The Diamond Twenties 5/5 Pathfinder

[Iskra]

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion of this one. Anyone else on this?

GBRF Class 66 from Tame Bridge Parkway to London Victoria, then a pair of class 20's covering lines in the South East assisted by a pair of class 73's.

Paths aren't on RTT just yet but I'm quite intrigued about the routeing from Reading to Victoria.

This is my first mainline class 20 tour so I'm really looking forward to it just for that and it will also be my first time with 73's on the 3rd rail, I also need plenty of track in the South East as I normally avoid it due to lack of interesting rolling stock.

 

[nat67]

The 66 seems boring, especially all the way to Victoria, I guess it may be 66783 on it or 789 for the haulage bashers.

 

[Iskra]

The 66 part is essentially just a positioning move. Personally I'd much rather have a 66 from the midlands to London than the tour just starting in London, requiring me to stay overnight for two nights at great expense, plus the cost of getting to London. Still 5 loco's in a day isn't bad going...

 

[nat67]

yes I guess stock from Burton, yes the cost of even a Travelodge would be over £100 a night I guess.

 

[trainmania100]

Hoping the timings go up soon. Given its 7pm back into Victoria straight after dungeness, most of the afternoon will probably be around the Tonbridge Mountfirld and leaving dungess around 5 I'd imagine?

 

[Kite159]

Considering that Slough is closed on Saturday (I think), the most logical routing will be via Ascot then reaching Victoria via the maze of junctions around Clapham.

The original routing was from Eastleigh towards London with 20s on from the start

You can get some good deals with hotels in London if you look further afield, zone 1 can be expensive

 

[Toad2017]

Do the class 20's not work it from Tame bridge to Victoria? Can someone tell me the actual stations the 20's will go threw

 

[nom de guerre]

20s work Victoria - Victoria, with 2 x 73 assisting on the Mountfield and Dungeness branches.

 

[Toad2017]

Do we know what numbers the 20's will be?

 

[Kite159]

RTT timings:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54686/2018/05/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54687/2018/05/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54688/2018/05/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54689/2018/05/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54701/2018/05/05/advanced

Seems to only go back to Dorridge (not sure if Pathfinders are putting on transport for those boarding at Tame Bridge or New Street)

Routing changed so it's going via Solihull rather than via Coventry as advertised (I guess lack of paths available via Kenilworth)

 

[12CSVT]

Is it the same 66 both ways, or is there the prospect of a swap ?

 

[Iskra]

Do we know what numbers the 20's will be?

Rumoured to be two from the London Underground pool.

RTT timings:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54686/2018/05/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54687/2018/05/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54688/2018/05/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54689/2018/05/05/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54701/2018/05/05/advanced

Seems to only go back to Dorridge (not sure if Pathfinders are putting on transport for those boarding at Tame Bridge or New Street)

Routing changed so it's going via Solihull rather than via Coventry as advertised (I guess lack of paths available via Kenilworth)

I was due on/off at Tame Bridge and had a hotel booked there, so this has massively inconvenienced me and cost me more money as I've had to pay for a hotel near Dorridge at a higher price due to being fairly last minute and have to drive further. I rang Pathfinder to see if any return transport to Tame Bridge was being organised and they said 'see if you can change your hotels and if not let us know.' I use Pathfinder as I've previously found them professional, but seeking to dump me in Dorridge at 12:15 at night without pro-actively organising any transport back to my joining station leaves me questioning my wisdom. I appreciate the engineering works are out of their control, but their response to it isn't. I will ring them again tomorrow to see what their response is after I tell them how much more money they are costing me and see what they offer. If they offer nothing, I'll be discussing cancellation on the basis that they have significantly altered the product.

Is it the same 66 both ways, or is there the prospect of a swap ?

On previous tours it has been the same 66, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Anyone know the type of coaching stock?

 

[Kite159]

Anyone know the type of coaching stock?

It's coming from Eastleigh so it will most likely be the random collection of tired out Mk1 Riveria coaches complete with dodgy PA speakers, unoiled vestibule doors and windows which seals have long since failed to work.

(That is coming from experience)

 

[xotGD]

It's coming from Eastleigh so it will most likely be the random collection of tired out Mk1 Riveria coaches complete with dodgy PA speakers, unoiled vestibule doors and windows which seals have long since failed to work.

(That is coming from experience)

So better than anything currently operated on the network then.

 

[31160]

So better than anything currently operated on the network then.

If you honestly think the average commuter would be happy at the range of vintage old crockery thrown out by Riveria and WCRC then I think you may need to check your findings sir, I can't comment on LSL and the times I've travelled on SRPS have been fine by in large the majority of the railtour stock is pants
You only need to look at how long it took Riv to get a rake in Blue/Grey verses the random arraignment of ex TOC liveries it had now that doesn't mean the insides were bad but it hardly looks good does it, at least with the old Rail Blue charter set (most) of the air con worked that defiantly was not the case on the 50 charter to Carlisle the other day

 

[Iskra]

20205, 20189, 66788,73141 and 73693 the loco’s involved today.

I’ve enjoyed the 20 thrash this morning but they’ve just run round and been replaced by the 73’s at my end.

 

[Kite159]

20205, 20189, 66788,73141 and 73693 the loco’s involved today.

I’ve enjoyed the 20 thrash this morning but they’ve just run round and been replaced by the 73’s at my end.

73963 it was

It was a good tour, hope you can make it back towards Dorridge without many delays

 

[trainmania100]

My video can be found below.
Saw the tour at frant and wadhurst but due to awful mobile network coverage, I couldnt see where it was so luckily I caught it.

 

[Iskra]

73963 it was

It was a good tour, hope you can make it back towards Dorridge without many delays

Thanks for the correction, and yes we were early into Dorridge- a very good and varied tour, but a long couple of days!

 

[BRX]

Here it is in south london