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Steam Dreams 2013 & 2014 Archive

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by free2grice, Aug 10, 2013.

  1. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    All OK this morning. <BJ>
    http://www.steamdreams.co.uk/execut...press&DB=SteamDreams&Division=A&ActionCode=HP
     
  2. Southofthethames

    Southofthethames New Member

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    Lovely, Thursday's to Salisbury, Bath & Bristol calls at Twickenham not Chiswick or Brentford
    http://www.steamdreams.co.uk/executables/GT410WebContent.exe?ActionCode=Timings
    Nice to see Steam Dreams show the platforms the train will pass as well as those it calls at.

    Edit, seems the Diesel returns to Southall rather than stay for the ride. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/VIC/2014/07/24/0840-0850?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2014
  3. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    I'll start a new thread for this train rather than continue under the 'Steam Dreams' topic. <BJ>
     
  4. JDTTRAINS

    JDTTRAINS Member

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  5. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Well put it this way. Four hours back from York is pretty quick by charter standards and suggests diesel all the way as SD warned might happen. And four and a half northbound is also unusually quick so I suspect that assuming it is still Bittern (and I see that there is nothing on Icons of Steam about her outing) then the trip seems to be taking something else with it! Nearly four hours in Scarborough is unusual though and so possibly a good spell of north sea air may be some compensation.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2014
  6. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    I was under the impression (anything that comes near York) all steam was banned either solo or with a diesel, as per Scarborough Flyer & Scarborough Spa express workings
     
  7. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    No water stops booked so I think you can guarantee there won't be any steam haulage on Saturday. A shame really as this week is the 50th anniversary of starting my trainspotting career and I started it at Arlesey.
    It would have been quite fitting to mark it with a steam departure from the station even if it isn't the original.
     
  8. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    With no rain forecast over the dear souls who decide such things at NR Control (York) it looks as though we may have to wait a while longer to see any (moving) steam locomotive in the area. One can always hope that this trip slips through the net but as you imply, the timings seem to suggest a Plan B may already be on the cards.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2014
  9. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    And fifty years ago, almost to the day of the SD trip, I had a nice little evening run on the 1920 Scarborough - Wakefield as far as York with 61353. It was a warm summer evening. The grass was long and dry and records show there hadn't been any measurable rain for two weeks previously. That was then. This is now.
     
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  10. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Arlesey still saw steam that summer but only just. Begrimed B1s and 9Fs worked freights to and from Hitchin where the change to/from diesel took place. Can't recall the countryside being ablaze.
     
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  11. JDTTRAINS

    JDTTRAINS Member

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    It's a real shame, I was planning to film it at Arlesey too. Might still go for the diesels.
     
  12. JDTTRAINS

    JDTTRAINS Member

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    Just found this at the bottom of the Steam Dreams' timetable including the timings for Saturday.



    'As you know we have been enjoying a lot of hot and dry weather of late and over the last few weeks Network Rail have sometimes placed a steam ban due to the extreme fire risk. The timings for this trip have been done in the hope that steam is allowed but it is a decision that is made by Network Rail on an ongoing basis in the light of the prevailing conditions at the time of the trip.'
     
  13. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    I suppose the second tender could be used but with York banning all steam moves, I'll be surprised if it's not diesel hauled.
     
  14. 30567

    30567 Part of the furniture Friend

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    Paul Hudson the Look North weatherman said last night the outlook for the first couple of weeks of August here is very unsettled. It really is dry, especially east of York, but a couple of weeks rainy weather could be enough to tip the balance.
     
  15. JDTTRAINS

    JDTTRAINS Member

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    Confirmed by the 4464 Bittern Facebook page that it will not be working this trip on Saturday, due to the proposed fire risk.
     
  16. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    No surprises there then but it does make the reported comment by Steam Dreams in #547 a rather curious one. As has been said already, it seems fairly clear that "the timings given are on the assumption that steam is not allowed", as the Icons of Steam info suggests. This was a trip that I was holding back on for all the obvious reasons so I'm not affected and therefore not really entitled to comment. But this truly is a wretched time for operators and passengers alike at the moment and you can only feel sorry for both.:(
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2014
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  17. alastair

    alastair Well-Known Member

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    I note that the timings are now on the SD website,note that the loco is still shown as Bittern. There is a note at the bottom saying that "the timings have been done in the hope that steam is allowed",surely that is a blatant lie given that there are no water stops! It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that SD are hoping to give the impression that the absence of steam is some last-minute decision by NR whereas as has been pointed out here there seems to be no chance of it happening.

    It is interesting to speculate what effect this will have on the economics of the trip for SD. Of course they will have to pay out their nominal "compensation"of £10 or £20 per person due to the absence of steam but not having to pay the steam locomotive hire fee could mean they actually do very well from this trip.

    I can't help feeling that the whole affair does not seem right. To charge premium fares(with a very small refund)when you know at least 10 days ahead that there is a minimal chance of steam operating seems to be a high-risk decision. Maybe the "normals" will keep coming back for more,but for how long? RTC cancelled their Scarborough trip the previous day a while ago. SD should surely have done the same.
     
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  18. JDTTRAINS

    JDTTRAINS Member

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    I wanted to book a Dorset trip this summer, but then the steam ban keeps coming to mind. Worrying about it either being cancelled, or diesel-hauled throughout puts me on edge. Although for the last 2 weeks have had steam, I don't know whether to take the risk and book the 27th August run...
     
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  19. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    Richard Corser of Locomotive Service was quoted in one of the mags that the hire costs for one of their locos was in the region of £7k. If the cost was £7k and there were say 500 people on the train, that would be £ 14.00 per person before the deduction of cost for the diesel.
     
  20. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    So if in the summer, it has now become a lottery as to whether you get working steam (rather than a show pony or diesel) on a charter, where is the USP for the passenger that they cannot get by doing the same thing on a service train day ticket, and usually for less? I guess that the answer to that is the opportunity to have a meal or two on the way.

    So all we can hope is that this difficult period for SD (and the RTC) can be worked through by maintaining a stream of income from people who actually don't mind so much about what is up front provided that the destination is worth going to and the food is ok. UKRT seems to do quite nicely on that model with the odd steam trip thrown in so hopefully the same will be true of the others.

    Not ideal, I know, as who wants to ride with steam only in the winter when the days are shorter and half your journey is in the dark? I do wonder whether the clever operators will start thinking more carefully about the precise nature of what time of the year they run steam, where they go to and the length of their day. Suddenly shorter steam trips and dining circulars have an appeal in the shorter daylight months, perhaps?
     

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