Pathfinder Tours "The Torbay Coastal Grid" 14th June 2025

[GW43125]

Pathfinder running Derby-Paignton with a 56 throughout on Saturday 14th June. Looking to be a long solid run-500 miles of grid haulage isn't something you get every day! (though avoiding Lickey and Devon banks).

The Torbay Coastal Grid - Pathfinder Railtours

Head for the English Riviera on board this Class 56 rail excursion. Joining Stations: Derby, Burton-on-Trent, Tamworth, Solihull, Warwick Parkway, Banbury, Oxford, Swindon

www.pathfindertours.co.uk

Our journey begins in the morning, departing from Derby behind a mighty Colas Rail Class 56 otherwise known as a ‘Grid’ to rail enthusiasts. As we head south, we’ll make pick-up stops at stations across the East and West Midlands, as well as through the Cherwell Valley, before continuing onward to Swindon and straight down to the stunning South West coast.

The route promises some great scenery, offering a diverse landscape as we glide through the Somerset Levels and pass through Exeter St. Davids. From there, we’ll trace the iconic Dawlish Sea Wall — a remarkable stretch of railway running mere metres from the sea, where waves often dance against the tracks. Our first destination is the delightful seaside town of Torquay, before continuing to our journey’s end at the picturesque resort town of Paignton.

Upon arrival, you’ll have up to three hours to explore the beautiful Torbay Coast, fondly known as the English Riviera for its palm-lined promenades, golden beaches, and charming seaside ambiance. For those seeking a further journey to Dartmouth, there’s also an opportunity to hop aboard the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway diesel hauled service to Kingswear with Class 37 No. 37703 at the helm. (Please note: an additional fare is payable locally for this service.)

As the day winds down, we’ll depart in the early evening, retracing our steps along the dramatic Dawlish Sea Wall once more. At Taunton, our route diverges onto the Berks and Hants line, climbing over Bruton Bank and passing through the historic town of Castle Cary. From Westbury, we’ll loop back along the Melksham single line, rejoining our earlier path at Swindon and making set-down stops at the same stations where we picked up passengers.

We would like to thank Colas Rail for supplying one of their Class 56 locomotives for this rail excursion.

Noticing that pathfinder are being coy about the stock-usually mentions at the bottom that it's mk2 aircons but no such mention this time. Though not sure if there's a usable mk1 rake around? Sounds like a good day out but reluctant to spend £130 to sit in silence all day when it costs me £30 to get to Paignton from my local!

 

[Iskra]

That's very unfortunate for me, a tour I would definitely have booked on as I still need Grid haulage and Derby is not too far away, alas I'm in Italy

 

[bleeder4]

Noticing that pathfinder are being coy about the stock-usually mentions at the bottom that it's mk2 aircons but no such mention this time. Though not sure if there's a usable mk1 rake around? Sounds like a good day out but reluctant to spend £130 to sit in silence all day when it costs me £30 to get to Paignton from my local!

It will almost certainly be the ex-Riviera Mk2's. However, if it's any consolation, the Standard Class ones have been fitted with opening windows at every other bay.

 

[31160]

Well it definitely will not be MK1s due to the issues we all know about, the SRPS mk 1 rake will be very very unlikely to ever turn up on a pathfinder tour, a LSL tour mybee but no way will they let WCRC anywhere near them, WCRC does have 1 MK2b PV coach that was out the end of last year on a UKR job so that may make an appearance other than that the best your gonna get will be those air cons with the mini windows

 

[theblackwatch]

Well it definitely will not be MK1s due to the issues we all know about, the SRPS mk 1 rake will be very very unlikely to ever turn up on a pathfinder tour, a LSL tour mybee but no way will they let WCRC anywhere near them, WCRC does have 1 MK2b PV coach that was out the end of last year on a UKR job so that may make an appearance other than that the best your gonna get will be those air cons with the mini windows

The Mk.2b normally goes on holiday to Fort William for the summer, I'm not saying it will this year but it could well be away. Unfortunately, it seems (so far) to be pot luck if the air-cons with opening windows appear on these sort of tours, there doesn't seem to be a fixed set which is used.

 

[Harpo]

It will almost certainly be the ex-Riviera Mk2's. However, if it's any consolation, the Standard Class ones have been fitted with opening windows at every other bay.

If I’ve got it right, i think there are only a couple of modified coffins. A set I was on in very recently had none of them.

 

[TFT YouTube]

Pathfinder running Derby-Paignton with a 56 throughout on Saturday 14th June. Looking to be a long solid run-500 miles of grid haulage isn't something you get every day! (though avoiding Lickey and Devon banks).

The Torbay Coastal Grid - Pathfinder Railtours

Head for the English Riviera on board this Class 56 rail excursion. Joining Stations: Derby, Burton-on-Trent, Tamworth, Solihull, Warwick Parkway, Banbury, Oxford, Swindon

www.pathfindertours.co.uk

Noticing that pathfinder are being coy about the stock-usually mentions at the bottom that it's mk2 aircons but no such mention this time. Though not sure if there's a usable mk1 rake around? Sounds like a good day out but reluctant to spend £130 to sit in silence all day when it costs me £30 to get to Paignton from my local!

Is it likely to pass Westbury?

Oh wait ignore me it is looks like my weekend plans are sorted

 

[TFT YouTube]

This tour I do believe has been cancelled as it is no longer on the website.

 

[31160]

Yeah I think it's been redated and it's going to Cumbria now, don't know if it still starts in derby either, apparently two other chingfinder tours are going to be either cancelled or altered this week as well, bad times for charters at present

 

[Iskra]

I couldn’t make the original date, so I’m hoping to be able to book on the new tour which is rumoured to be 30/8. I just need clarification that it’s still picking up at Derby (or further North) first.

Yeah I think it's been redated and it's going to Cumbria now, don't know if it still starts in derby either, apparently two other chingfinder tours are going to be either cancelled or altered this week as well, bad times for charters at present

Cumbria will do me nicely

Cancelling tours frequently is going to cause further problems; if you’ve no confidence that they will actually run the tour, you aren’t going to book are you? So there is a risk of a vicious cycle of decline here.

 

[Kite159]

Cancelling tours frequently is going to cause further problems; if you’ve no confidence that they will actually run the tour, you aren’t going to book are you so there is a risk of a vicious cycle of decline here

Agreed, especially if you need to book time off work, accommodation & other travel tickets. Only for the tour to get pulled due to low bookings.

 

[Sheldonian]

You are 100% correct Iskra. Noticed today that the Torbay tour and one other Pathfinder tour i had booked are no longer on the website, so assume must be cancelled.
No contact from the company yet, and nothing on their newsfeed.
If both are cancelled, i wont be booking again. Customers also have to make a lot of plans as well (let alone the disappointment) and when everything keeps cancelling, what is the point.
Real shame if true.

 

[31160]

Agreed, especially if you need to book time off work, accommodation & other travel tickets. Only for the tour to get pulled due to low bookings.

Just to say I'm not saying this one got binned because of low bookings, I was going because I needed Swindon to Bristol (either way) and Taunton to Swindon for a 56 but if it's Carlisle again I'm not sure it's for me, I've heard it's WCRC stuff the Crewe then grid forward, it might be cumbria coast which would be pen but if it's mainline or S&C I'll leave it

 

[Iskra]

Just to say I'm not saying this one got binned because of low bookings, I was going because I needed Swindon to Bristol (either way) and Taunton to Swindon for a 56 but if it's Carlisle again I'm not sure it's for me, I've heard it's WCRC stuff the Crewe then grid forward, it might be cumbria coast which would be pen but if it's mainline or S&C I'll leave it

I’d have a preference for doing the Cumbrian Coast too. Shap or S&C in one direction and Cumbrian Coast in the other I’d be happy with. Carlisle is just a convenient place for a break rather than a destination in itself.

 

[The_Train]

I'd have a preference for doing the tour I actually booked onto. Out of all of the complaints and excuses people muster up for not booking railtours, the fact that you can have no confidence in a tour you book actually going ahead is going to be the thing that stops me booking onto them. In the last 6 weeks, Pathfinder have canned one tour I was booked onto, canned another I was going to book onto at next payday and now have either canned this one or changed the date and itinerary. On top of that, SRPS have canned one of theirs I was booked onto.

I think railtour operators need to remember that not all of their customer base are retired and that plenty of us have to jump through hoops to get time off work, even on a Saturday. My boss went to great lengths to get me 3 weekends off in a row in June so I could do 3 tours and 2 of those 3 are now not happening as planned. And if the revised date for the grid tour is true as 30th August, that also clashes with the Retro Rail Norfolk Broadsman HST tour which I am booked onto which means I will have to choose between the 2 and ultimately miss out on one.

 

[D365]

I couldn’t make the original date, so I’m hoping to be able to book on the new tour which is rumoured to be 30/8. I just need clarification that it’s still picking up at Derby (or further North) first.


Cumbria will do me nicely

Cancelling tours frequently is going to cause further problems; if you’ve no confidence that they will actually run the tour, you aren’t going to book are you? So there is a risk of a vicious cycle of decline here.

I can make this revised date and do like the sound of Cumbria, so might join you at Derby if you’re interested and when it goes live. But I’ll echo your comments. It is disappointing to hear of regular cancellations and postponements/amendments.

 

[TFT YouTube]

I can make this revised date and do like the sound of Cumbria, so might join you at Derby if you’re interested and when it goes live. But I’ll echo your comments. It is disappointing to hear of regular cancellations and postponements/amendments.

What is (in my opinion) especially annoying is compared to the likes of Northern areas, the south very rarely get grids, or anything that isn't a 47.

 

[Harpo]

compared to the likes of Northern areas, the south very rarely get grids, or anything that isn't a 47.

Chingfinder Email update out today. No class 56 tours mentioned but theres a new tour to Newquay on 20th September. Yep, duffs.

 

[Iskra]

I can make this revised date and do like the sound of Cumbria, so might join you at Derby if you’re interested and when it goes live. But I’ll echo your comments. It is disappointing to hear of regular cancellations and postponements/amendments.

Yes that sounds like a plan

What is (in my opinion) especially annoying is compared to the likes of Northern areas, the south very rarely get grids, or anything that isn't a 47.

The Branchline society tours starting from Eastleigh would seem to be the ones that include the more diverse traction from my distant observations.

- - - - -

I do perhaps think railtour operators could be a little more innovative; ‘pay in 3’/Paypal/Klarna etc would be an easy way of helping customers with their cashflow and secure more solid bookings in the process.

 

[bleeder4]

Had a good time on the Cambrian tour on Friday and have just booked on the Newquay one. Not bothered about the motive power on that one, I've just never done the Newquay line on a charter before.

 

[The_Train]

Finally received my letter today and the reasoning is utterly farcical!

"Whilst bookings have come in nicely from the enthusiast element, it has not been possible to entice the general public with the destination of Torquay and Paignton."

So firstly, which "element" of the general public will be tempted to travel on this train when it is being hauled by an old freight locomotive? We are not talking about the romance of steam that attracts the general public and so clearly this entire itinerary was designed for enthusiasts! And equally, if you can't attract people to the seaside in the summer months, then where can you attract them to in the UK that is likely to improve bookings?

I've called Pathfinder to double check that full refunds will be made available (they will) as I have another tour booked on the revised date (which they claimed remains provisional for now during my phone call with them) and even though it might be the last chance to get a Colas 56 on the mainline, I think I'd rather keep my business with the operator running the tour on the date they first advertised rather than one that continually messes people around more than any other!

 

[Iskra]

Finally received my letter today and the reasoning is utterly farcical!

"Whilst bookings have come in nicely from the enthusiast element, it has not been possible to entice the general public with the destination of Torquay and Paignton."

So firstly, which "element" of the general public will be tempted to travel on this train when it is being hauled by an old freight locomotive? We are not talking about the romance of steam that attracts the general public and so clearly this entire itinerary was designed for enthusiasts! And equally, if you can't attract people to the seaside in the summer months, then where can you attract them to in the UK that is likely to improve bookings?

I've called Pathfinder to double check that full refunds will be made available (they will) as I have another tour booked on the revised date (which they claimed remains provisional for now during my phone call with them) and even though it might be the last chance to get a Colas 56 on the mainline, I think I'd rather keep my business with the operator running the tour on the date they first advertised rather than one that continually messes people around more than any other!

Did you give them that feedback?

It’s possible they might make the Cumbrian Tour have more enthusiast interest by adding in West Coast 37’s to Crewe or including a freight branch or some such to grow enthusiast bookings.

I’m no fan of Paignton, but I’ll happily do the Dartmouth Steam Railway to Kingswear every few years or so, but there are a lot of tours that go there.

 

[The_Train]

Did you give them that feedback?

What's the point? The decision is made!
The person on the other end of the phone will just sit there rolling their eyes whilst being forced to listen to me before calling me all the names under the sun to her colleagues afterwards.

It’s possible they might make the Cumbrian Tour have more enthusiast interest by adding in West Coast 37’s to Crewe or including a freight branch or some such to grow enthusiast bookings.

It's supposed to be a grid tour. Plus their reasoning for the change of date is not because of low enthusiast bookings, it's because of low "general public" bookings so adding 37s won't make any difference to that, nor will adding a trundle up some industrial freight branch!

I’m no fan of Paignton, but I’ll happily do the Dartmouth Steam Railway to Kingswear every few years or so, but there are a lot of tours that go there.

And equally, I have no desire to spend 5 hours in Carlisle (if that is where it ends up although I am not entirely sure where this whole Cumbrian thing has come from anyway) At least at the seaside you can head down to the beach for some fish and chips or in Paignton enjoy the heritage railway

 

[Iskra]

What's the point? The decision is made!
The person on the other end of the phone will just sit there rolling their eyes whilst being forced to listen to me before calling me all the names under the sun to her colleagues afterwards.

It's supposed to be a grid tour. Plus their reasoning for the change of date is not because of low enthusiast bookings, it's because of low "general public" bookings so adding 37s won't make any difference to that, nor will adding a trundle up some industrial freight branch!

And equally, I have no desire to spend 5 hours in Carlisle (if that is where it ends up although I am not entirely sure where this whole Cumbrian thing has come from anyway) At least at the seaside you can head down to the beach for some fish and chips or in Paignton enjoy the heritage railway

Feedback is a gift!

There’s a lovely chippy in Carlisle and the sea isn’t too far away…

 

[bleeder4]

A lot of it comes down to the marketing. Us enthusiasts have forums like this one and Facebook groups etc in which one of us will post about a new tour. So there is very little need for the tour promoter to do much work, as if it's a decent tour then word will spread amongst the enthusiasts. However, for the general public to find out about these tours the promoter needs to do a bit of work. Simply posting about it on their Facebook page won't be enough.

For example, for Midland Pullman, Saphos, Statesman tours LSL will often send a flyer in the post to some of the postcode areas that the tour is picking up in. This tactic works, as several times I have found myself on these tours seated near people who found out about it through a flyer in the post.

 

[Iskra]

A lot of it comes down to the marketing. Us enthusiasts have forums like this one and Facebook groups etc in which one of us will post about a new tour. So there is very little need for the tour promoter to do much work, as if it's a decent tour then word will spread amongst the enthusiasts. However, for the general public to find out about these tours the promoter needs to do a bit of work. Simply posting about it on their Facebook page won't be enough.

For example, for Midland Pullman, Saphos, Statesman tours LSL will often send a flyer in the post to some of the postcode areas that the tour is picking up in. This tactic works, as several times I have found myself on these tours seated near people who found out about it through a flyer in the post.

It’s a bit easier to sell the idea of a Fine Dining experience behind Sir Nigel Gresley, Brittannia, Blue Peter et al to regular members of the public, than an ex-BR coal sector diesel to Paignton in some scruffy Mk2’s.

 

[The_Train]

A lot of it comes down to the marketing. Us enthusiasts have forums like this one and Facebook groups etc in which one of us will post about a new tour. So there is very little need for the tour promoter to do much work, as if it's a decent tour then word will spread amongst the enthusiasts. However, for the general public to find out about these tours the promoter needs to do a bit of work. Simply posting about it on their Facebook page won't be enough.

For example, for Midland Pullman, Saphos, Statesman tours LSL will often send a flyer in the post to some of the postcode areas that the tour is picking up in. This tactic works, as several times I have found myself on these tours seated near people who found out about it through a flyer in the post.

LSL actually have an office in Hayle, Cornwall. They don't just send flyers out, they are actively in the areas they feel their target audience are!

However, I feel that Pathfinder are barking up the wrong tree if they believe a railtour, whether there is dining or not, behind a Class 56 is going to appeal to regular members of the public like a steam tour does. You could argue that Midland Pullman isn't a steam operator but does quite well, but they offer a high end product with their trains, staff, service & quality of food.

I think what has actually happened here is that Pathfinder haven't sold suitable spaces in the dining carriages as opposed to them suddenly having a target market of regular people for what is clearly an enthusiast based tour!

 

[TFT YouTube]

Chingfinder Email update out today. No class 56 tours mentioned but theres a new tour to Newquay on 20th September. Yep, duffs.

My point proven

 

[31160]

The problem is having upset the people who have been loyal to them over the years just to placate people who just book for an experience might not be the way to go long term, I suppose time will tell on that

 

[50002Superb]

Has the double headed 33 down the EWR been canned?