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STEAM TOUR CANCELLATIONS‏ AND POSTPONEMENTS ETC.

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by noelist, Aug 8, 2012.

  1. noelist

    noelist Member

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    The Welsh Mountaineer Preston to Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog on Tuesday 14th August as been postponed until the following week Tuesday 21st August.

    The Welsh Mountaineer Preston to Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog planned for Tuesday 28th August is now CANCELLED.

    The Cumbrian Mountain Express Saturday 18th August only runs from and to Liverpool. The legs from and to Crewe are now CANCELLED.

    The Cumbrian Mountain Express Saturday 25th August is NOW CANCELLED

    The Cumbrian Mountain Express Saturday 1st September, is still expected to run from Crewe via Manchester and outbound leg via S&C returning via WCML.

    The Waverley Sunday 19th August is now CANCELLED
     
  2. Northern Union

    Northern Union New Member Account Suspended

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    Looking at UK Steam in the next couple of months this looks like the tip of the iceberg
     
  3. eco082007

    eco082007 Member Account Suspended

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    Indeed, but no doubt we'll still be shouted down as "doom and gloom" merchants by the "usual suspects"

    Now when did I last eat some "spam" fritters ?
     
  4. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    These trips usually run on the same week as the Snowdonia and Northern Fells tour and this day trip forms part of the tour. The tour in August runs from the 17th to 23rd August. Neither of the two dates in August for the Welsh Moutaineer tied up with this tour so that is why the first tour has been postponed.
     
  5. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Standard class is fully booked on 21st Aug Welsh Mountaineer. My parents have bought me a ticket for my birthday, guess I'll have to put up being fed and watered in first class all day. Shame!
     
  6. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    I wonder if we are to suffer an 'avalanche' of NR "catch-up" Engineering Works once the Olympics/Paralympics have closed.
    Is it current policy to restrict works to 'vital/essential' and postpone 'scheduled' until after everyone's gone home - leaving us with the Bus Replacements?
     
  7. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Well here's another cancellation to add to the ever growing list:

    RTC's Dorset Coast Express on the 28th August. The reason given in the letter that came today says "a lack of steam locomotive availability". So three of the four loco's (which were rostered) are unavailable for this trip (Roster was 30777, 34067, 4464 and 70000) as the letter states that there would only be steam haulage in one direction. Very disappointing for me and my sister is also going to be really p*ssed off as she was looking forward to this run to Weymouth and she can't make the other dates in September if we transfer to another trip.
     
  8. 6026 King John

    6026 King John Well-Known Member

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    Apparently the trip on 21st August has gone too. I find the reasoning very hard to believe since to the best of my knowledge 4464, 34067 and 70000 are all fit plus possibly 70013 as well. In any case it's never bothered them in the past when they could only get one loco - it's been a case of diesel haulage back to Southampton and then steam to Waterloo via Romsey and Andover. Not ideal but I would have thought this was better than cancelling.

    I suspect it may just be a case of low bookings - in which case it will be interesting to see whether the September trains run. You'd think that if you can't fill the trains during the school holidays you won't fill them at all, but this is a strange year with the Olympics going on. Some people appear to be waiting till after the Olympics to go on holiday and some seem to have got the idea that Weymouth is a no-go area. The Sunday trains from Bristol are full though so I really don't know what's going on.

    I'm currently booked on another RTC tour at the end of September - let's see whether that actually materialises!
     
  9. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    It could be availability of support crew rather than the loco.

    The website now only lists 70013 & 34067 for the DCE.

    70000 has not hauled a train for RTC this year, and 60019 has only hauled one leg of GBV.

    30777 is at Tyseley for repairs.
     
  10. 6:05 special

    6:05 special Well-Known Member Loco Owner

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    It appears Pathfinder's Carmarthen Coast Express scheduled for 25th August has now also succumbed, so its not just RTC. The following message is taken from Pathfinder's website "It is with regret, due to the very low number of bookings received, we have made the decision to withdraw this excursion from our programme, for which we apologise". It most unusual for Pathfinder to cancel any tour.
     
  11. 6026 King John

    6026 King John Well-Known Member

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    I think 70000 is doing one leg of the DCE next week.

    You are right about support crew - we sometimes take them for granted don't we?
     
  12. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    RTC told me that the 15th is Tangmere and Oliver Cromwell.
     
  13. buseng

    buseng Part of the furniture

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    Looking at uksteam & reading the various posts on here, I note there are 8 CANCELLATIONS between last Sunday (19th) & this Sunday (26th). Yes, 8 cancellations in a week! Plus the Bath Spa on the 15th.
    On another note, I see a couple of West Somerset's are either postponed or cancelled in September due to the Olympics????
     
  14. 46236

    46236 Well-Known Member

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    some are long term canellations and no doubt there will be many more, i think monies were paid for previous charters way back and now the crunch is really starting to bite.
     
  15. 6026 King John

    6026 King John Well-Known Member

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    The same restrictions apply to the period of the Paralympics as applied during the Olympics. I'm not too concerned about the Olympic restrictions - most of the trains have been rescheduled or re-routed (e.g. Bristol-Weymouth becomes Bristol-Par). What is more worrying is the number of cancellations in the last couple of weeks for other reasons. There are TWO Dorset Coast Expresses cancelled - right in the middle of the peak season, supposedly due to locomotive unavailability although I like some others suspect it may be poor booking numbers (which they'd never admit to) and now we have cancellations due to an industrial dispute at DBS.

    I've only got one tour booked at the moment (West Somerset Express at the end of September) and will be interested to see if it actually happens! Thank goodness the Autumn Steam Galas are coming up - you can at least plan for these with a 99.9% degree of certainty that they will happen!
     
  16. rule55

    rule55 Member

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    In fairness, there has been only one cancellation due to the temporary cessation of rest day working by DB Schenker drivers. There has also been one short-notice change of itinerary due to the non-availability of a route conductor but that's it so far.

    I'm afraid I tend to agree that the majority of cancellations are likely to be because of poor ticket sales.
     
  17. 46236

    46236 Well-Known Member

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    probably be more profitable to have just one tour a week, on a Saturday, or perhaps 2, one in the south and one in the north.
     
  18. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

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    All very well being wise after the event but many of these are repeat schedules that booked well last year.
     
  19. 46236

    46236 Well-Known Member

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    and that was last year, this is credit crunch country now, high costs and low cash supply
     
  20. 26D_M

    26D_M Part of the furniture

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    According to UK steam info the tour tomorrow 30/8 featuring 60009 Hellifield to Carlisle and return has been cancelled.
     

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