Railtours worth going on or better to watch go past?

GW43125 · 20 Feb 2017

SpacePhoenix said:
Hopefully if they did do anything it would just be to put bars across the drop lights with the guard's drop light modified to be lockable with a T key. What would happen on coaches where guard's use a drop light in a normal passenger door for dispatching their train?

Guard's doors now have bars on the 442s, much to the disappointment of any serious enthusiast without a carriage key.

RailUK Forums

GW43125 · 20 Feb 2017

yorksrob said:
Yes, with the air con failed.

They should have taken a leaf out of BR's book when they designed the 158/9's and included windows that could be opened by the guard.

What added insult to injury was we could see the guard on the 455 stick on the up slow next to us getting some fresh air.

theblackwatch · 20 Feb 2017

One thing that some people seem to have a beef about is the price of railtours at just under the £100 mark. This weekend I went to a concert in the evening - I got what I considered to be a reasonably priced ticket at £48.50 including fees and charges. If I were to go to a football match and see Leeds United (hardly a top league club nowadays!), a ticket booked in advance would cost me £32 or £37 (plus fees perhaps?) - and that's for 90 minutes. Yet people wave their arms in the air at a railtour, which provides a full day out, costing £95.

Maybe it's railway enthusiasts that are tight, rather than us folk from Yorkshire? :P

Iskra · 20 Feb 2017

theblackwatch said:
One thing that some people seem to have a beef about is the price of railtours at just under the £100 mark. This weekend I went to a concert in the evening - I got what I considered to be a reasonably priced ticket at £48.50 including fees and charges. If I were to go to a football match and see Leeds United (hardly a top league club nowadays!), a ticket booked in advance would cost me £32 or £37 (plus fees perhaps?) - and that's for 90 minutes. Yet people wave their arms in the air at a railtour, which provides a full day out, costing £95.

Maybe it's railway enthusiasts that are tight, rather than us folk from Yorkshire? :P

I used to go to the football all the time (Leeds fan), now I've switched to doing more railway trips and less football and I consider railways much better value as a hobby. As you say, you can spend all day on the railways for the same price as a 90min football match and not be left disappointed afterwards. ...However, railtours can be expensive.

Mag_seven · 20 Feb 2017

Iskra said:
I used to go to the football all the time (Leeds fan), now I've switched to doing more railway trips and less football and I consider railways much better value as a hobby. As you say, you can spend all day on the railways for the same price as a 90min football match and not be left disappointed afterwards. ...However, railtours can be expensive.

Maybe they should start televising live railtours like they do football matches. They could have the pre tour build up with interviews with the railtour passengers and staff prior to the tour leaving plus some live shots of the ECS on its way to the tour starting point. During the tour they could have all angles covered with cameras on board and attached to the outside. Highlights of any other tours that day could be shown on a highlights programme the following day.

Cowley · 20 Feb 2017

Mag_seven said:
Maybe they should start televising live railtours like they do football matches. They could have the pre tour build up with interviews with the railtour passengers and staff prior to the tour leaving plus some live shots of the ECS on its way to the tour starting point. During the tour they could have all angles covered with cameras on board and attached to the outside. Highlights of any other tours that day could be shown on a highlights programme the following day.

Not a bad idea, the guard/referee could make mistakes that we could all argue about. Steam and diesel fans could sing rude songs at each other and we could raise the wages of the drivers and train crews to £250,000 per week

theblackwatch · 20 Feb 2017

Iskra said:
I used to go to the football all the time (Leeds fan), now I've switched to doing more railway trips and less football and I consider railways much better value as a hobby. As you say, you can spend all day on the railways for the same price as a 90min football match and not be left disappointed afterwards. ...However, railtours can be expensive.

I've been left disappointed on a number of Railtours over the years - locos failing to appear for a variety of reasons, not covering the booked track (one of the worst being a tour to Scotland which was meant to do three branches, we didn't cover two of them, and only did half of the third one, see review at http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/00s/020720pt.htm) and on one occasion, booking on a trip to Pwllheli, that ended up going to Blackpool on the day instead!

Lankyline · 20 Feb 2017

theblackwatch said:
Maybe it's railway enthusiasts that are tight, rather than us folk from Yorkshire? :P

What Yorkshiremen tight ??? never :lol:

yorksrob · 20 Feb 2017

theblackwatch said:
One thing that some people seem to have a beef about is the price of railtours at just under the £100 mark. This weekend I went to a concert in the evening - I got what I considered to be a reasonably priced ticket at £48.50 including fees and charges. If I were to go to a football match and see Leeds United (hardly a top league club nowadays!), a ticket booked in advance would cost me £32 or £37 (plus fees perhaps?) - and that's for 90 minutes. Yet people wave their arms in the air at a railtour, which provides a full day out, costing £95.

Maybe it's railway enthusiasts that are tight, rather than us folk from Yorkshire? :P

Personally I baulk at paying more than fifteen pounds to attend an association football match

My whole day doesn't usually cost £100, including transport, food, booze and any sporting entertainment I may have lined up. £100 would perhaps be acceptable for a railtour were food and drink included !

MrCub · 20 Feb 2017

I'd not against paying premium rates for a good experience but some of the tickets for these railtours are quite expensive. As already mentioned before on here, I get concerned about some of the clientele and their conduct. I've seen some appalling things on heritage lines and automatically assume the same morons would go on these railtours - perhaps I am wrong?

I prefer diesels so there are some nice days out to be had and would be interested in going over unusual lines. However I'd also be worried about going alone. My partner is very much up for rail geekery but I think a railtour would be beyond tolerance.

Kite159 · 20 Feb 2017

theblackwatch said:
I've been left disappointed on a number of Railtours over the years - locos failing to appear for a variety of reasons, not covering the booked track (one of the worst being a tour to Scotland which was meant to do three branches, we didn't cover two of them, and only did half of the third one, see review at http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/00s/020720pt.htm) and on one occasion, booking on a trip to Pwllheli, that ended up going to Blackpool on the day instead!

That tour certainly had a wide range of traction, these days it probably would be a 90 to Mossend being replaced by a pair of 66s top and tailing

Mag_seven · 20 Feb 2017

theblackwatch said:
I've been left disappointed on a number of Railtours over the years - locos failing to appear for a variety of reasons, not covering the booked track (one of the worst being a tour to Scotland which was meant to do three branches, we didn't cover two of them, and only did half of the third one, see review at http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/00s/020720pt.htm) and on one occasion, booking on a trip to Pwllheli, that ended up going to Blackpool on the day instead!

Looks like that tour tried to be too many things to too many people i.e. a track bashing tour and a multi loco "spin" tour as well. Track bashing tours are better done with a DMU, but that won't please the "traction brigade".

Phil H · 24 Feb 2017

Can I add that I would go on more if the fares were staggered depending on where the train is boarded.
I think that if it costs £100 to board at Crewe, could it be £90 of I boarded at Nuneaton?

GW43125 · 24 Feb 2017

Phil H said:
Can I add that I would go on more if the fares were staggered depending on where the train is boarded.
I think that if it costs £100 to board at Crewe, could it be £90 of I boarded at Nuneaton?

Quite so, for example on an upcoming UKRt tour it's £90 regardless of whether you board at Euston, Watford, MKC, Rugby or Stafford-bit of a rip-off for Stafford pax.

Also, UKRt's child discount was only £10, so for a £100 tour a child fare was still £90...

Shaw S Hunter · 24 Feb 2017

Phil H said:
Can I add that I would go on more if the fares were staggered depending on where the train is boarded.
I think that if it costs £100 to board at Crewe, could it be £90 of I boarded at Nuneaton?

GW43125 said:
Quite so, for example on an upcoming UKRt tour it's £90 regardless of whether you board at Euston, Watford, MKC, Rugby or Stafford-bit of a rip-off for Stafford pax.

Also, UKRt's child discount was only £10, so for a £100 tour a child fare was still £90...

ISTR railtour operators came up with the pricing policy to discourage a particular type of loco-basher. There were some who never booked a railtour in advance but would wait to see what turned up on the day, getting the gen from TOPS if necessary. Occasionally they would board with the intention of only making a relatively short hop and would argue that they should only pay a small amount for doing so. One tour I was on even had the BTP called to one such incident and the advice was since an offer to pay had been made that BTP weren't interested. Charging a standard fare regardless of distance travelled was an easy fix.

GW43125 · 24 Feb 2017

Shaw S Hunter said:
ISTR railtour operators came up with the pricing policy to discourage a particular type of loco-basher. There were some who never booked a railtour in advance but would wait to see what turned up on the day, getting the gen from TOPS if necessary. Occasionally they would board with the intention of only making a relatively short hop and would argue that they should only pay a small amount for doing so. One tour I was on even had the BTP called to one such incident and the advice was since an offer to pay had been made that BTP weren't interested. Charging a standard fare regardless of distance travelled was an easy fix.

A lot of operators do let people part-fare: A friend of mine was allowed Eastleigh to Bournemouth for a tenner, for example.

Shaw S Hunter · 25 Feb 2017

GW43125 said:
A lot of operators do let people part-fare: A friend of mine was allowed Eastleigh to Bournemouth for a tenner, for example.

I suspect the size of the problem is much smaller these days. The number of railtours with more than two or three nominally freight-only locos booked to work them is pretty small. Back in the day there were far more "spin 'n' win" tours whose prime attraction was a decent number of different locos during the day. The reduced number of loco classes is a factor too.

LBSCR Times · 26 Feb 2017

hurricanemk1c said:
It's an interesting question. I've only ever done Irish railtours, so can't say anything about the UK.

There's some attraction for chasing (or observing) the train and not travelling on it, but the atmosphere on the RPSI/IRRS diesel trips (never been on a steam one) is electric, as it brings together many people who haven't seen each other for a while (and the fact there's an on-board bar helps!), and also a gathering of like-minded people for a day out. I have friends however who wouldn't travel but chase, and that's their choice

And the bar car on last years RPSI railtour to the south was well decorated with the Union flag! Never mind the Ian Paisley jokes too.....

Lankyline · 27 Feb 2017

One of the things that puts me off going on a railtour is the seemingly constant need to stick your head out of a window or door ! I get it that those interested in timings need to see mileposts etc but if someone is constantly up and down like a yoyo sticking there head out of the said aperture, then I would strongly feel the urge to nail their feet to the floor ! Is this an issue on tours ? does it annoy anyone ?

GW43125 · 28 Feb 2017

Lankyline said:
One of the things that puts me off going on a railtour is the seemingly constant need to stick your head out of a window or door ! I get it that those interested in timings need to see mileposts etc but if someone is constantly up and down like a yoyo sticking there head out of the said aperture, then I would strongly feel the urge to nail their feet to the floor ! Is this an issue on tours ? does it annoy anyone ?

They're just having fun. It's also a bit of a game now as to how long you manage before the gestapo give you a bollocking.

Compare nowadays where you can't open it without getting a bollocking, to the '80s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_24sDvzzrw
They more or less got away with it.

theageofthetra · 1 Mar 2017

LBSCR Times said:
And the bar car on last years RPSI railtour to the south was well decorated with the Union flag! Never mind the Ian Paisley jokes too.....

Ahh the RPSI bar car. Rather like the House of the Rising Sun- been the ruin of many a po'boy.

PUFFINGBILLY · 4 Mar 2017

Despite being a steam lover the thought of a tour does not appeal. Too many shabby-mac males hanging about in the vestibules dodging from one side to another taking photographs or worse selfishly hogging the window with sound/photo recording gizmos.
Get a good seat & you're bound to have to share space with the 'timers' spreading all their toys across a table & snaffling on crisps & cans of drink.

47802 · 4 Mar 2017

GW43125 said:
They're just having fun. It's also a bit of a game now as to how long you manage before the gestapo give you a bollocking.

Compare nowadays where you can't open it without getting a bollocking, to the '80s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_24sDvzzrw
They more or less got away with it.

It has to be said I did like to look out of the Window from time to time and having done it for 35 years until recently I did manage to do without loosing my head, unfortunately you have the window police to prevent you doing that these days, (yes there a few complete muppets who hang right out of the window but I think most people are capable of being reasonably sensible, well the above video excepted) as a result I travel much less and take more photo's lineside instead now.

Minilad · 4 Mar 2017

GW43125 said:
They're just having fun. It's also a bit of a game now as to how long you manage before the gestapo give you a bollocking.

Compare nowadays where you can't open it without getting a bollocking, to the '80s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_24sDvzzrw
They more or less got away with it.

Cheers for the video link. Gomez is going to get it next time I see him!

STEVIEBOY1 · 6 Mar 2017

PUFFINGBILLY said:
Despite being a steam lover the thought of a tour does not appeal. Too many shabby-mac males hanging about in the vestibules dodging from one side to another taking photographs or worse selfishly hogging the window with sound/photo recording gizmos.
Get a good seat & you're bound to have to share space with the 'timers' spreading all their toys across a table & snaffling on crisps & cans of drink.

We are not all like that....Although come to think

Railtours worth going on or better to watch go past?

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