UKR - The Grinkle Belle - Sunday 2nd September

[Nickrailtours]

Hi,

Anyone have got an full timings for this weekend coming?

Thank you!

 

[philjo]

Can't help with intermediate timings.

I am booked on this tour - the letter with the tickets says we are due to arrive at Boulby around 13:30.

Departure/arrival times here:
http://www.ukrailtours.com/tourshow.asp?tourtype=excursion_trains&tourfile=120902_THE_GRINKLE_BELLE.txt
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just received an email to say it has been postponed...

POSTPONEMENT OF SUNDAY’S ‘GRINKLE BELLE’ RAILTOUR
(AND ‘CITY OF YORK EXCURSION’)


We are devastated to learn that our special train to York and Boulby this Sunday, 2 September, has this morning been cancelled by train operator DB Schenker due to the escalation of an industrial dispute with members of the train drivers’ union ASLEF.

We are presently working flat out to try and agree a revised date. A further email will follow later today as a new date that will satisfy all operational criteria starts to emerge. Planned Sunday engineering work will be a crucial factor in the choice of date.

As more information becomes available we will keep you informed. PLEASE do not call our office as we have no further information yet.

Obviously if a new date proves impractical for you, we will refund your fare or transfer your booking to an alternative tour. For the moment however please take no action; we will be back to you as soon as there is more news.

The postponement is definite. The train will not be running this Sunday, so please do not make your way to London or elsewhere as the train will not be there.

We are very sorry for any disappointment the very late postponement will undoubtedly cause you. This is not a satisfactory situation by any means and we have made our views known to DBS in very strong terms indeed.

More to follow shortly…

 

[table38]

Curses, I was looking forward to it

Just got this email:

FURTHER UPDATE
POSTPONEMENT OF SUNDAY’S ‘GRINKLE BELLE’ RAILTOUR
(AND ‘CITY OF YORK EXCURSION’)

You should have received the newsletter sent a few hours ago (see below) regarding the postponement of the Grinkle Belle and City of York trips this Sunday.

We can now advise you that we are now working towards an amended operating date of Sunday 28 October for this trip. We hope to be able to confirm this within a week or two.

We will keep you updated with further emails as things progress, and of course our website will be updated promptly to reflect developments.

Thank you for bearing with us during this very difficult period.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

This dispute seems to have affected a few tours recently, one on 23 Aug was cancelled to Worcester as was another this week along the SCR.

I Do hope they get the problems resolved soon.

I think they are trying for the Grinkle Belle again for the end of October.

 

[theblackwatch]

I think they are trying for the Grinkle Belle again for the end of October.

Yes, a further e-mail from UKR states that they are working on October 28th and this should be confirmed in a week or two.

 

[33056]

Yes, a further e-mail from UKR states that they are working on October 28th and this should be confirmed in a week or two.

But will the DBS dispute be resolved by then? Things now appear to have degenerated into outright strike action next weekend, source ASLEF website

 

[junglejames]

Cue DRS and WCRC rubbing their hands in glee!!!

 

[ainsworth74]

This has been reconfirmed for the 27th October which is a Saturday.

Source

 

[table38]

This has been reconfirmed for the 27th October which is a Saturday.

Source

Hmm, it was supposed to be on Sun 28th. If fact, I thought it had to be a Sunday due to the line being used on Saturdays.

So with the following:

• Sat 13th Oct BLS Hunterston Tracker
• Sat 20th Oct UK Rail Ferry Go Round
• Sat 27th Oct UK Rail Grinkle Belle

BLS are going to have a job re-scheduling their Lowland Tracker for "late October"

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Tsk, should have checked my email first

UK Rail - Grinkle Belle - This date is the only one that meets the requirements of Network Rail, DB Schenker and Cleveland Potash Ltd. It is a good one as it is the last day of British Summer Time. We are particularly grateful to the latter for their patience and understanding following recent difficulties.

First day of the Stalybridge blockage too!

 

[philjo]

Saturday is a better day for me and it leaves Stevenage 40 minutes later as well.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Hmm, it was supposed to be on Sun 28th. If fact, I thought it had to be a Sunday due to the line being used on Saturdays.

So with the following:

• Sat 13th Oct BLS Hunterston Tracker
• Sat 20th Oct UK Rail Ferry Go Round
• Sat 27th Oct UK Rail Grinkle Belle

BLS are going to have a job re-scheduling their Lowland Tracker for "late October"

BLS's Lowland Tracker is now provisionally taking place on Saturday 27 October, the same date as UKR's Grinkle Belle.

 

[table38]

BLS's Lowland Tracker is now provisionally taking place on Saturday 27 October, the same date as UKR's Grinkle Belle.

I know

As I was booked on both originally, I've opted for Mr Farrow's tour as he got in first, and in any case I've got the other BLS tour on the 13th.

Interesting that the BLS tours do not appear to be loading well after the departure of the previous fixtures secretary, especially in light of the change in policy to allow non-members to book at the same time as members. If anyone is interested in either tour, see http://www.branchline.org.uk/events.php

I also believe that they are now welcoming part fares etc. which was seriously verboten under the previous regime due to the extra work for the members acting as stewards.

 

[theblackwatch]

I can hardly see the UKR trip being a major draw for BLS members - it isn't that long back that the BLS themselves went to Boulby, and a number of other operators have been there over the years.

 

[DB Man]

I know

I also believe that they are now welcoming part fares etc. which was seriously verboten under the previous regime due to the extra work for the members acting as stewards.

This all becomes irrelevant if the BLS continue to use West Coast Traction (the 2 upcoming trips) or DMU (the prevous trip).

 

[table38]

BLS's Lowland Tracker is now provisionally taking place on Saturday 27 October, the same date as UKR's Grinkle Belle.

BLS tour now postponed. Looks like I backed the right horse after all

 

[MidnightFlyer]

BLS tour now postponed. Looks like I backed the right horse after all

Ah. I don't doubt you for a second, but do you have a source for this? The website still reads as it proviosnally going ahead. I take it you've got it from a gen group or wnxx? Oh well, I suppose there are still quite a weekends to fit it in before there's only about 8 hours of daylight in December I trust this latest delay is down to the industrial unrest again, or is it something else this time around?
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Ah, just read all on wnxx.

 

[table38]

source is an email from Graeme Jolley...

...we were then advised by copy of an E Mail sent by NR to WCR earlier this week that NR planning office could not cope with the revised date of 27th October either. This being due to the amount of short term planning they need to do to cope with the previously advised industrial dispute - although this dispute was no longer anything to do with our train it has had an adverse effect on all planning.
:
As the tour - if it does run - will be substantially altered from the original plan it is intended that all bookings and monies will now be returned and bookings for the new revised tour sought when we have finalised details. Whilst we cannot be at all certain we are hopeful that we will be able to announce the revised tour and date very shortly.