RTC 2023

I’ve heard it used a few times, my Dad finds it rather funny that he’s had several SKIing trips to Australia.

 

The reward for dragging myself and a bag of camera gear up to Beeston Castle this afternoon for the climb away from Chester..
An opportunity as rare as hen's teeth since almost all eastbound departures from Chester are after English Heritage close up for the day.
It just had to be the hottest day of the year (so far), c'est la vie !

 

Might be nothing to do with Scotsman but interesting to note given all the debate on here recently that there was a line side fire between Watford Junction & Milton Keynes earlier.

 

Running approx 30 mins late after delays at Crewe, Flying Scotsman seen running at speed on the up fast at Heamies farm, Norton Bridge.

 

Flying Scotsman seen on the return leg of The Cheshireman, filmed at Mill Lane, Standon between Crewe and Stafford

 

It wasn’t anything to do with Scotsman, happened hours after it had passed

https://www.networkrailmediacentre....oses-railway-between-euston-and-milton-keynes

 

I had a bit of a round trip around Wales yesterday, going to Hereford to see the 2 Castles then on to Chester for Flying Scotsman

After seeing the 2 Castles at Hereford I caught the train to Chester to see 60103 Flying Scotsman with the return Cheshireman
https://tinyurl.com/yc84yz7w

Neil

 

Although as delays go it even manged to be beaten by this one yesterday.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:L22391/2023-06-10/detailed

 

Ralph, looking at the reasons for cancellations on RTT yesterday, if they are to be believed, the fire ones were some time after this had departed, this and earlier ones were shown as a points failure somewhere. That is of course before you add in the lack of train crew etc. I think the tour was lucky to have a basically unaffected day on the WCML.

 

After a lineside fire caused chaos to the WCML yesterday (nothing to do with Scotsman) 60103, running 20 min down is caught by the last rays of the sun before it disappeared into cloud at Cheddington last night

 

I accidentally posted this comment on the SD thread - apologies mods. The run to Portsmouth tomorrow was shown on RH as via Guildford, but it isn't. The outward run on RTT calls at Woking to pick up, but not on the way back to set down. However the RTC blurb says it calls at all pick up points to set down. I assume RTT is wrong (as it passes through Woking anyway)?

 

I doubt RTT is wrong, more likely RTC requested a setdown at Woking but for whatever reason (pathing etc) it wasn't available. As for the route, I too was surprised they didn't head directly down to Portsmouth via Guildford, but maybe that was too short of a route compared to going 'round the houses' via Eastleigh and Botley. There are diners on board that want reasonable time to have their meals (and there's usually a lot of them on a Scotsman trip!).

I always take RH with a pinch of salt. The best place for the 'fine details' is the website of the touring company itself and then if and when made available the RTT timings.

 

Oh yes, RH is very unreliable but, perhaps foolishly, I trusted it because I thought it logical for it to take the Guildford route. I would tend to trust RTT too, but you're probably right - an Alton working follows five minutes later at p1 at Woking so perhaps that was considered too tight and passengers are expected to alight at Brookwood and catch that to Woking. Fair enough. I imagine it wasn't worth RTC amending their blurb as the bookings would have been made by then. Thanks for the reply.

 

I think Railway Herald is initially populated with what the tours are planned to do, and then sometimes updated with times and exact routes when confirmed just before the tour, sometimes not. For example it still shows Flying Scotsman to Yarmouth is next Saturday when it moves to the Friday around a month ago.

 

I still yearn for the days of the superb 'UK Steam' site - sadly missed with the attention to detail that went into its running.

 

It looks like they might be using Brookwood as the set down point on the return journey for people who joined at Woking. It has happened before but the other way round.
A SD excursion to Bristol with 70000 in April 2012 lost the Woking pick up on the outward journey as SD were told it was too busy at Woking to allow the charter to stop. Passengers were told we now had to join the train at Brookwood. On the return journey we had the option of leaving the train at Brookwood or Woking.

http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t12/t0412a.htm

 

Rather attractive route back for those on board I would have thought.

 

The met office fire severity index is at very high for the entire route. Does anyone know if it'll be the usual 'Steam on the front with diesel on the rear pushing' scenario, or has it got to the point where the diesel needs to be tucked in behind the steam, on the front, or (dare I mention it) no steam at all?

It was said elsewhere that the crew on 35018 on Tuesday's Dalesman were instructed not to pull the coaches and have the diesel on the rear do all the work. Admittedly, this route isn't the S&C but the risk is still there. Hopefully the passengers are still due to have 60103 on the front, even if it is there for show.

 

Probably drier down South than on the S & C. What rain there has been has all been a bit hit and miss.