UK Railtours Barmouth Bridge Express, Jan 8th

[Drimnagh Road]

http://www.ukrailtours.com/tourshow.asp?tourtype=excursion_trains&tourfile=110108_THE_BARMOUTH_BRIDGE_EXPRESS.txt

With ERTMS now live, does this mean it will be hauled by 97/3s west of Shrewsbury?

 

[The Planner]

No, it wont need a 97 until at least February.

 

[craig87034]

I'm on this and looking forward to it. I've heard its a pair of skips to Machynlleth where the leading one goes on the rear for top and tail opperation to Barmouth. Not sure about the return.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Are 67s permitted over the bridge? I'd consider doing it if it was 67s, but definitly not if it's a 66.

 

[craig87034]

67's are passed to Pwllheli

 

[The Planner]

Not past Harlech they wont be, they aren't fitted with ERTMS. Id expect a big dispensation to run up there anyway as its only a RA5 route past Welshpool. They're certainly not cleared in the appendix.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Anybody have any further gen about what may or may not be hauling this over the Cambrian?

 

[Arriva158]

"The Cambrian lines are shortly to become a testbed for ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) which will greatly restrict its use by special trains for a few years. We have a short 'window of opportunity' to travel over the route, hence this excursion"

This suggests to me, like in previous years it'll be 66/67 hauled. Can't see it being much else and it depends on the availability of skips as WSMR's new contracts are taking an extra 3 and willesden-shieldmuirs are taking a few and i've heard there is a few in store!

 

[The Planner]

New contracts ?? pray tell....

 

[theblackwatch]

As far as I am aware this tour is Class 67 hauled.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

So have we established whether 67s are or are not officially cleared for the Cambrian?

My money is on an 90 to Wolverhampton and 66s west.

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

My money is on an 90 to Wolverhampton and 66s west.

I do bloody hope not, I have paid for 67s (as have about 14 others I know...).


Yes, I know tours aren't run for cranks.

 

[Chester025]

I do bloody hope not, I have paid for 67s (as have about 14 others I know...).


Yes, I know tours aren't run for cranks.

Id pay good money to see some dirty degenerate skip bashers fall off Barmouth bridge

 

[4SRKT]

Id pay good money to see some dirty degenerate skip bashers fall off Barmouth bridge

Hehehe! Especially if they were being hauled by a shed at the time and so were doubly furious!

 

[the-gog]

So have we established whether 67s are or are not officially cleared for the Cambrian?

My money is on an 90 to Wolverhampton and 66s west.

Small problem: 66s aren't cleared past Tywyn either. And Barmouth Bridge has had diddly squat done to it. NR HQ may well pronounce that 67s can go to Barmouth, but I do wonder if they've actually bothered to ask their staff on the ground before they announced this. My guess is that they didn't. I asked one of their local staff members (in a senior grade) if he knew anything about it, and as far as he was concerned, the ban still remained in place, and he hadn't been told otherwise. They hadn't bothered to consult him about lifting the restriction.

My guess is that a pair of 97/3s will materialise at Sutton Bridge Junction or Machynlleth at very short notice prior to the tour, or the tour will probably get cancelled. As for 67s crossing Barmouth bridge, forget it. Does anybody know if they float? I guess there will be one way to find out.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Network Rail HQ probably think that Barmouth Bridge lies to the west of the station.

Standard class is now fully booked, so either a lot of people will be disappointed or a lot of people are in for a lovely surprise if a pair of yellow tractors appear.

 

[the-gog]

Edit: I believe 66s are cleared as far as Morfa Mawddach. It's just in practice that they don't go any farther north than Tywyn because of places to run round the train. Shouldn't stop Top and Tail ones going up there, though, but to date none have ventured farther north than Tywyn.

 

[37705]

I understand that, when the tour was advertised, enquiries were made to UKR who stated it would be a pair of 67s, no question. I also believe that certain UKR tours that run "out of season" have to be 67s as there are no spare generator coaches to provide heat if a 66 were to be used. This explains why so many tours over the Central Wales line run in Spring/Summer as 67s are barred from the route.

Regards
Jason

 

[junglejames]

I i am so hoping a 66 appears on it now!!
By the way, isnt a 67 just a souped up 66? Same engine, same noise, just different gearing, and a different type of awful looking body! Oh and of course, those awful bogies. Makes them slightly different!!
So what would all you skippies (thats my name for 67 bashers now) make of a good old 37 turning up?

 

[the-gog]

I i am so hoping a 66 appears on it now!!
By the way, isnt a 67 just a souped up 66? Same engine, same noise, just different gearing, and a different type of awful looking body! Oh and of course, those awful bogies. Makes them slightly different!!
So what would all you skippies (thats my name for 67 bashers now) make of a good old 37 turning up?

There's the small problem that a skip has 2 fewer wheelsets than a shed.

Class 66: 130t over 6 axles, axle load = 21.5t, RA 7
Class 67: 88t over 4 axles, axle load = 22t, RA 8

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

So what would all you skippies (thats my name for 67 bashers now) make of a good old 37 turning up?

Still do the tour.

We're not skippies either, we're dirty degenerate people (do keep up).

 

[33056]

66s and 67s might well have the same engine but, to me at least, they sound totally different - I can tell one from the other without even having to look at them.

 

[junglejames]

66s and 67s might well have the same engine but, to me at least, they sound totally different - I can tell one from the other without even having to look at them.

Yeah there is a slight difference. I loose interest when i see one though.
67s are slowly growing on me (despite them being c*ap), but 66s are just bland.

My comment was meant more to see who would bite! Not too many this time.

As for skippies being dirty degenerate people. Thats a little bit too nasty for my liking. Id never describe anyone as that. Skippies sounds funny (well to me it does).

 

[4SRKT]

Yeah there is a slight difference. I loose interest when i see one though.
67s are slowly growing on me (despite them being c*ap), but 66s are just bland.

My comment was meant more to see who would bite! Not too many this time.

As for skippies being dirty degenerate people. Thats a little bit too nasty for my liking. Id never describe anyone as that. Skippies sounds funny (well to me it does).

The 'dirty degenerate' thing is a bit of an in joke, and refers to a thread from a few months ago when some poster described how he had always though that skip bashing was wrong, and that 'skippies' were dirty degenerate people. He then went on to describe how he had grown to like skips after being exposed to them on WSMR, the sleeper, Fife Circle etc.

Some of the skip bashers seem to have taken to wearing this label with pride!

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

As for skippies being dirty degenerate people. Thats a little bit too nasty for my liking. Id never describe anyone as that. Skippies sounds funny (well to me it does).

It's a forum joke thanks to a thread 4SRKT started about Skips and Skip bashers.

 

[4SRKT]

Snap!

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Does anybody know if they float? I guess there will be one way to find out.

(quickly hides the stick of dynamite so no one blows up Barmouth Bridge)

 

[Chester025]

Looks like 37ers now...

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

Yes, hmph hmph and double hmph.

I suppose I'll still do it, although not entirely happy!

 

[Chester025]

Yes, hmph hmph and double hmph.

I suppose I'll still do it, although not entirely happy!

EVERYbody loves 37s though?