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Spitfire Tours - The Welshman

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Sheffield to Tenby - June 2nd. Remember April 30th 2011 ?, The Welshman tour had to be changed to Fishguard Harbour because of pathing issues. FGW are using this Pembroke Dock branch line on Saturdays for the summer season in addition to the ATW services, so will this tour get cleared to run to Tenby?
 
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TGVDUDE

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Last year I remember it was held at either Hendy or Llandeilo Jn for a considerable amount of time to wait for the Pembroke stopper to run through Llanelli and into Carmarthen, I remember it was something to so with the platform allocations in Carmarthen itself? The Fishguard change was rather last minute I also remember, with some passengers only finding this news out on the day of the trip!
 
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The HST arrives at Tenby at 13.35ish and then makes its way down Pembroke, the tour arrives at 14.30 and departs 16.30. the returning HST is around 15.35. So some manouvering by the "special" will be needed for them to pass at Tenby?
 

MidnightFlyer

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The HST arrives at Tenby at 13.35ish and then makes its way down Pembroke, the tour arrives at 14.30 and departs 16.30. the returning HST is around 15.35. So some manouvering by the "special" will be needed for them to pass at Tenby?

Couldn't the tour occupy the Down Loop until the HST returns heading for London on the Up, then move onto the single track, change ends and move into the Up Loop itself? Shouldn't be massively complex I imagine.
 
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Yes, I thought as long as the shortest of the two trains can all fit in the platform with both sets of points clear then it can be done, but I'm sure I read about this before where they just won't want to do this.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just remembered too, when the HST normally returns at 15.35, a pacer etc passes the HST at Tenby aswell. This is going to prove interesting how they work this!
 

anthony263

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The FGW service arrives into Tenby at 13:38 and the ATW which it passes at Tenby doesnt normally depart til 13:40 and would take 28 minutes to get to Whitland before the tour can come down the branch most likely arriving into Tenby at 14:38 and would need a very fast turn around to get back up to Whitland to allow the next ATW service to come down the branch.



I am not sure whether the loops at Tenby could acomodate both the HST and the tour and yes there is an ATW service as well to accomodate.

It is times like this I wish there were additional loops on the Pembroke Dock branch.
 
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The thing is, that last year, Spitfire tried running the Welshman to Tenby on April 30th and it ended up re-routed to Fishguard. Now I'm not sure that this was all down to pathing issues on the Dock Branch, but in April it didn't have an HST to contend with! It will on this occasion and would have thought they'd check if running to Tenby was possible with an extra train using the line in June. What if passengers expecting Tenby for the second attempt were told it was diverted a second time ????
 

anthony263

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Last time I though the problem was that the train had become so heavily delayed it lost its path down the Pemrboke Dock branch then they had the problem of getting a pilotman.
 
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Yes I believe you are right. However to manage this railtour Sat 2nd, you are saying the tour goes back to Whitland to allow the next Arriva service onto the Dock branch yeah? So the Arriva goes down and gets to Tenby ready to pass the London bound HST. But the HST can't leave on time then, because the tour is on its way down behind the Arriva service? Something along the line has got to become affected by this if you think about it.
 

anthony263

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The tour would wait for the HST to clear the line at Whitland at 16:00 with the tour departing Whitland say at 16:02 and arriving at 16:27 of course it would require a quick turnaound and be off Tenby no later than 16:35
 

Pacerpilot

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I'd be very surprised if you'd fit both trains at Tenby at the same time.
HST 2+8 ....220m or so?
2x37, 8 mk2s 200m?

The loop is only around 300m, points to points, Stop Boards are further in than that, factor in the detection that prevents the Power Operated points from moving automatically when a train is near the points and I dont think you'll get token release. Or at least you'll get a token out but no 'points set for departure' and no TPWS suppression.
 

anthony263

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Yes it seems the Preston - Tenby trip wil run on 29th september.

The extra FGW services should have finished then with the service going back to a 2 hourly service so it should be easier to fit the tour down to Tenby.
 

Phil6219

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Regarding the tour last year we were indeed advised of the change onboard however it was due to a rather peculiar incident.

WCRC were providing the rolling stock, 47580 was on the rear and a nice pair of DRS 37s were up front. Apparently there were only two drivers who still knew the route, one who was booked for the tour and one who was out of the country. Sadly the one who was booked broke his leg around 3 days earlier and was unable to work the tour, EWS did have drivers who still had route knowledge but threw their toys out of the pram because DRS had been chosen to provide the traction and would not let their drivers work the tour. That is what we were told on the day and frankly I believe it as I really can see it happen.

It is a shame that this years tour has been rerouted to Aberystworth, but on the plus side the Preston-Tenby tour looks good & loving the fact it will be on my birthday so I'm guessing I must go on that one :D

I find it a little ironic (and sad) that Spitfire are running fewer tours this year because they had so many problems last year only for the tours to be delayed or rerouted anyway, or in the case of one so far cancelled. They are a good outfit and I've used them many times in the past, if anything the only thing that puts me off is that WCRC now provide the traction but that's for a different discussion.

Phil 8-)
 

Dunk65

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The Welshman tour now cancelled. I do have serious concerns for the future of Spitfite Railtours. Shame, I have enjoyed some very good days out with them.
 

crewmeal

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After I took myself off this tour because of the revised destination, I decided to rebook for Penzance on 23rd June. Will this run I wonder?
 

MidnightFlyer

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The Mazey Day tour ex-Eastleigh has been cancelled (I can't remember when; due to lack of rolling stock availability). The tour ex-Birmingham is still shown as being on; however, and I hate to say this, with Spitfire I wouldn't like to comment either way!
 

Chester025

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After I took myself off this tour because of the revised destination, I decided to rebook for Penzance on 23rd June. Will this run I wonder?

So out of interest were you offered a refund after you were told that it wasn't going to Tenby?
 

crewmeal

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So out of interest were you offered a refund after you were told that it wasn't going to Tenby?

No. The terms and conditions stated that I wasn't entitled to one because I was outside the cancellation period.

Requests for refunds will be considered up to 28 days before the tour and will attract a 25% cancellation fee (minimum £15) but no refunds can be entertained less than 28 days before the tour. (You may wish to consider taking out private individual travel insurance.)

That's why I transfered to the Penzance trip. If that's cancelled I'll be entitled to a full refund.

If a tour is cancelled by Spitfire Railtours Limited, a full refund will be made.

The problem with that is, it'll be too late to book with Pathfinder as the tour is bound to be sold out by then.
 

garnon

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No. The terms and conditions stated that I wasn't entitled to one because I was outside the cancellation period.



That's why I transfered to the Penzance trip. If that's cancelled I'll be entitled to a full refund.



The problem with that is, it'll be too late to book with Pathfinder as the tour is bound to be sold out by then.

That is outrageous. If the tour operator cancels a tour you are entitled to a refund. Period. In contract law, where is their consideration if they are providing nothing ?
 

4SRKT

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I was planning to book on their Pwllheli tour from Leeds, but the timings shown, particularly west of Shrewsbury are so outlandish that I worried that when the real timings were published they would be so different that it would be impossible for me to get to the tour to and from Shipley (a mere 11 miles from Leeds). Such gems as 5 minutes from Pwllheli to Porthmadog and times that can only pass the service trains miles from the nearest loop don't inspire confidence in timetable cranks like myself who are bound to notice such things.
 

davidgiles

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Despite being booked on the Welshman tour, I've not heard a dicky-bird from Spitfire - neither about the new destination nor about the subsequent cancellation. Has anyone else heard from Ms Ford?

An interesting way to do business.
 

Class20

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Its a shame Spitfire are going through a rough patch. I've been on three of their tours (including last years Welshman tour) and all three were great. Well organised, well run and always operated with great dedication. It would be a shame to see things continue as they are and I hope they can get back on track.
 
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4SRKT

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With one exception all the Spitfire tours I've been on have been great as well. It would be a real shame if they were to be in trouble.
 

matt

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That is outrageous. If the tour operator cancels a tour you are entitled to a refund. Period. In contract law, where is their consideration if they are providing nothing ?

I think they couldn't cancel when the destination changed. Now the tour is cancelled I would be very surprised if Spitfire offered no refund.
 
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