Locomotive Services Limited Railtour Programme 2022

[Iskra]

Locomotive Services Limited have announced the tour programmes for their sub brands for 2022, just in time for October payday.

It is notable that the requirement for a minimum of 2 persons per booking has been dropped. The Intercity Brand is the one aimed mainly at enthusiasts and there are some very interesting tours there. Statesman seems to do dining. Saphos is Steam and then there is the Midland Pullman brand too.

Intercity

Trips & Tours

inter-city.co.uk

Statesman

Trips & Tours

www.statesmanrail.com

Saphos

Saphos Trains | Classic steam experience

Our painstakingly restored carriages transport you back to the golden age of steam. Our Pullman Dining, First and Standard Class carriages all have comfortable, cushioned seats positioned around tables, with plenty of room to stretch out.

saphostrains.com

Midland Pullman

Trips & Tours

midlandpullman.com

- - - -

I've personally booked on the Intercity Tours Ayrliner which involves 87 haulage, 47 haulage and pair of 20's Crewe-Stranraer. I'm looking at doing one more; possibly the Deltic to the Severn Valley or the Peak to Paignton.

Class 40, Peak and Deltic tours are also offered.

 

[JKF]

A date on there for 45118 late in the year - is that currently mainline certified or on the way? I’d quite like to watch that coming down this way.

 

[Iskra]

A date on there for 45118 late in the year - is that currently mainline certified or on the way? I’d quite like to watch that coming down this way.

It’s on the way, one of the other tours mentions that it will be two 37’s instead if the loco isn’t ready.

 

[Sean Emmett]

Class 40s at Narroways Hill, Bristol this morning.

 

[JKF]

Class 40s at Narroways Hill, Bristol this morning.

Haven’t shown up for the crowds at Bedminster yet, single line working at Flax Bourton due to flooding is causing disruption. Hoping it’s not been routed through Westbury to avoid the chaos!

 

[43 302]

This is, of course, if any of them actually run. Their cancellation rate for 2012 was 50% and in 2021 it was 100% until today!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Haven’t shown up for the crowds at Bedminster yet, single line working at Flax Bourton due to flooding is causing disruption. Hoping it’s not been routed through Westbury to avoid the chaos!

Spent an hour stopped at Bristol TM but is on its planned route through Devon.

 

[FOCTOC]

This is, of course, if any of them actually run. Their cancellation rate for 2012 was 50% and in 2021 it was 100% until today!

Just like the old days, not knowing if you're getting where you intended and with your desired traction.....

No good long term as a business model though of course. Once you've booked and made arrangements it's not going to take too many cancellations before you throw the towel in.

 

[Iskra]

This is, of course, if any of them actually run. Their cancellation rate for 2012 was 50% and in 2021 it was 100% until today!

I have at times been a big critic of the LSL operation for some strange policies, decisions made and poor communication. However to be totally fair to them; they are new and it does at least look like they are learning from their mistakes currently. I think it's in everyone's interest that LSL succeeds considering the significant amount of historic locomotives that they keep on the mainline for us to enjoy!

 

[43 302]

I have at times been a big critic of the LSL operation for some strange policies, decisions made and poor communication. However to be totally fair to them; they are new and it does at least look like they are learning from their mistakes currently. I think it's in everyone's interest that LSL succeeds considering the significant amount of historic locomotives that they keep on the mainline for us to enjoy!

Oh I agree. But if they cancel any of their 2022 tours I can't imagine consumer cofidence being very high! They had the option to be less ambitious but they haven't gone for it, so I hope they succeed. I can't imagine many people booking the Clansman though.

 

[Iskra]

Oh I agree. But if they cancel any of their 2022 tours I can't imagine consumer cofidence being very high! They had the option to be less ambitious but they haven't gone for it, so I hope they succeed. I can't imagine many people booking the Clansman though.

Yeah, they have been very ambitious.

I agree about the Clansman, it’s an interesting one. There aren’t many tours from England that get that far North or cover the Highland Mainline however, so perhaps that might generate some interest. It was the traction that ruled it out for me. Fair play to them for trying something new and different though.

What’s also interesting is that they can now offer day tours as far North as Fort William and Oban using the Midland Pullman set, which I assume is due to the 125mph capability. Travelling these lines on a proper train during daylight I imagine will be very popular.

With this tour programme and by announcing it first and just before payday, it could well work out. It also throws down the gauntlet somewhat to Pathfinder and UKRailtours to provide something equally interesting in order to compete, so we could have a great year for railtours ahead!

 

[47827]

Yeah, they have been very ambitious.

I agree about the Clansman, it’s an interesting one. There aren’t many tours from England that get that far North or cover the Highland Mainline however, so perhaps that might generate some interest. It was the traction that ruled it out for me. Fair play to them for trying something new and different though.

What’s also interesting is that they can now offer day tours as far North as Fort William and Oban using the Midland Pullman set, which I assume is due to the 125mph capability. Travelling these lines on a proper train during daylight I imagine will be very popular.

With this tour programme and by announcing it first and just before payday, it could well work out. It also throws down the gauntlet somewhat to Pathfinder and UKRailtours to provide something equally interesting in order to compete, so we could have a great year for railtours ahead!

The Clansman is one of the few ones marketable to the non dining normal market (it does still exist contrary to what some promoters like to claim and the railway press tell us). Would be a little touch and go whether it will sell via that mailing list though as the problem will be the fact it has hot competition within the other parts of the LSL brand serving the same/similar starting stations with the hst and Statesmen sets off to the Highlands with Kyle thrown in.

The Midland Pullman Highland day trips and Anglo Scots stuff are simply an "upgrade" with better timings (at last) to what was running from many of the same areas for decades previously (albeit not so many in the last few years with SRPS/North East Railtours doing the last few). So nothing new but novel with a hst only serving the dining and first class end of things. I'm certain they will make a killing on them as these were by and far the cream of the crop for loadings up until recent years on rattly old hauled sets with worse timings.

 

[Iskra]

The Clansman is one of the few ones marketable to the non dining normal market (it does still exist contrary to what some promoters like to claim and the railway press tell us). Would be a little touch and go whether it will sell via that mailing list though as the problem will be the fact it has hot competition within the other parts of the LSL brand serving the same/similar starting stations with the hst and Statesmen sets off to the Highlands with Kyle thrown in.

The Midland Pullman Highland day trips and Anglo Scots stuff are simply an "upgrade" with better timings (at last) to what was running from many of the same areas for decades previously (albeit not so many in the last few years with SRPS/North East Railtours doing the last few). So nothing new but novel with a hst only serving the dining and first class end of things. I'm certain they will make a killing on them as these were by and far the cream of the crop for loadings up until recent years on rattly old hauled sets with worse timings.

The Clansman is still a premium priced product though. It’s way more expensive than a one day tour, plus you have the added expense of a hotel stay to foot too. It will be interesting to see if it sells out.

 

[Sm5]

Oddly the Clansman appeals to me as it was one I associated with my father as a big adventure to Scotland several years in a row as a kid.

Lots of memories of this, including being rescued after being snowed in, by a snowplough fitted pair of 26’s and the driver choosing not to risk it taking the Clansman southbound and taking 37262 as a pilot loco with 47550.

That said its not a cheap trip.

Having just returned from Inverness, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Kings Cross with all the HSTs..



i’m tempted by the Royal Scot, I could take my laptop and just work from the train, relatively social timings, Out and Back business trip just as it used to be.

 

[47827]

The Clansman is still a premium priced product though. It’s way more expensive than a one day tour, plus you have the added expense of a hotel stay to foot too. It will be interesting to see if it sells out.

I agree, but it's still only roughly like paying for 2x 1 day railtours for the travel side at least. I feel LSL has the mailing list to fill it BUT its pot luck given that the hst and Statesman sets are doing itineraries that are a little more attractive also covering Inverness albeit a bit dearer because of the extra day. It does spread the revenue rather thinly if you stick this one up against those. Personally I'd have have done it with an electric to Carlisle/Mossend and pair of 40s up to Inverness as that may have just about tipped the balance for any shortfall in bookings but I guess the management are trying to limit the use of those to 3 or 4 advertised booked outings a year. So if it does struggle and something similar is announced on the last minute chances are it'll be too late as per the Euston to Carlisle charter this autumn that switched to 40s North of Preston but still got pulled.

The day trips I'd say that have the least chance of getting market appeal are some of the all electric efforts, especially when replicating service trains. The customer loyalty that the Farrow empire etc has enjoyed historically takes time to build up and LSL have a way to go on this IC brand.

Oddly the Clansman appeals to me as it was one I associated with my father as a big adventure to Scotland several years in a row as a kid.

Lots of memories of this, including being rescued after being snowed in, by a snowplough fitted pair of 26’s and the driver choosing not to risk it taking the Clansman southbound and taking 37262 as a pilot loco with 47550.

That said its not a cheap trip.

Having just returned from Inverness, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Kings Cross with all the HSTs..

View attachment 105231

It's the only one on the entire list I'd even consider booking but I have too many other things to keep the money back for. Non 47 wise, it'd then be the 2 peak tours if I was force to reluctantly pick any out and they actually aren't 37s.

 

[Iskra]

I agree, but it's still only roughly like paying for 2x 1 day railtours for the travel side at least. I feel LSL has the mailing list to fill it BUT its pot luck given that the hst and Statesman sets are doing itineraries that are a little more attractive also covering Inverness albeit a bit dearer because of the extra day. It does spread the revenue rather thinly if you stick this one up against those. Personally I'd have have done it with an electric to Carlisle/Mossend and pair of 40s up to Inverness as that may have just about tipped the balance for any shortfall in bookings but I guess the management are trying to limit the use of those to 3 or 4 advertised booked outings a year. So if it does struggle and something similar is announced on the last minute chances are it'll be too late as per the Euston to Carlisle charter this autumn that switched to 40s North of Preston but still got pulled.

The day trips I'd say that have the least chance of getting market appeal are some of the all electric efforts, especially when replicating service trains. The customer loyalty that the Farrow empire etc has enjoyed historically takes time to build up and LSL have a way to go on this IC brand.



It's the only one on the entire list I'd even consider booking but I have too many other things to keep the money back for. Non 47 wise, it'd then be the 2 peak tours if I was force to reluctantly pick any out and they actually aren't 37s.

I totally agree, for the same eventual price per person for the Clansman you can do the Dining on the Midland Pullman! It’s going to be interesting to see what sells out and what doesn’t.

I also agree about your comments regarding the all electric trips. The 87 to Glasgow is close to my birthday, but I just wasn’t really inspired at all. Maybe if they had done 87 to Carlisle and 47 from Carlisle to Glasgow via Dumfries in one direction and then via Carstairs on the return I would have done it. I’ve got some 87 Haulage on the Ayrliner now so no need to do a repeat.

I’m hoping Pathfinder and UKRailtours can publish their ‘22 tours soon so that I can decide what I would like to do next year. I’m considering the Midland Pullman to Fort William, but if something more interesting comes along…

 

[theflyingcuth]

I'm very excited to be booked on the Settle & Carlisle Pullman in January, pick up and drop off from Bristol at a reasonable time, close to my birthday and never been on the Settle & Carlisle line ever before. Can't wait, thanks LSL! Also the fancy card stock they send the booking confirmation on in the post is super classy!

(Here's hoping Covid doesn't scupper anyone's plans!)

 

[Iskra]

I'm very excited to be booked on the Settle & Carlisle Pullman in January, pick up and drop off from Bristol at a reasonable time, close to my birthday and never been on the Settle & Carlisle line ever before. Can't wait, thanks LSL! Also the fancy card stock they send the booking confirmation on in the post is super classy!

(Here's hoping Covid doesn't scupper anyone's plans!)

That looks an excellent trip. It doesn’t say how your train reaches the S&C so you could cover Clitheroe-Hellifield too which has a limited passenger service. The Northern WCML will be good fun on the way home too Enjoy!

Despite my previous comments, I’ve ended up booking on the Electric Scot as I’m in North Lancashire that week anyway so it’s easy for me to access. It also seems to be gaining some interest on Twitter, so maybe it will do okay afterall!

 

[Iskra]

LSL have added some additional pick up points to some of their tours, namely Tamworth.

They have also announced that the Class 87 hauled Electric Scot tour in January will run with a DVT on one end, which is quite the novelty. Although probably not so great if you were hoping to hear a bit of class 87 over Shap or Beattock as now only one end of the train will have that pleasure. I'd already booked on this tour and I'm hoping to make a trip from Glasgow Central to Wemyss Bay and back in the interlude. Is it a brave choice to not include a second locomotive in a railtour formation in this day and age?

 

[TrainTrackJack]

Not that you would hear much of the loco when sat inside an air con MK3. Add to that Intercity prefer to keep all the drop lights shut

 

[47827]

Not that you would hear much of the loco when sat inside an air con MK3. Add to that Intercity prefer to keep all the drop lights shut

The air con and heat won't like doors into the vestibule and windows pinned open in January either way even if it did just mysteriously happen in the very front coach of many diesel hauled portions back in the good old days.

 

[Iskra]

Looking forward to an 89 tour being announced by LSL

 

[james60059]

I've booked on 2 tours (so far). The Electric Scot in January, and The East Anglian March. I've never been to Glasgow Central I'm sorry to say, but hopefully might do one or 2 branch lines or even a go on the Clockwork Orange whilst I'm there.

 

[Iskra]

I've booked on 2 tours (so far). The Electric Scot in January, and The East Anglian March. I've never been to Glasgow Central I'm sorry to say, but hopefully might do one or 2 branch lines or even a go on the Clockwork Orange whilst I'm there.

I’m on the Electric Scot and hoping to get to Wemyss Bay

 

[47827]

I’m on the Electric Scot and hoping to get to Wemyss Bay

http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/photo/scaled/11630/ Technically visited twice in 24 hours owing to being on one of the only non Scotsman railtours there in recent decades as a birthday bash. The day itself was marred by iffy food from the only chippy I could find near the station which sold the not so delightful deep fried pizza in batter that seemed to be the cause. I asked for it to be done in the oven but the guy showed me that it was bust and full of demic VHS recorders! So careful what you eat if you get down that far.

 

[james60059]

I’m on the Electric Scot and hoping to get to Wemyss Bay

Great stuff, I think Wemyss Bay featured on one of the Architecture the Railways Built earlier this year too.

 

[Iskra]

http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/photo/scaled/11630/ Technically visited twice in 24 hours owing to being on one of the only non Scotsman railtours there in recent decades as a birthday bash. The day itself was marred by iffy food from the only chippy I could find near the station which sold the not so delightful deep fried pizza in batter that seemed to be the cause. I asked for it to be done in the oven but the guy showed me that it was bust and full of demic VHS recorders! So careful what you eat if you get down that far.

Haha, that's a great story though and it must have been good to go there on a railtour, loco-hauled. Depending on how things work out, I will have either 10 minutes there or 1 hour 10, so it will be an on the day decision as to whether I even leave the station.

Great stuff, I think Wemyss Bay featured on one of the Architecture the Railways Built earlier this year too.

Yes, it features heavily on twitter too so this is one of the reasons I want to go see it for myself

 

[james60059]

Just out of interest, is The Electric Scot likely to be cancelled if Scotland keep their current covid restrictions in situ?.

 

[47827]

Just out of interest, is The Electric Scot likely to be cancelled if Scotland keep their current covid restrictions in situ?.

Their spokesperson on other forums suggests not. I'm not sure what basis they are working on though in terms of being able to go ahead and whether any parties bookings would be affected on the current restrictions. It's also worth remembering Scotland and/or England could be subject to even heavier restrictions or indeed a lifting of them altogether as this whole situation is still quite fluid and the whole return to and tightening back up of certain things, rightly or wrongly, is under greater scrutiny than before for various reasons especially by the voting public.

 

[Kite159]

Their spokesperson on other forums suggests not. I'm not sure what basis they are working on though in terms of being able to go ahead and whether any parties bookings would be affected on the current restrictions. It's also worth remembering Scotland and/or England could be subject to even heavier restrictions or indeed a lifting of them altogether as this whole situation is still quite fluid and the whole return to and tightening back up of certain things, rightly or wrongly, is under greater scrutiny than before for various reasons especially by the voting public.

It must be worrying for the tour operators having to keep an eye on any potential restriction changes for those tours which go across the border into Wales or Scotland.

The Electric Scot could end up being like that Scottish charter trip in December 2020 which was allowed to go into Glasgow Central but passengers weren't allowed to alight from the train as it returned to Carlisle before the passengers could have a long break (and the stock serviced)