Railtour 2012 wishlist

[scotsman]

What intrigues me is the number of people who name specific operators in their wishlist. Are you saying that, even with your preferred route, traction and stock, you may consider not doing the tour if certain operators did/didn't operate it?

 

[Temple Meads]

Exeter St Davids direct to the Didcot Railway Centre (via Bristol), with 60019 (the A4 pacific) leading, and two Class 70's on the return

Or perhaps just for the sheer hell of it, the Class 60 60019 on the return instead of the 70's!

 

[Whistler40145]

Pair of 20s over the Central Wales line.

 

[yorksrob]

Personally, I'd quite like to take the Hastings DEMU (a unit which I use quite regularly) up to Yorkshire (my current stomping ground) which is a little out of their orbit. Infact, I'd really love it if they recreated the Long Thin Drag up the Settle - Carlisle

 

[tempests1]

I wish Spitfire would include 33s on a Railtour. Also, a pair of 31s would be nice, but all depends on West Coast Railway's Safety Case.

Class 33 on a railtour on either Wessex/Sussex/Kent their former stomping grounds. Class 71 being used again on a Kent based railtour

 

[theblackwatch]

How about a 33 from Bristol to Portsmouth.
Drop a 73 on the back for the run to Brighton.
33 all the way back to Weymouth avoiding Pompey.
Evening break in Weymouth for fodder and a pint.
Back up to Bristol via Yeovil.
That would bring back some memories...

Should be able to do it with reasonable timings too, none of your 04:20 type start times here.

I seem to remember what happened last time a promoter attempted to use a 33 and 73 combination. It was load 6 and half empty at that...

 

[yorksrob]

I seem to remember what happened last time a promoter attempted to use a 33 and 73 combination. It was load 6 and half empty at that...

I'd have thought the Southern Region contingent would have loved that - or perhaps we're to busy fantasising about out EMU's and DEMU's !

 

[theblackwatch]

I'd have thought the Southern Region contingent would have loved that - or perhaps we're to busy fantasising about out EMU's and DEMU's !

I think you;ll find most 'Crompton' men don't particularly want to ride beihind what they consider to be an oversized shunter.

 

[yorksrob]

Wot, even after it's run the Gatwick Express !

 

[I like Class 153]

Notttingham to Crewe or Birmingham New Street (Avoiding Derby)

 

[MidnightFlyer]

How would you do that, you'd have to run via Leicester surely?

 

[I like Class 153]

How would you go that, you'd have to run via Leicester surely?

Going along the freight route between Trent Lock and Willington,

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Ah, Castle Donington. My bad, it's just the way you said it made me think of the immediate Derby area

 

[I like Class 153]

Ah, Castle Donington. My bad, it's just the way you said it made me think of the immediate Derby area

Why is that?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Why is that?

Because you said 'avoiding Derby', which just automatically made me think of avoiding the station area, which isn't possible ex-Nottingham.

 

[Aictos]

UK Railtours did something similar with a circular tour in October 2010.
The train started at Stevenage, also picked up at potters Bar & finsbury Park.
Ran via KX incline, NLL, WCML to Bletchley, Bedford, Corby with a 2-3 hr break in Melton Mowbray. Then ran via MML, Nottingham, Newark Castle, Lincoln, Spalding, Peterborough & ECML setting down en route to terminate at Kings cross.
Good views over the Harringworth Viaduct.

Indeed, it was a great day out considering I had been up all night at work then went on the charter - that's dedication for you!

 

[sprinterguy]

A blue pullman set for a journey from St.Pancras via Sheffield, Leeds, Settle to Carlisle.

I thought that Fragonset were onto a really great thing when they formed up a rake of mark 2s and a pair of 47s as a "Blue Pullman" luxury railtour set.

Of course, nowhere near as wonderful as a trip on an authentic "Blue Pullman" diesel set would have been, your suggestion of a St.Pancras to Carlisle tour with one up the MML and the S&C would be bliss. If only the alleged attempt to preserve ten or so Blue Pullman carriages to form up a charter rake that was reported in the seventies when the sets were withdrawn had actually happened!

 

[12CSVT]

A re-run of one of the 'Skirl of Pipes' tours that ran in the 1980s, including the 08 stock release haulage at Inverness. Maybe include the Strathspey or Bo'ness & Kinneil railway to get a 26 or 27 for haulage.

 

[natureboy]

I wish railtours weren't so damn expensive! Std class is now the price of a 1st. class dining ticket going back to 1990! This is one reason I only do about 2 or 3 a year now; plus I've done virtually all the Baker Atlas!

 

[Whistler40145]

I totally agree with you over the high prices charged for a Railtour. Also, if a Railtour doesn't run as advertised, you don't get a refund or a discount for a future tour.