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Torbay Express 2016

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by TorbayTrains, Dec 30, 2015.

  1. father_jack

    father_jack New Member

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    Sean. Can you please pass a message to the TM. There are 2 premier diners and 1 normal coming down on 1000 BRI-TAU arr 1033. Misread retimings. Thanks.
     
  2. Sean Emmett

    Sean Emmett Member

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    TM was aware. Hope you caught up at Newton Abbot?

    Bristol - Bath 17m 49s. Max 61 mph.
    Bath - Trow 19m 46s. 61 thro Avoncliff.
    Trow - Westbury 10m 16s. 38 at Yarnbrook then 40 max.
    Westbury - Taun 47m 51s. Good start to Fairwood Rd Jn then easy to Clink Rd Jn passed at 43 mph - priming?
    59 at Blatchbridge Jn, 55 Witham and 50 min at Brewham. 75 at Castle Cary, 67 min Somerton and 75 before Cogload. Taun 16 early.
    HST late and engineers train ahead of it needing relief to Fairwater Yard so we got the road and couldn't pick up pax on the HST.
    59 thro Wellington but slipped before tunnel, in at 39 and 41 over the top. Fast down to Exeter but caught up unit after Dawlish.
    56m 43s to operational stop at Newton Abt P3.
    N A - Paignton 17m 22s. 38 after Aller then 30 at MP 218 summit before easing to 27. Min 36 on climb after Torquay.
    Paignton - Kingswear 19m 14s. Took run at bank and still doing 24 over Hookhills viaduct.
    Nice weather and Tornado totally in command.
     
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  3. father_jack

    father_jack New Member

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    Not me travelling-I'm the ticketman at BTM !!!! Sent the passengers down free of charge to Taunton on GWR. Then the train got caught behind the HOBC train waiting entry to Fairwater ward. So then the steam left without them, got the TM to keep them on to Newton Abbot. Alas no emergency contact number on PF's booking confirmation...... :oops:
     
  4. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

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    Briliant customer service there!

    Not only sending them FOC but keeping track afterwards.

    Hope someone recognises that, but suppose its unlikely
     
  5. Wayne

    Wayne New Member

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    The problem of picking the passenger's up that were sent down from Bristol, was the freight for Fairwater yard was in front of the train down from Bristol. The only access to Fairwater is from platform 4 where we were standing. So the Penzance couldn't get into the station until after we left. We were aware of the situation but unable to get them onboard at Taunton. They were in communication with the train manager.
    We had to make a stop at Newton Abbot, due to a passenger being taken ill, I'm not sure if they managed to get onboard there. The train from Bristol passed us there.
     
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  6. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

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    Appreciate the explanation Wayne.

    I noticed the ten minutes lost at Newton Abbott and wondered if an unscheduled stop had been made to pick them up; it obviously didn't occur that it might be for another passenger :)

    Lets hope that one is ok and the three made it aboard!
     
  7. 5051

    5051 New Member

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    Good afternoon. Please could you tell me where there are water stops on the home run? There are scheduled stops on RTT at Taunton and Frome. Are both for watering?
     
  8. Sean Emmett

    Sean Emmett Member

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    I echo the comments re the passengers.

    So for the return. Away RT from Kingswear but 7 late away from Paignton. Speed fell to 19 after Torre.
    9 late thro Newton Abbot where 15.00 PNZ to PAD was already waiting for us to proceed.
    Steady run along sea wall - is there a slack before Dawlish? Max 72 before Exeter, check to 34 then 45 thro St Davids in 37m 02s from Paignton.
    72 at Hele, min 66 before ex Tiv Jn and 73 max after
    Min 62 before Whiteball passed in 54m 53s from Paignton. Taunton arrival 2 1/2L in 65m 30s.
    HST overtook during water stop which was under 10 min.
    Super start out to Cogload in 6m 18s passed at 68mph with 71 max before check to 31 as HST had not cleared Athelney - Somerton section. Got going again with 67 max before Langport falling to 63 after Somerton Tnl.
    Various 75 maxes before 68 thro Castle Cary, Bruton 63 recovered to 65 with 52 min at Brewham, loco blowing off most of the way up. Arrived Frome 44m 01s for pathing stop.

    Checked to Westbury. Great restart - 56 before Yarnbrook but then checked badly. Final flourish from Bath to Bristol in 18m 14s with74 max after Keynsham.

    Very good day out!
     
  9. AlexGWR1994

    AlexGWR1994 Member

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    My footage of Tornado accelerating away from Frome at Berkley Marsh with lovely evening sky. The end of 2016, roll on 2017. Enjoy.
     
  10. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

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    Cracking video, very atmospheric.

    And all credit to the crew for once again making everything look so effortless!
     
  11. pwsw5054

    pwsw5054 Member

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    Out video shots at witham x2 on way out and Castle cary on return. Also stunning soundtrack leaving bath and heading through oldfield Park in the evening.

    Sent from my E6553 using Tapatalk
     
  12. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    It's the end of another Torbay Express season and the tour yesterday appeared to be another great success.

    I saw Tornado depart from Bath in glorious early morning sunlight. A huge white mist of steam hung in the air over the Georgian city long after the train had disappeared.
    Afterwards it was a traffic free drive to Upton Noble to witness Tornado tackle Brewham bank. Needless to say it appeared effortless.

    In the evening I visited Bath Spa station to film the return and afterwards spoke to a number of TE passengers. They were all full of praise of the train, the staff, the destination and the gorgeous weather during the day. Let's hope that they return next season.

    Thanks to all concerned for another successful year of the Torbay Express. <BJ>
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2016
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  13. 6026 King John

    6026 King John Well-Known Member

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    I wouldn't say it was that successful - remember one train was cancelled and another was diesel hauled. It's just fortunate that the A1 chaps were able to bring Tornado to the rescue for the last couple of runs as neither of the booked locos were available.

    Having said that yesterday was a most enjoyable day - the first trip I'd been on for nearly 2 years. A proper steam hauled trip with no oily friend giving any assistance from the rear. Good brisk running in both directions so well done to the DBC crews (nice to have a quick chat with Wayne too).
     
  14. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    Study the 2016 Mainline Steam Tour Programme at uksteam. There are many cancellations for one reason or another.
    TBEL hasn't done too badly. <BJ>
     
  15. Sean Emmett

    Sean Emmett Member

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    The Jacobite is surely the most reliable of the repeat itineraries but the Torbay Express must be high up there and I like to show my support by doing at least a couple of trips each season.

    Main attraction for me is the commitment to run with steam, without shovage. It doesn't always work out and I've suffered no shows in the past with DoG and this year Royal Scot.

    But I will be back next year.

    Have suggested that TBX makes a bit more of their commitment to run with 100% steam, with obvious caveats, as distinct from tours where shovage is clearly contemplated/inevitable.

    So a month ago Tornado was allowed a good out of path run from Grantham in front of rapidly closing 125 mph expresses on the ECML. On Sunday it was given priority over an HST at Newton Abbot whose own departure was due and allowed to precede it for 51 miles. Credit indeed to Control, and for the crews in delivering with hard running without thrashing. And yes this is 2016.

    P.S. HST suffered minor delay and was early into RDG and PAD.
     
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  16. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    However impressive the Jacobite operation may be over its fairly lengthy season, if reliability with no shovage is the yardstick for ranking a league table of repeat itinerary trips, then surely VT's Shakespeares must be right up there with the best of the very best.
     
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  17. Sean Emmett

    Sean Emmett Member

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    It's a while since I did the Shakespeare but have enjoyed many of VT trips over the years and applaud their honesty/transparency re what's planned.
    Hope to see 5043 up Beattock on its own before it's too late, after fire risk caped previous attempt.
     
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  18. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    For the Torbay Express promoters this year has been a strange one. The eagle eyed among watchers of the train going past would have noticed only 1 TSO and the Standard Class Buffet. I know people rightly moan on here about the lack of proper steam but most don't seem to support the TBE despite excellent running almost being guaranteed. I know some 'enthusiasts' travel first and occasionally dining but this year we've done four Torbays, walked away from one and haven't seen more than a handful of the 'regulars' and 'timers' on any train - no more than 4 or 5. In years gone by a dozen of us would be discussing times in the various pubs in Dartmouth and Kingswear. You can extend that to the Duchy where at the last count - it didn't need a count - there were 3 timers on the train. The average age of passengers is over 60 - which we are, well over. The market is definitely changing and without more support from the 'grassroots' the trains are in danger of becoming First Class and Dining. Still if it keeps steam on the mainline we'll pay whatever it costs to travel, but it's not as much fun as it used to be with so few kindred spirits, basically being surrounded by passengers who know little about steam engines and the railway. We do educate those who listen and most of the passengers we talk to will come back next year.
     
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  19. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    Very interesting post, this, and definitely somewhat concerning. Worth noting, though, that in this respect, I think Vintage Trains may have shown a sensible way forward in offering an "Enthusiast" class, which at least keeps the kindred spirits together, and offers some recognition of the fact that there is a "specific interest" group that needs to be catered for, with the possibility of travel, at least in one direction, next to the locomotive.

    VT charge a very modest premium for this - I think normally £15 - and it would be great if this sort of concept could be more widely adopted, because it would be infinitely preferable to the spectre of "whatever it costs to travel", which would just about wipe out my ability to support main line steam tours on any sort of regular basis (perhaps only once or at most twice annually) in the future.
     
  20. 6026 King John

    6026 King John Well-Known Member

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    There could be a number of reasons for this, but I would suggest that the chief one is that many enthusiasts have lost faith in the main line steam scene over the last couple of years. There have been so many problems with locomotive unavailability, gauging and other route issues, poor timings, diesel assistance and of course the whole saga of WCRC's issues that I for one have had little confidence that I will get a tour that is anything like what I paid for. I booked on the Torbay Express this year in the expectation that it is one of the tours that does deliver but then my first choice train was cancelled due to loco unavailability and then last Sunday's train had a replacement loco (OK - I admit Tornado is a pretty good replacement so no complaints there). Incidentally I travelled First on this occasion as I was giving my wife a treat but normally I would go Standard.

    I will continue to support main line steam where possible but I am not paying out good money to be pushed around by a diesel all day so will be avoiding certain operators. I am pretty sure that the tour companies won't mind a downturn in Standard class passengers as presumably they don't make any money on them. In fact Hertfordshire Railtours have stated that there will be limited Standard accommodation on the pre-Christmas tours so they are making their policy quite clear.
     

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