The Royal Duchy 5th April

Ooh This trip just gets better! :-$ :-# :-# :-$ Nick got his wish! and mine! But the main pity is no steam up Luxullyan #-o ](*,) [-X

Nice work Mr Dobbing and DTG though!

Cheers,
Mark

 

I fully concur with your sentiments expressed here.

 

All a bit last minute.com, I only got the call yesterday to see if we would be prepared to let D1015 be used on the return. Obviously the loss of steam on the Newquay branch is a great disappointment to many so we were happy to try and help make the revised itinerary as interesting as possible.

 

You've certainly succeded there Martin!

 

Thats interesting I have never seen any photos, only shots of the heavy summer trains I have seen are of Halls with two bankers.

 

Glad to see our railways are yet again unable to provide what was advertised. No wonder so many people have lost faith in the railtour market. Have to feel sorry for all those people that were going to join it at Westbury! Didcot isn't just down the road.

For comparison I am off to Germany for a railtour tomorrow. DR 52 8079-7 into the Czech Republic from Dresden. Sensible times (12 hour day), great secondary routes through the mountains , two bar cars, shed visit, photo run pasts, two hours for lunch in an attractive town (And no neds calling 47's Duffs) ...all for £43 even at today's poor exchange rate.

I just hope it all goes as planned but if it doesn't we can drink plenty of decent beer...

 

Well I got a letter from RTC explaining the situation today. They are bus-ing passengers from Newbury to Didcot. They have also organised a train on the Bodmin and Wenford railway or a coach to Fowey, both at no extra cost. I think RTC are to be congratulated on doing their best to make this a good day in what I’m sure are frustrating circumstances for them as well.

 

Dunno if we want Bodmin and Wenford or the climb with D1015? You might guess which i want to do....... If he want's to go to Bodmin he can!

Cheers,
Mark

 

Some debate in our house as well but not about mileage with fine heritage traction of a more modern type than my preferred (see I’m being careful now).

I hope the departure for Didcot can be pushed back a bit. The first train from Bristol arrived as 08:39 and given the reliability of our rail network that’s a bit close for comfort for a 08:50 departure.

 

It is admirable that RTC have done so much to compensate for no steam to Newquay, but I do wonder why the operators do not sort out any potential gauging issues BEFORE advertising the trip? Then there are no hopes built up, only to be dashed and no need for last minute sweetners to passify everyone.

 

Isn't this because it is NR who sort out gauging issues, and if operators waited for the ok from NR, there would be very little time to advertise the trip!

 

Pretty much. As I understand you put in the spec for the tour which will catalyse a request to NR for gauge clearance for the loco over the route. This only becomes a priority for NR as the date of the tour approaches, in some ways we are lucky that the non conformance was picked up a month in advance, I have known it to be much closer resulting in greater problems and disappointment.

 

SLOA C21 please

Why does organising business in the UK have to be upside down just because NR want to do it that way?

I always thought the role of managers was to manage - then they privatised the railway - then they pseudo nationalised it again and it's like Alice in Wonderland speak

 

Looks like there are further changes to this trip. I note uksteam.info is now showing provisionally 5029 & 70013 running LE''s [plus POB's] to Bishops Lydeard on 4 April which suggets this train is now going to be steam hauled from Taunton only and not from Didcot as stated after the run over the Newquay Branch was withdrawn. There is certainly no indication that these loco's will be running to Didcot. 70013's LE move to Penzance in readiness for the start of GBII has also been cancelled. Has anyone anymore info as to what is going on.

 

The plan for the Royal Duchy on Sun 5 April has changed so many times, I am finding difficulty in keeping up ! But I THINK the current plan is for steam from Westbury (not Didcot or Swindon as in previous plans) with the engines going light from the WSR, but I still don't have confirmation or times for this. All this is still subject to final confirmation. All these changes must be very trying for RTC, WCRC and the loco support teams.

70013 is now moving from St Blazey to Penzance on the morning of Tue 7 April (rather than 6 April). 5029 will be going in the opposite direction from St Blazey to Plymouth along with the two support coaches where it will join the train. This will reduce the load for 70013 in Cornwall where there are some quite challenging climbs. 5029 is no longer permitted west of Par due to a low bridge.

David at www.uksteam.info

 

Hopefully I'll find out before Sunday where I need to go to get on the train!
Didcot or Newbury?

 

So is it definitely not stopping at Didcot?

Or is it to go via Melksham and approach Westbury from the north-west?


Cheers,
Mark

 

Well I got a confirmation email from RTC just last week saying I was joining the train at Bristol but I suppose a week is a long time in planning this tour.

The changes to the Great Britain in Cornwall make good sense but The Royal Duchy is a fiasco.

 

D1015, as far as we are concerned, is working from Paddington to Westbury via Swindon/Melksham and returning the train from Par to Paddington, so this would fit in with David's understanding of the current situation. Let's hope nothing else changes, it has been something of a logistical nightmare for the organisers, they don't swap things around just for the fun of it.

 

I don't blame RTC.
It would be nice if Notwork Fail could get their act together, especially at this late stage! ](*,)