Pathfinder's The 3-2-C - change of Cornish destination

[MidnightFlyer]

Hi,

In case those booked on it / photographers etc haven't seen:

http://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/index.php/news01/items/itinerary-change-to-the-3-2-c.173.html

Moorswater, the line beyond Coombe on the Looe branch, is no longer going ahead, due to the curve from the main line at Liskeard not being permitted for use on passenger-carrying stock, leading to a situation where the whole train would have to alight, walk across to platform 3, and then board all through one carriage, which as you can probably deduce is less than desirable. Instead the tour now runs beyond Liskeard to St Austell and Parkandillack, before returning to Plymouth, then running as booked to Heathfield and back up along the GWML to Bristol. Confirmed timings still aren't out yet, which is unusual as of late they had been getting earlier and earlier with each tour. Should still be a great day out nonetheless.

Cheers

 

[323235]

Confirmed timings are now available. 0535 Crewe and 0655 New Street

I'm not all that disappointed about the change of destination because although Moorswater would have been fantastic, Parkandillak is still win.

 

[Crimson_Quiff]

I shall hopefully be at Newton Abbot and Dawlish Warren to phot this one!

 

[theblackwatch]

The change of destination meant that, for me, the tour altered from one that gave me 2 bits of new track (the connection at Liskeard and Moorswater) to none, as I have done Parkandillack with Pathfinder previously. Fortunately, Pathfinder were happy to entertain refunds for those of us wishing to cancel due to the late change.

 

[33056]

The change of destination meant that, for me, the tour altered from one that gave me 2 bits of new track (the connection at Liskeard and Moorswater) to none, as I have done Parkandillack with Pathfinder previously. Fortunately, Pathfinder were happy to entertain refunds for those of us wishing to cancel due to the late change.

Maybe I have your place now . Was sitting on the fence to see if 70000 would produce for the RTC tour to Manchester and that is now cancelled so a call to Pathfinder was made earlier.

No new track for me either but might have an outside chance of scoring a new loco; something to do on a day off if nothing else though I might regret going from home to Bristol and back to join the tour - it will be a very long day.

 

[323235]

I shall hopefully be at Newton Abbot and Dawlish Warren to phot this one!

Epic are you going down on the day or are you stationed there?

If you let me know where your stationed i'll keep an eye out, am booked on in Coach A.

 

[windnoise69]

I heard a rumour that 37087 will be making its last appearance.... Any news on loco's yet?

 

[221129]

37603,37611,37606 & 37609 are the choices at the moment. Along with a 66 from somewhere.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
2 x 37s to Plymouth then 1 x 37 to run around to the rear. To parkandillack and return to Plymouth. 37 on rear to run around to the front and a 66 from Blazey to attach to the rear to Newton abbot where it will detach and run back to Blazey.

 

[Chester025]

37603,37611,37606 & 37609 are the choices at the moment. Along with a 66 from somewhere.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
2 x 37s to Plymouth then 1 x 37 to run around to the rear. To parkandillack and return to Plymouth. 37 on rear to run around to the front and a 66 from Blazey to attach to the rear to Newton abbot where it will detach and run back to Blazey.

Change of plan, 37s Crewe - Plymouth, 66 Plymouth - Parkandillack, 37 Parkandillack - Heathfield, 66 Heathfield - Newton Abbot, 37s back north.

66 quoted as being 156, 37s either 603/611 or 606/609.

 

[221129]

the second bit i have put up is currently correct as it was checked in the last hour

 

[theblackwatch]

the second bit i have put up is currently correct as it was checked in the last hour

Checked where? It doesn't tie in with the schedules I've seen quoted. I can't imagine a single 37 managing the climb to Parkandillack.

 

[221129]

If you noticed it says 1x at the front and 1x at the rear

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Checked where? It doesn't tie in with the schedules I've seen quoted. I can't imagine a single 37 managing the climb to Parkandillack.

ha ha, memories of 2009 when 37670 had sparks and smoke coming from it's bogies trying to get the train moving onto the branch.

 

[Chester025]

37606 & 37609 on this from Crewe. Did a leap to Wolverhampton to scratch 609.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chester025/7353613826/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chester025/7353616308/in/photostream/

 

[455driver]

I see some of the participants on this railtour didnt even make it into Cornwall, leaping off at Plymouth to ride behind 50017 on the Plym Valley Railway, Good move!

 

[TGVDUDE]

Did a leap to Wolverhampton to scratch 609.

I also Part fared between the bristol stations each way, only wish I had enough to do the whole tour!

 

[83G/84D]

Hi,

In case those booked on it / photographers etc haven't seen:

http://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/index.php/news01/items/itinerary-change-to-the-3-2-c.173.html

Moorswater, the line beyond Coombe on the Looe branch, is no longer going ahead, due to the curve from the main line at Liskeard not being permitted for use on passenger-carrying stock, leading to a situation where the whole train would have to alight, walk across to platform 3, and then board all through one carriage, which as you can probably deduce is less than desirable. Instead the tour now runs beyond Liskeard to St Austell and Parkandillack, before returning to Plymouth, then running as booked to Heathfield and back up along the GWML to Bristol. Confirmed timings still aren't out yet, which is unusual as of late they had been getting earlier and earlier with each tour. Should still be a great day out nonetheless.

Cheers

The statement above from Pathfinder is a tad misleading.Although a time consuming platform change at Liskeard is correct the issue regards boarding through one coach in the Looe branch platform is not!

Anyone who has been to Liskeard will know that the Looe branch platform can and does accomodate more than 1 carriage particularly in the summer when a 2 car unit fits more than adequately.

A loco hauled top n' tailed train in this platform would probably have around 3 - 4 coaches on the platform.

I appreciate detraining several hundred people on the down platform and shunting to the branch platform then reboarding would be time consuming and would cause potential disruption to the FGW Looe service.This would be the same on return from Moorswater to the up platform via the branch and would add to the time taken.

I hope the planned re-run goes ahead in the winter when the branch service is not running but this statement isn't entirely correct.

 

[TGVDUDE]

I appreciate detraining several hundred people on the down platform and shunting to the branch platform then reboarding would be time consuming

Surely enough time could be found if there was less times spent at Temple Meads & Plymouth heading down & back for exmaple

 

[455driver]

Surely enough time could be found if there was less times spent at Temple Meads & Plymouth heading down & back for exmaple

It arrived in Plymouth over 30 minutes early because it was allowed 90 minutes between Bristol and Exeter, why? Were the passengers pushing it?

 

[83G/84D]

Surely enough time could be found if there was less times spent at Temple Meads & Plymouth heading down & back for exmaple

I think the problem is/was more fitting the special train in with the regular Looe service.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It arrived in Plymouth over 30 minutes early because it was allowed 90 minutes between Bristol and Exeter, why? Were the passengers pushing it?

I think quite a few services between Bristol and Taunton were running late; I believe we were due behind one of the Paddington-Penzance via Bristol HSTs, but it was late, so we went on ahead of it, which in turn gave us an earlier path through Exeter etc.

 

[QJ]

83G/84D wrote: The statement above from Pathfinder is a tad misleading.Although a time consuming platform change at Liskeard is correct the issue regards boarding through one coach in the Looe branch platform is not!

83G/84D may be missing the point (as opposed to the check rail). For a fair number of people the main purpose of travelling on the train was not the destination of Moorswater but the chance to travel in a passenger train around the link between the main line and the branch at Liskeard. This was permitted by Railtrack when a similar train was run when the network was maintained by them.

A number of people, including myself, appreciated Pathfinder allowing cancellations and refunds when the change of route was sprung upon us. I fail to see why, given the maximum speed of the train around the link, there is any sensible reason for the need for people to detrain whilst the train runs around the link. I hope that, if and when the tour is re-advertised, some sort of paperwork (insurance or derrogation) could be in place to permit the train to remain loaded around the link.

For those trains that have run in the past where people have been kicked off it appears that stewards were allowed to remain onboard. Perhaps everyone could be deemed to be a steward supervising themselves over the affected section of track. )

 

[Crimson_Quiff]

Epic are you going down on the day or are you stationed there?

If you let me know where your stationed i'll keep an eye out, am booked on in Coach A.

Thanks for being my on-board contact during the day, Carl

Photos and videos to follow soon!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Shots of the tour at Newton Abbot - http://fyldegrowler.weebly.com/latest-photos.html

Departing Newton Abbot for Heathfield - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu2GzpUWpBg
Storming through Dawlish Warren - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGYLFGCDbYw