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RTC: Tynesider - 4/7/26

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Big Al, Jun 27, 2026.

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  1. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Times are now up for this interesting trip.

    https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U86864/2026-07-04/detailed
    https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U86871/2026-07-04/detailed

    It looks like a nice day out from York but a marathon from Kings Cross even with Les Ross out of London. Half an hour earlier than provisional times leaving KGX and 45 minutes later arriving back. Screws up the day for anyone down south not living in the metropolis but, hey, that's what our crowded network does to charters.

    So the return timings from Morpeth seem to suggest there is no water stop for the three-hour run. Don't tell me that this is not steam or that the diesel hauls us back.

    No doubt all will be revealed when the tickets are issued.
     
    Big Al, Jun 27, 2026
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  2. 30567

    30567 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    30567, Jun 27, 2026
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  3. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

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    In simple terms a steam loco is prohibited from using a cross-over between platforms at a station. Therefore you cannot gain direct access to the Blythe and Tyne from the down main at Morpeth. So after unloading passengers onto Platform 2 the train draws forward to Morpeth North Junction, then reverses to the Hepscott Junction area for servicing. It then reverses back to Morpeth North Junction where it again reverses , this time on the up line, to Platform 1 at Morpeth station. From here it can depart direct onto the B&T to head home.

    Peter
     
    torgormaig, Jun 27, 2026
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  4. Gunslinger1948

    Gunslinger1948 New Member

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    To satisfy my curiosity, what is the reason for that?
     
    Gunslinger1948, Jun 27, 2026
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  5. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    All to do with the 'throw' of a loco when traversing a crossover and how close it may or may not get to the platform.
     
    Big Al, Jun 27, 2026
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  6. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

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    The concern that the overthrow of the front end of a loco going through the cross-over may cause the cylinders to catch the platform edge.

    Peter
     
    torgormaig, Jun 27, 2026
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  7. 30567

    30567 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    thanks Peter. Presumably it parks for a couple of hours on the N to E chord out of the way. I think my reading is that if the loco is facing north on arrival at Morpeth, it is still facing north on departure.
     
    30567, Jun 27, 2026
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  8. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    As there is now a prohibit, I guess I can thank my lucky stars that The Wansbeck on 29 March 2014 did Platform 2 onto the B&T. Presumably the locomotives in use, 61264 and 62005, had no clearance issues. Also remember booking on it the following year, as Lynemouth was in the itinerary, but somewhat ironically considering the motive power this weekend the Wootton Bassett incident led to it's cancellation.
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Jun 29, 2026 at 1:53 PM
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  9. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Tangmere on Saturday it seems. Having tried to avoid it for quite a while because of the little work it seems to do, I can only hope that it will at least manage something on the flat.
     
    Big Al, Jun 29, 2026 at 6:13 PM
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  10. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    RTC sent an email earlier offering £30 off per person in standard and first class.
     
    5944, Jun 29, 2026 at 8:29 PM
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  11. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Looks like a load of 11 including POB so I guess they are hoping to fill that number of vehicles rather than running with one less. And on about 100 miles from Morpeth to York via Blyth, that feels a bit tight for water to me so I hold little hope of getting much other than the occasional drifting smoke out of Tangmere.

    The things you do for new track....
     
    Big Al, Jun 29, 2026 at 11:14 PM
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  12. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Clearly not sent to everyone on the mailing list. Might use the £20 off Yorkshire Post code if I decide to go for the rare Bulleid mileage.
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Jun 30, 2026 at 1:05 PM
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  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    So here we are taking water at Heaton just 15 miles from our Morpeth drop off point!

    It was a nice run up to York with Les Ross doing what it does best. At York the ECML made us late away plus a power failure in York Depot that marooned Tangmere.

    The diesel got us away nicely. Up to 40 mph in a nano second. To be fair, we were 15 late so plenty of help to hurry us along. Unfortunately the air con now wasn't working but the sun wasn't shining so we just simmered gently in our coffin rather than being cooked.

    A good run via Stockton to Durham for our pathing stop where we were back on time.
    The diesel got us away quickly and early but that didn't stop an obscene amount of pushing to get us through Chester le Street at 75 and very early at Newcastle where we sat on the Bridge waiting for our slot. What was the point of that you may ask.

    So Tangmere has lived up to expectations so far. Not a lot from up front and quite a lot from the back until we were rolling at the required speed.

    And the good news is that at the Heaton water stop someone has started up the air con in our coach.

    So another day as normal in the north with West Coast.....
     
    Big Al, Jul 4, 2026 at 2:04 PM
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  14. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    I do wonder why you bother since they never appear to satisfy you?
     
    RalphW, Jul 4, 2026 at 8:42 PM
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  15. Shep Woolley

    Shep Woolley Well-Known Member Friend

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    Once again your having a dig at West Coast so could I make a suggestion. Why don’t you arrange a meeting at 10A with David Smith, Patricia Marshal and.James Shuttleworth to show them how to run WCR, I feel sure they would give you a fair hearing and send you back south from whence you came with a flea in your ear and a couple steel capped boots and a pair of stilettos placed about your rump!!
     
    Shep Woolley, Jul 4, 2026 at 9:19 PM
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  16. henrywinskill

    henrywinskill Well-Known Member

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    Dont fancy the steel toe capped boots but the stilettoes would be a change. lol:eek::eek::eek:
     
    henrywinskill, Jul 4, 2026 at 9:26 PM
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  17. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I do it just to annoy you two who seem to think WCR can do no wrong. ;) And to prove it why not swallow this one.

    Today's itinerary was good and it seems that despite the weather up north, we may have been operating under fire risk regs. That may well explain how little coal Tangmere seemed to use. But it was steam over an unusual route and that was why I went, however........

    I had paid little attention to the path as that's not my business so I didn't spot the 27 minute slot in Holgate to change back to the electric. Experts on the train said that the electric has to sit in the station and come up to the train once the loco is detached. So combine this with the usual York meltdown and we actually took twice that time.

    With a lost path NR put us to the back of the queue and we dropped more time including some bizarre routing on slow lines when we should have been on the fast and nothing passed us.

    Net result was an arrival back at KGX after midnight and I am typing this on my last train home that I just caught after a cross London tube dash. Thanks a bunch West Coast.

    Why West Coast? Because they either suggested an impossible loco change slot or were given it and didn't challenge it.

    And to protect the innocent I won't list the on-board stewards who were also fuming over the collective mess made by West Coast and then NR.

    So for once you two, why not read and learn.
     
    Big Al, Jul 5, 2026 at 1:16 AM
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  18. MarkinDurham

    MarkinDurham Well-Known Member

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    In fairness to the operators, from what I could see on Traksy, the debacle at York was a consequence of a procession of out of path/delayed service trains coming from Colton Junction on the down Leeds, along with further late running departures requiring the up Leeds, so poor old 86259 was stranded in P7. Had everything been on time then the P7-Holgate Loop move should have worked. There are definitely limitations with Holgate loop, of course, compounded when electric traction is also involved. Not sure what the answer is, really, as all through platforms were very busy - hence, presumably, why Holgate Loop seems to be the favoured option for traction changes.

    ECML disruption? We're used to it. Too many trains at choke points, too little spare infrastructure and little slack in the system for late running recovery.

    Incidentally, there appeared to be data feed issues to Traksy yesterday whilst I was watching the moves at York - supposed conflicting moves; signals on the display changing for no apparent reason, slow train ID refresh etc etc

    Mark
     
    MarkinDurham, Jul 5, 2026 at 7:42 AM
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  19. henrywinskill

    henrywinskill Well-Known Member

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    You definitely seem to annoy those two Al, but they are members of the WCRSC!
     
    henrywinskill, Jul 5, 2026 at 8:09 AM
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  20. 26D_M

    26D_M Part of the furniture

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    It betrays a very peculiar mindset to suggest somebody goes to the trouble and expense of travelling with the aim of being disappointed in order to criticise the operator!
    On the broader points about 'performance', it seems to me that the heart of WC isn't really in the business anymore. The firm did remarkable things for many years but since their compliance issues began a decade or so ago it all feels like it's become more hassle than reward. This shows up in the unwillingness to invest in CDL, air braking, buying mediocre certified stock whilst failing to keep the existing fleet in better order etc. Only the Northern Belle seems to buck this trend and, tellingly, that is co-owned.
    LSL and VT were very wise to ditch reliance on WC, as others have said one can feel nothing but sympathy for RTC who themselves have been a brilliant charter provider down the years but are left at the mercy of "business decisions" made in the north of England.
     
    26D_M, Jul 5, 2026 at 9:11 AM
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