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Railway Touring Company's 2017 Programme

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Bulleid Pacific, Oct 29, 2016.

  1. railrover

    railrover Member

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    You are right about good destinations and timings, and I suspect the relative rarity of Whitby compared to the more regular trips helps. Another factor may be steam top and tail.

    With regard to Ray Mason's comments I'm sure he's right too. The situation at Southall may mean that the opportunities for WCR to operate steam in the South-East become more limited, but hopefully the reopening of Settle- Carlisle will help maintain a reasonable number of tours using Carnforth based locos.
     
    26D_M likes this.
  2. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Something unusual and with sensible times will always get support and the Whitby trip proves the point. I'll be on this one as well.
     
  3. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    A quick look at the Northern times suggests that RTC's provisional times between Middlesbrough and Whitby will need to change - 12:00 arrival is a minute after Northern (which turns round and sets off more or less straight back) and 15:00 return would produce an interesting situation somewhere between Sleights and Grosmont with the 15:36 Northern Arrival at Whitby!

    I suspect both could be a little earlier - not sure what impact, if any, that will have on start time - York to Northallerton isn't usually over an hour, and there isn't really a 'loop' to lose the train in as such, just the slow line which is used by passenger trains!

    Steven
     
  4. dublo6231

    dublo6231 Member

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    Gutted!!! The Waverley tour behind Scotsman scheduled for 3rd September has been rescheduled to 9th July, now that's a clash of dates if ever there was one...just waiting to hear from the other members of my party as to if they can make any other dates available...I know who I'll be on the phone to first thing tomorrow.

    Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh - as in the castle...
     
  5. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Oh, well. See you in Yeovil! ;)
     
  6. Waterbuck

    Waterbuck Member

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    doesnt the NR service stay quarter of an hour in Whitby ?
     
  7. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    About that - less than half the time it would take to get in from Glaisdale and safely into the other platform at Whitby.

    I am guessing that this train will need to pass Northern at Nunthorpe on its way out of Whitby in the morning so as to have time to always be a section ahead of it - Battersby to Glaisdale and Glaisdale to Whitby are both a good 30, 35 minutes each for steam and the turn-round at Middlesbrough for Northern is again not that long.

    Steven
     
  8. Dobbs0054

    Dobbs0054 Member

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    Whilst it is always easy to criticise, it should be just as easy to be positive too.

    All credit to @meltonnorth for his open and frank posting on the Buxton Spa Express thread. He has given a very realistic summary of the situation and at the same time let all know that the tour is to be pure steam if he gets a few more numbers. That openness is truly appreciated.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2017
    Enterprise likes this.
  9. keith6233

    keith6233 Member

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    Today's offer £30 of any UK day trip with voucher code VDD valid till 11.30 am on the 15th.
     
  10. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Booked both of the Belles in October. Eventually I'll be booking 60163's trips, so it will be a busy month...
     
  11. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Offer extended to 11:30 today.
     
  12. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for code. Booked on first rail tour, Devon Belle in October for £69. Why not at that price.
     
  13. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

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    Where was discount code posted? Need to read t&c. Hope it was okay to use for single person booking
     
  14. Jason Cottage

    Jason Cottage New Member

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    Booking mine on Devon Belle in October. Look forward behind bulleid.

    My last time rail tour 17th February 2007 to bristol by 34067 Tangmere. (10 year ago)
     
  15. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Same code as above, offer should have ended this morning.
     
  16. mike1522

    mike1522 Long Time Member Friend

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    Except for standard class on July 9, August 6,13 & 20 60103 tours are Sold out.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2017
  17. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I do wonder whether there needs to be a reality check over the RTC Devon Belle in October.

    Let's start with the Waterloo departure and arrival. Now that will be interesting as I'm assuming that it is expected that the train will use the newly opened platforms 20 upwards. Either way it will take a good hour and a half to Reading, possibly longer, so the provisional Reading time of one hour from Waterloo is fiction. Let's try 0830 with a 0644 start from Victoria!

    Next issue is the arrival at Exeter. Assuming that the train gets down to Reading by 0830 then it should be through Basingstoke around 9 am. Well Tornado managed Basingstoke to Exeter in 2016 in four and a half hours but we are not talking about Tornado so let's hope that the water stops are slick.

    Finally there is the return home after just an hour and a half in Exeter. Allowing 5+ hours to Reading is probably an overestimate as, again Tornado managed it in under four. So assuming that the RTC is hoping to pick up the path through Reading at around 2015 they could probably leave a little later from EXD and that may be a more attractive prospect for passengers. But then we are back into the fictional time it takes from Reading to Waterloo/Victoria.

    This is an ambitiously long day at a time of year when it's dark by 6 pm. I wonder what WCRC will make of this one when they get to the point of planning it with NR.
     
  18. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Well, it's more the fact that it's another trip on the Southern. My thoughts on the reality are a spin to Exeter, diesel on the back to drag it to Laverstock, turn, then back to London, unless by some miracle there's an engine change. Alternatively, they could surprise us all and pull something out of the hat.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2017
  19. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    6 Bells Junction shows the SD run to Cornwall on 17-9-2016 taking 1 hr 22 mins from Victoria via Kensington Olympia to Reading. Starting from Waterloo and taking the Sheepcote Lane Curve should be significantly quicker than that, so not much over an hour.

    Which trip are you referring to? The advertised route for the Devon Belle on 28th October implies steam on the front all the way. Waterloo, West London Line, GW main line, Reading, Basingstoke, Yeovil Jn, Exeter St D, Westbury, Newbury, Reading and an unspecified route from there back to Waterloo.
     
  20. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    I'm referring to a worst case scenario change on the day. Hope it runs as planned, though.
     

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