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GWR Class 150/0 Farewell Tour "The Final Furlong" Sat 28th March 2020

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Tickets now available for this charity special run by GWR marking the end of the 150/0s on The Western.
Tickets available here: https://www.gwrsouvenirs.co.uk/index.php/shop.html
£61.50 Adult. £30.75 Child

The text on the website is still a tad muddled so here's something I wrote last night:

"
At the end of March 2020, Great Western Railway says goodbye to the prototype Class 150s as they move on to pastures new. To mark their passing we are running a special tour with one of these historic trains over different parts of the GWR network to raise money for First Group’s chosen charity: Action for Children.

The day starts at Westbury (10:30) with further pick-ups at Trowbridge (10:38) and Bath Spa (10:58) before reversing at Bath West. The tour then continues along the Great Western Mainline via Bathampton Loop to Swindon (11:50) for a further pick up. From Swindon we head towards Oxford via Challow Loop and the Foxhall Curve for an afternoon break arriving at 12:50.

You’ll have over an hour and a half to stretch your legs before we get underway again departing at 14:23 and head for our next destination of Basingstoke via Reading West Curve. From Basingstoke we head back towards Reading (P15) and reverse in Kennet Bridge Loop, not usually used by passenger trains, before heading towards the Berks & Hants route via Newbury. We avoid Westbury by taking the Hawkridge Curve before our first set down points of Trowbridge (17:30) and Bath Spa (18:00).

Now on the “Final Furlong” towards Bristol Temple Meads we have one last chance for a bit of rare track. On approach to North Somerset Junction we take the Rhubarb Curve and head towards Lawrence Hill to reverse before finally reaching Bristol Temple Meads at 18:35. Here it’s all change please as we say goodbye to our Class 150/0 and close another chapter on the history of the Great Western Railway.

We hope to welcome you on board for what should be a very special day. To make getting to and from the tour as easy as possible your charter ticket will allow standard class travel on all GWR services on Saturday 28th March 2020. As always timings are subject to alteration. "
 
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Mathieu

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11 Jul 2016
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245
Location
Oban
Tickets now available for this charity special run by GWR marking the end of the 150/0s on The Western.
Tickets available here: https://www.gwrsouvenirs.co.uk/index.php/shop.html
£61.50 Adult. £30.75 Child

The text on the website is still a tad muddled so here's something I wrote last night:

"
At the end of March 2020, Great Western Railway says goodbye to the prototype Class 150s as they move on to pastures new. To mark their passing we are running a special tour with one of these historic trains over different parts of the GWR network to raise money for First Group’s chosen charity: Action for Children.

The day starts at Westbury (10:30) with further pick-ups at Trowbridge (10:38) and Bath Spa (10:58) before reversing at Bath West. The tour then continues along the Great Western Mainline via Bathampton Loop to Swindon (11:50) for a further pick up. From Swindon we head towards Oxford via Challow Loop and the Foxhall Curve for an afternoon break arriving at 12:50.

You’ll have over an hour and a half to stretch your legs before we get underway again departing at 14:23 and head for our next destination of Basingstoke via Reading West Curve. From Basingstoke we head back towards Reading (P15) and reverse in Kennet Bridge Loop, not usually used by passenger trains, before heading towards the Berks & Hants route via Newbury. We avoid Westbury by taking the Hawkridge Curve before our first set down points of Trowbridge (17:30) and Bath Spa (18:00).

Now on the “Final Furlong” towards Bristol Temple Meads we have one last chance for a bit of rare track. On approach to North Somerset Junction we take the Rhubarb Curve and head towards Lawrence Hill to reverse before finally reaching Bristol Temple Meads at 18:35. Here it’s all change please as we say goodbye to our Class 150/0 and close another chapter on the history of the Great Western Railway.

We hope to welcome you on board for what should be a very special day. To make getting to and from the tour as easy as possible your charter ticket will allow standard class travel on all GWR services on Saturday 28th March 2020. As always timings are subject to alteration. "
Got my ticket booked but I’ll only be going as far as Reading (16:15) to make the train home to Glasgow Central
 

43096

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The marketing is a bit desperate on this, isn't it? "close another chapter on the history of the Great Western Railway" - they've only been there 8 years!
 

Mathieu

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Oban
The marketing is a bit desperate on this, isn't it? "close another chapter on the history of the Great Western Railway" - they've only been there 8 years!
I can also image some people buying this ticket just to have unlimited travel on the GWR network on that day
 

The_Train

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The marketing is a bit desperate on this, isn't it? "close another chapter on the history of the Great Western Railway" - they've only been there 8 years!

I'm pretty sure that the Great Western Railway has existed for a lot longer than 8 years!!
 

37201xoIM

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Anybody who wishes to save the cost of the tour need only wait for these two units to be transferred to Northern, where they are (on present plans) the only extra "new" diesel rolling stock still scheduled to join the TOC after all the 195s (and 969s) are in service...! (At least, that's what was in the now defunct ARN franchise agreement.)

Yes, we are desperate...
 

Mathieu

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Oban
Does anyone know when the timings will be finalised and be displayed on RTT?
 

Mathieu

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Just heard from the people at the GWR Shop that the tickets for the railtour will be sent out this Friday
 

Class43165

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Booked my tickets yesterday. Not bad for the price as I'll be doing 265 miles that day, all for £30!
 

JonathanH

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Not sure whether the potential mass gathering ban may force the event to close?

The mass gathering ban is about ensuring that the attention of emergency services is focussed on reaction to the virus. A railtour does not count as a mass gathering.

Clearly there could be other practicalities or concerns which could put pay to events such as this. It is a situation which is changing by the hour.
 

Class43165

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The mass gathering ban is about ensuring that the attention of emergency services is focussed on reaction to the virus. A railtour does not count as a mass gathering.

Clearly there could be other practicalities or concerns which could put pay to events such as this. It is a situation which is changing by the hour.
Looking at the website, they have hardly sold any tickets!
 

bramling

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The mass gathering ban is about ensuring that the attention of emergency services is focussed on reaction to the virus. A railtour does not count as a mass gathering.

Does anyone really fancy being stuck on a DMU for several hours, quite possibly (based on experience with similar railtours) surrounded in close proximity by people with dubious standards of personal hygiene? Personally I think I’d be tempted to pass on that one...
 

Mathieu

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From when I first saw them available, there were 150 adult tickets and 20 children. They have sold 35 adults and 4 children so far
I’m also going to assume that some people may be buying it just to take advantage of the free travel on GWR services
 

Mathieu

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Does anyone know why the railtour has been taken off the GWR Shop site? Has it been cancelled?
 

Class43165

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Does anyone know why the railtour has been taken off the GWR Shop site? Has it been cancelled?
I noticed that too. I’m booked on so hopefully it’s not been cancelled. It will be interesting if it has seening that there is no refunds...
 

Apedlar12

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I noticed that too. I’m booked on so hopefully it’s not been cancelled. It will be interesting if it has seening that there is no refunds...
I have been told by a friend who was told by a driver that it has been cancelled due to the corona virus outbreak and that GWR are low on serviceable units atm so they need them for passenger operation instead (not entirely sure on 100% of the reasons to why it was cancelled though)...

Sorry for the bad news.
 

Class43165

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I have been told by a friend who was told by a driver that it has been cancelled due to the corona virus outbreak and that GWR are low on serviceable units atm so they need them for passenger operation instead (not entirely sure on 100% of the reasons to why it was cancelled though)...

Sorry for the bad news.
According to GWR Help on Twitter, it's still going ahead, so we'll have to wait and see.
 

pdeaves

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I noticed that too. I’m booked on so hopefully it’s not been cancelled. It will be interesting if it has seening that there is no refunds...
'No refunds' would surely only apply if the passenger changes their mind. If the organiser decides not to run then refunds would have to be given, surely. There must be some consumer law or somesuch about that.
 

83G/84D

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Does anyone really fancy being stuck on a DMU for several hours, quite possibly (based on experience with similar railtours) surrounded in close proximity by people with dubious standards of personal hygiene? Personally I think I’d be tempted to pass on that one...

Well you can do the same on a unit on a scheduled service between Penzance and Cardiff so what's the difference?
 

43 302

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As much as I love saying goodbye to rolling stock with a railtour etc, this seems a bit much if they've only been here 8 years. Especially considering I, and a few people I'm sure, actively avoid traveling on them where possible.
 
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