North Wales Coast Express

It's more of a case of keep checking RTC & the UK Steam websites for more info.

Last year when they started running the NWCE, they left it for about a week before announcing which loco would be hauling the special!

 

6201 is down for the North Wales Coast on 16th August http://www.6201.co.uk so thats one date out of the equation.

If you get no joy from RTC you could always book direct with PMR Tours on the Welsh Dragon, 3rd Oct http://www.prclt.co.uk/New_Tours.htm

 

Thanks. Nowt against 6201 but I did her on the NWCE some years back during her previous main line spell. Have yet to get 6233 haulage.
Saturday tours not easy for me unless I'm on holiday so 3rd a non starter really. I may however be off on the 10th so I may get 633 over Shap.

 

According to the Crewe Heritage Centre website, 6233 has been booked for a trip down the coast on 2nd August.

 

Glad to see that 6201 is down for the Cumbrian Mountain jaunt on the 29th. I’m looking forward to clearing her for 1000 miles as well as the thrash over shap and the S+C. \/

 

Thanks.

 

I notice on the RTC website that they are advertising 46115 'Scots Guardsman' as the booked engine on the 9th August.

http://www.railwaytouring.co.uk/index.p ... ugust.html

May have to venture out for this

 

I'm thinking the same thing. Though after finishing an 11 hour night shift I'm not sure driving up to Liverpool would be the smartest idea in the world!

 

Well as I'm booked over the S&C behind 46115 on the 2nd, I'll go out to phot this. Happy to give you a lift mate as I'm just down the road from you.

 

Why is this thread on Steam Traction and not on What's Going On? This is not implied criticism but purely a question from someone who might want to post about a related topic. What criteria differentiate these two forums? Moderator, can you PM me about it pls?

 

Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the moderators. The thread has now been moved to Whats Going on.

If threads are started in what some may see as being the wrong section it is usually brought to the attention of the moderators by other forum members. As a moderator when I log on I would firstly check any pm's, reported posts, posts needing approval, moderators area and then new posts. This can sometimes take a while depending on whats been posted. As I go through new threads or posts I for one don't pay any particular attention to the sections that a thread starts in, I am generally more concerned about the content of the posts and deciding if something may not be acceptable or breaking the rules. I only speak for myself as to how I work as a mod and the other mods will probably all have a totally different way of working! A lot of what is dealt with is brought to the attention of the moderators by the general forum membership and the job would be damn sight harder without this happening.

As an aside, I suppose it could remain in the 'steam traction' section as most people want to know whats the steam traction booked for specific days during this summers runs along the coast!

Thanks,

Neil.

 

Letter received from RTC today to say the "North Wales Coast Express" schedul;ed for 9th August behind 46115 is cancelled due to "operational reasons". I have to say this does not surprise me as I believe these trains are DBS operated and of course they do not operate vacuum brake loco's. All other locos rostered for these trains 6233, 6201, 60009 are all air braked.

 

Oh thank you for that piece of information, was so close to booking mainline train tickets down there last night and was on the to do list tonight, good job I didn't now. What a shame though, never mind hopefully all the rest will be unaffected.

 

Bu&&er! Was going out to phot that as I'll be behind her a week earlier over the S&C. Why roster her in the first place if the stock is air braked?

 

Begs the question "why not use 6233 (in use the day before) or 6201 (in use the day before that) (on the same promoters trains with that same operating company)?"

 

RTC's website still says 46115 for the 9th so I wonder when they'll update it? Already booked a run behind 6233 so would welcome a chance to phot her too.

 

I can only presume that 46115 was sought for this run because neither 6233 nor 6201 were available. IIRC, 6100 was originally supposed to be part of the "Crewe pool". Once it became clear that this was not practical, 60009 was added for the end of the season, and other duties were moved around. I find it impressive that there was only one turn not covered by the other "pool" locos.

I would also presume that a vacuum-brake-only loco would only be employed if no air-braked loco was available, because it would mean using different stock and loco crew from the other RTC Crewe-based tours. Maybe RTC announced 46115 for 9th August when they had agreement from WCRC to use the loco but before all the details (ECS moves, siding space, crew rostering...) were finally confirmed with all parties?

One limiting factor is the support crew. Both 6201's & 6233's crews are going to be very busy over the summer and it may be that not enough people with the right qualifications are available on that day. They are all volunteers, remember, and have other commitments besides their locomotives (such as paid work, families, etc.)

I think it is normal for at least the Responsible Officer to have to have a minimum number of hours break between duties, so to operate on consecutive days you'd need two ROs. Of course, I don't know if that applies in this particular case.

If this is the only one of this summer's tours that is cancelled, we'll be doing very well. There are a remarkable number of tours planned over the next 6 weeks or so, especially in the north of England.

 

........

 

Thanks for the info I missed that one. £12.50 for Carnforth-Blackpool via Blackburn one way behind steam, can't complain about that!

http://www.visitblackpool.com/site/whats-on/wakes-week

Neil.