so in theory should be a Window.

For first class (2+1), you divide by 3 instead, with remainder 0 or 1 = Window, 2 = aisle.

Obviously may vary if any carriages have odd seating arrangements.

 

Thank you. This is really helpful. I'm in Standard class.

Was hoping for a window seat but was expecting not to get one.

 

If in doubt, it’s always worth putting in a seating request for a window seat for any future bookings. RTC are very good at honouring them, where possible of course.

 

Yes, put it in the booking notes and they will usually honour it.

 

£30 off any bookings over the Easter weekend with the code EGG, offer expires on Tues 7th April

 

RTT has the 'Sussex Belle' using p5 at Victoria today - unusual for steam. EDIT - it's actually gone to p2, according to Traksy...

 

Two West Country Locomotives on the mainline on the same day, 34046 Braunton at West Drayton before seeing Eddystone on the Sussex Belle at Glynde & Mallards Crossing near Stonegate:

 

A race across my home county of East Sussex to capture Eddystone with the Sussex Belle if anyone is interested:

 

My shots of yesterday's Sussex Belle leaving and arriving back into Victoria, was nice seeing Eddystone on the main line for the first time

 

This Saturday is RTC's first ever diesel tour - Dorridge to Newquay.

As it picks up at my local station and I've never done the Newquay branch loco-hauled I am of course going on it. Given that RTC's audience is used to steam, and this isn't their usual "patch" for pickups, I'm curious to see how busy this tour is going to be. There will be other Pathfinder refugees like me, but will there be enough of us to fill the whole train? The tour of course is only possible in the first place due to that new loop on the Newquay branch at Goss Moor.

Here are the timings:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U80055/2026-05-02/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U80056/2026-05-02/detailed

 

I wish it success, but it is no way the first RTC diesel tour, merely the first for a while.

 

What other planned diesels tours did the do then? Nothing I can think of since I started stewarding with them in October 2006.

 

from that period there were two I travelled on personally, Autumn Highlander trips to Kyle and The Far North in both 2006 and 2007. I'm sure there have been others but without braving the loft these come clearly to mind. Motive power included 40145 (on both) 55022 etc

http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/00s/061006rt.htm

http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/00s/071005rt.htm

 

Thanks for those links, especially as the 2006 one does not seem to show on my view of the 2006 tours page.
I guessing being a multi day trip RTC marketed these as holidays (as they do with the GB) .
I guess what @NathanP and myself were thinking of were days tours. RTC still running many UK Holidays using modern service trains, rather than charter stock and locos.

 

My mistake, don't know where I got the earlier date from then.

 

Today's diesel tour at Plymouth.

 

A good day out yesterday, despite the continual rain in Newquay. We were all drenched on the return journey, apart from the people who never even left the station at all in order to stay dry. Kelly said on board that these trips are operationally challenging but they are currently planning around 10 of them for next year's schedule. She also had to regularly visit a few groups of diesel enthusiasts/Class 47 bashers and administer a stern talking to. I wonder whether this was RTC's first experience of what diesel enthusiasts are like. Very different crowd to steam enthusiasts! Loading was moderate in my opinion, far from being fully booked. I had a table for 4 all to myself, and there was another table for 4 that was empty in my coach.

 

Timings for RTC Buxton Spa Express on 16th May

1Z66 0631 Ealing Broadway to Buxton
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U83008/2026-05-16/detailed


1Z68 1520 Buxton to Ealing Broadway
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U83012/2026-05-16/detailed