The Wandering 1500 Tour

Could be these?
To/from Kings Cross via Cambridge:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50504/2013/10/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50505/2013/10/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50506/2013/10/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50507/2013/10/05/advanced

 

Well if they are the times,it isn't going anywhere near London Liverpool Street!

 

Times now on UK Steam:
http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t13/t1005b.htm

 

Ah, So its no longer Liverpool Street. That will 'please' a few travellers at the last minute.

 

There is no way I'm getting back at silly o'clock on a Saturday evening. It's bale out time at Norwich on the way back I'm afraid.

 

Just spoken to RTC. They've rejected the KX timings and are seriously pushing NR to reinstate Liverpool Street as start point and for Great Eastern return to LS. They may have to stand but they really hope not. By the way, I hope you all know 9466 isn't in the itinerary either. It's out of ticket and was never a runner for the train according to WCR so we've got the joy of 57601 from Norwich to Cromer and return from Sheringham apparently, and there's also no certainty that 57601 won't be on the back of the train all day and we all know that will probably mean a "notch 1" push all the time. Ain't steam touring fun!!!!!

 

If as you say this is correct, it's hardly worth bothering with really. Except I've just bought a ticket back to L/St ! Yes' great fun.

 

Quite seriously RTC should cancel this train as it is absolutely nothing like what was advertised, different engines, different route and seemingly diesel assisted. What similarity has it now got to the original "Wandering 1500 tour" except perhaps the B12 [on the NNR which can be done anytime]. Once again passengers have paid out a lot money and are not getting what they have paid for.

 

even worse for me didnt get £10 discount!used money from cancelled ace the cancelled dorset coast!

 

That's what comes of we passengers having to take more or less all the risk. The T&Cs have little or no Consumer Protection built into them. RTCs as a reminder of the risks are:
Standard Conditions of Booking and Travel

Every effort will be made to ensure that the locomotive, rolling stock, route and timings which are hired in from third parties, will run as advertised. However, the organisers reserve the right to alter these details at any time and shall not incur any liability to any person who has bought, or contracted to buy a ticket or tickets, as a result of any such changes.

All reasonable efforts, within the control of the organisers, will be made to ensure that on the day of the trip, the train runs as planned. However, we cannot accept any responsibility for delays, mishaps, alterations or curtailment of the tour from situations outside of our control.

There may be occasional re-scheduling or re-routing of a train. In adverse conditions the train operating company, West Coast Railways, may feel the need to run with a diesel locomotive attached to the rear as a precaution.

The nature of steam trains is that breakdowns, delays and substitutions have to be accepted. Every genuine effort will be made to ensure that the tour runs as planned and advertised, or as close to it as possible.

The organisers cannot accept responsibility for the options under the control of third parties and are only responsible for returning passengers to their joining stations.

Your booking is taken as constituting acceptance of these conditions. No refund or substitutions are available, other than due to cancellation by the organisers.

Who'd be a steam fan!!!!!!!!

 

I wish RTC every luck with NR in getting the start and finishing points as advertised. If not its another nail in the coffin for mainline steam as how much longer will people tolerate in not getting what they paid for.

Stan

 

.

 

An independent legally binding body should be set up to govern the running of steam tours which totally protects the consumer. Put the tour operaters/TOC's/NR into touch with severe penalties & customer reimbursement when not as advertised is not delivered. Also rules should be applied in the organisation of such tours, ie final timings should be made available well before the tour date, likewise confirmation of loco(s). Not the debacle we are currently experiencing. Any foreseeable issues including fire risk should result in cancellation or postponement of tour, not at the last minute either like the recent A4 tours. The same should apply regarding boxes on tours & what it does. I know last minute things happen like FTR failures, but these are pretty rare.
Does some sort of current false advertising law come into this?
Until there is some guarantee of the tour customer getting what they pay for, they should vote with their feet. ie don't book at all.
As others have said this year has been a total farce regarding steam tours one way or another.
I would also go as far as saying that only one tour operator has delivered what it advertises this year, draw your own conclusions who it is.

 

The railway industry needs another regulatory body like it needs a hole in the head. Set up one just for steam rail tours and the costs of said body will be borne wholly by the steam tour industry and up go the fares again. The current situation is far from ideal but punitive legislation is not the answer IMO.

 

Whilst I agree with you in the main Ralph, I do think that some of the people responsible for these repeated fiascos should take a long hard look at themselves.
There have been too many occassions when what has been advertised has failed to be delivered and that can only be detrimental to the industry as a whole.

 

.

 

I have learnt from bitter experience that what the RTS office tell you on the phone cannot be trusted.

I understand also that WCR wont use 61306, so that explains 70013 but what reason for DL instead of 9466?

I would like to book 9th November but I suspect that this too will have a DL involved.

Don

 

Well said indeed. It really is time that the promoters were held accountable. Reporting the bad boys to the Advertising Standards Authority would be a start. That means the big two would be in trouble.

Don