Retro Railtours to Southend - Saturday 28 May

[yorkie]

Details are still being finalised but Retro Railtours aims to run a railtour from Leeds, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Stalybridge, Reddish South, Stockport and then to Southend.

More details will be available shortly.

This tour is planned to be operated by Class 31 traction.

(As usual I will be taking bookings at a discounted rate for members of this forum, but you must pay in advance to take advantage of this, please PM me if interested).

 

[4SRKT]

Might as well get my inevitable question out of the way without delay (and before 'the voice of reason' shows up!). Coffin stock?

 

[yorksrob]

Sounds good - count me in for that !

 

[Chester025]

Might as well get my inevitable question out of the way without delay (and before 'the voice of reason' shows up!). Coffin stock?

I would guess so, but still, you can't complain at having 31s on the mainline in 2011...

 

[4SRKT]

I can't complain, but I won't be on it if it's coffins. Same schtick, different tour!

 

[theblackwatch]

I can't complain, but I won't be on it if it's coffins. Same schtick, different tour!

A day with the wife for you then.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

English GCSE day after... can't go.

How often do you guys run tours, I'd be interested to do one.............

 

[4SRKT]

A day with the wife for you then.

Arrrghh! A bit like spending a day in a coffin (literally or metaphorically....) then!

 

[142094]

Arrrghh! A bit like spending a day in a coffin (literally or metaphorically....) then!

Either that or another pacer bash...

Got an epic one lined up for next week, 12 hours exactly in total on 142s. That is, if everything goes to plan.

 

[4SRKT]

Either that or another pacer bash...

Got an epic one lined up for next week, 12 hours exactly in total on 142s. That is, if everything goes to plan.

Where's this? The North East?

 

[87015]

Any route gen?

Anyone see anything more likely than WCML then City Lines at Willesden then the gobble, or Stoke, Castle Donnington, MML, Junction Road and across?

Depends which bits Network Rail are having the usual Bank Holiday parties on I suppose...

 

[142094]

Where's this? The North East?

Yup, starting on an old favourite the 06.56 Middlesbrough - Carlisle.

 

[Ivo]

...And it didn't occur to them that Southend has something called an "airshow" on that weekend? Both Central and Victoria will be heaving all weekend. I should know how busy it can be; for instance, the 9 bus used to run double deckers for the airshow as opposed to the usual Dart (when Arriva Southend still had more than 2 deckers, that is ) and they were full before they even left North Shoebury ASDA Store, which is 7 minutes into the journey (with another 15 to the centre). Both c2c and NXEA put on extra trains and lengthen existing ones; I believe they tend to run to either Laindon or Shenfield (but I stand to be corrected).

In other words, unless they get lucky (and expect people to care more about the airshow than the tour), I honestly doubt this will go ahead.

I shall be declining this offer, irrespective of whether my concerns are realised or otherwise. I am not travelling up to the M62 corridor just to go home.

 

[Chester025]

In other words, unless they get lucky (and expect people to care more about the airshow than the tour), I honestly doubt this will go ahead.

I think this would have been put into consideration before hand. Besides, an airshow in Southend would be an added attraction for alot of people.

 

[37372]

The tour is probably running on that day because of the airshow.

I'd be interested in this tour, 31s to Southend sounds like an interesting prospect.

 

[theblackwatch]

The tour is probably running on that day because of the airshow.

That is indeed the reason - it may well have run last year had there not being engineering work on the NLL which prevented the idea being progressed then. I don't think the tour participants will be worried about buses in Southend being full - it's possible to walk to the seafront from the station!

 

[Ferret]

Details are still being finalised but Retro Railtours aims to run a railtour from Leeds, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Stalybridge, Reddish South, Stockport and then to Southend.

More details will be available shortly.

This tour is planned to be operated by Class 31 traction.

(As usual I will be taking bookings at a discounted rate for members of this forum, but you must pay in advance to take advantage of this, please PM me if interested).

Yorkie, any chance of a stop somewhere south of Stockport? I assume it's ruuning straight down the WCML, so maybe a call at Nuneaton for the Midlands catchment area?

 

[Fred26]

What's 'coffin stock'?

 

[matt]

What's 'coffin stock'?

Stock where the only opening windows are at the doors. Basically air-conditioned mark 2 and mark 3 stock.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Stock where the only opening windows are at the doors. Basically air-conditioned mark 2 and mark 3 stock.

That's the best type, I have a strange hatred of Mk1 stock... what are the un-air-conditioned mk2 + mk3 stock :??

I take it this is a Hudderfield-Guide Bridge-Stockport-Willesden Jn-NLL-Southend Vic job?

 

[matt]

That's the best type, I have a strange hatred of Mk1 stock... what are the un-air-conditioned mk2 + mk3 stock :??

I take it this is a Hudderfield-Guide Bridge-Stockport-Willesden Jn-NLL-Southend Vic job?

Mark 2a stock is not air conditioned.

 

[Mojo]

That's the best type, I have a strange hatred of Mk1 stock... what are the un-air-conditioned mk2 + mk3 stock :??

Quite a bit of Mk2 stock is non airconditioned, (eg. see this gallery and Wikipedia)

 

[d1015fan]

Either that or another pacer bash...

Got an epic one lined up for next week, 12 hours exactly in total on 142s. That is, if everything goes to plan.

sounds an interesting bash. but with not many 142's down this way to do that with would be hard. fgw needs to acquire a few more, but tempted to see how many pacer miles i could get on a saturday

 

[87015]

That is indeed the reason - it may well have run last year had there not being engineering work on the NLL which prevented the idea being progressed then. I don't think the tour participants will be worried about buses in Southend being full - it's possible to walk to the seafront from the station!

No Airshow this year at the moment. Unless council find a sponsor will be officially announced as CAPE at end of month.

Ps James 2x31 doesn't add up to the suggested 87 ...

 

[4SRKT]

sounds an interesting bash. but with not many 142's down this way to do that with would be hard. fgw needs to acquire a few more, but tempted to see how many pacer miles i could get on a saturday

All day pacer bashing is all the rage these days. 142094 and I have started a new craze!

 

[theblackwatch]

All day pacer bashing is all the rage these days. 142094 and I have started a new craze!

No wonder so many people have bad backs nowadays.

 

[alex57601]

That's the best type, I have a strange hatred of Mk1 stock... what are the un-air-conditioned mk2 + mk3 stock :??

I take it this is a Hudderfield-Guide Bridge-Stockport-Willesden Jn-NLL-Southend Vic job?

Non-air conditioned Mk2 stock are of the Mk2z/a/b/c variety. Mk2z/a stock has a similar layout to Mk1 coaches with 2 toilets at one end and a centre door. Mk2b stock onwards does away with the centre door and places one toilet at each end.

Main problem with Mk1 stock nowadays is the age of the things and the varying condition they are in, so isn't easy to muster up a rake which is in excellent condition, as well as being unbearably uncomfortable to sit in on a hot summers day as they can become greenhouses when static.

I imagine some of the regular punters might not appreciate older stock replacing the Cargo-D stock that's been provided for the last few tours in excellent condition (unless they were one-time Green Express regulars).

 

[142094]

Not wishing to distract from the topic, the ultra Pacer bash is planned to be 12 hours long exactly and more than likely will take in around 500 miles in one day.

 

[Jordy]

This isn't really a thread to be discussing pacer bashing Go and make your own if you wish

 

[Ivo]

No Airshow this year at the moment. Unless council find a sponsor will be officially announced as CAPE at end of month.

"CAPE"?

Sounds like the sort of stunt SBC would pull. One of the big two events of the year which pulls in the tourists and can make millions if run properly (the other being the carnival in mid-August), yet the short-sighted idiots waste their money on minor things instead. Not so long ago, they spent £17,000 on refurbishing a building they had been planning to vacate six months later...

I am usually a strong Tory-supporter (as with most Southendians), but quite frankly the guy who resigned in Egypt could do a better job with both hands tied behind his back and his mouth sealed with tape! And until they accept this (and the stupid [to be kind] woman in charge of transport is dropped), I shan't ever vote for them.

This isn't really a thread to be discussing pacer bashing Go and make your own if you wish