Saphos 2024

One for Saphos to keep an eye on re 13th April.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c517vdk8zj9o

 

Full timings for Wednesday's endurance test. Steam on and off at Hanwell Bridge Loop just past Southall.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91961/2024-03-13/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U91965/2024-03-13/detailed

 

And RTC's Great Britain two days later.

 

Exceeds my longest tour, although there may be more to do in Canterbury than there was for 3 hours in Llandrindod Wells.
https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/10s/140412hw.htm
Although this may be worse if you were a Euston passenger as you could never get off the train at all (and the toilets ran out of water)
https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/10s/150530cc.htm

 

I might just do it if it were steam hauled throughout but there's several hours of diesel haulage

Break at Canterbury is only just over two hours which will soon fly by. What's even worse is that you can't get out for a leg stretch on the way down as the water stop is in Lenham loop. I thought it was Pathfinder who had the record for endurance tests but Saphos are beginning to give them some competition!

 

LSL do some crazy tours, WELSH MARCHES EXPRESS 0600 to 2340 and the displacement is only Coventry to Shrewsbury....... via Banbury and Bath!

 

Two hours in Canterbury is barely enough time to grab something to eat. You might manage an hour wandering around the cathedral but very little else.

Too many pickups and too long a route for those starting points. I very much doubt 06.30 and 23.30 at Cheltenham is due to extra traffic for the racing. The first extra service from London passes the charter at Reading! Saphos and Statesman seem to have got into the habit of trying as many pickups as possible along the route, and it merely ends up with marathon days out for passengers and staff.

 

You do not have to do the whole tour - you can join at Reading at a reasonable 08.30ish and alight there at 21.30ish on the way home. Thats only a 13 hours trip! Quite a modest day out really.

Peter

 

I'm on from Worcester. I guess I'm just a sucker for punishment. Last train back into Shrub Hill at night. I will let you know on the day how busy it is on board the train.

 

1996, Cumbrian Mountain Express, 0430 start from Didcot Parkway, 47 failed at Stourbridge Jcn, 70 mins late replacement 47 sent, 60009 failed at Crewe, 46203 late substitute, Brell Ewart hit in the eye by something between Warrington and Wigan, so unscheduled stop at Wigan North Western.
Have a feeling it returned to Didcot at 0130 Sunday morning.
I think Mr Whitehouse and the team Tyseley have got the right idea.

 

Having spent 168 hours on rail journeys in Scotland during 1968 and 1970 you'd be surprised how interesting life becomes. Still recall kippers for breakfast on the Fort William sleepers on the approach to Crianlarich with relish and my introduction to micro-wave cooking between Aberdeen and Glasgow.

 

Three hours in loops doesn't help. At the root of it is the problem of paths and slots at the times and places you ideally want.

 

When they ran the White Rose form Bridgnorth to York and return that was an 0530 start for a 2330 return, 2 hours of which was on the 25mph heritage railway. But that was fully booked, largely from the 3 SVR stations. So I’m not sure length of day is a worry to some. But I could be wrong

 

To some a local pick-up is the most important factor. Steam Dreams have run regular trips from Southend, including one to York fully booked. It would have been a shorter day from Kings Cross including the time by service train to/from Kings Cross.

 

Does anybody know which loco is rostered for Wednesday's trip?
It was advertised as 34046 or 70000 which I believe are both currently at Crewe so assuming it will be 61306 (or possibly 46100 but not sure if this is gauge for Kent) unless one of the others is coming down to Southall this week to cover it.

 

46100

 

Stuck at Cheltenham Spa due to incident up ahead. All lines closed between Cheltenham and Bristol/ Swindon. Network Rail say closed until at least 0845.

 

Your long day out just became even longer