Unadvertised Express trains from London Victoria

[ryan125hst]

I've noticed this before and have just come across it again, and as I still don't know anything about it, I thought I would ask!

Several services per day from London Victoria are included in the WTT but are not public services. One such example is here, the 0943 London Victoria to Bristol Temple Meads. It is timed for 75mph
and for a Diesel locomotive, trailing load 455 tonnes. This particular schedule runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only.

On Real Time Trains, it's headcode is hidden as if it is a freight train. However, I doubt it is as it is from London Victoria. There are also services to Southampton Eastern Docks and Bath Spa at the same time, and a few other services thoughout the day.

Does anyone know whether this train ever runs, who operates it, what stock is used and the purpose of it.

Fo more information, you can see them listed as "UNADVERTISED EXPRESS" on the brtimes website when you look up London Victoria: http://brtimes.com/#board?stn=VIC&filt=&show=dep&date=20130226

Thanks

Ryan

 

[barrykas]

It'll be either the Orient Express or possibly the Cathedrals Express, both of which have regular paths from Victoria.

 

[DarloRich]

edit - beaten to it

 

[ryan125hst]

I wasn't expecting that! It makes sense though as they do frequently offer services from Victoria, and it is a busy station.

Are there any other examples of Working Timetable paths for a charter train (steam or diesel)? It's the first that I have heard of it.

 

[The Planner]

The kettles that run to Stratford Upon Avon in the summer appear in the WTT.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Wouldn't WTT entries exist for any regularly-run excursion / railtour? There are quite a few I could think of, for example the Fellsman (Blackpool-Settle-Carlisle), the Torbay Express (Bristol-Weston-Paignton / Kingswear), the Jacobite (Fort William-Mallaig), and the Shakespeare Express (Birmingham-Stratford). Wouldn't they all be in?

 

[tsr]

It is not unknown for these schedules for tours to/from London Victoria on RTT to be replaced/supplemented with VSTP variants at short notice.

This applied to the last VSOE service to/from London Victoria - as found at http://uksteam.info/tours/t13/t0214b.htm. There was a problem whereby some of VSOE staff on the ground couldn't actually find where the railtour was on whatever system they were using, so had to ask me to use my phone to look it up. An inconvenience for them... but certainly the most prestigious use of my phone so far!

 

[TEW]

They are normally replaced by STP when they actually run. I believe the WTT path has a 1Vxx headcode but when it runs it runs under a 1Zxx headcode.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Although through 2012 when it was Class 67 hauled, it seemed to have been reporting under 1V80, it's allocated headcode, but when a steam pulls it, it is then 1Zxx. It has used 1Z91 once, seen it in Westbury Signalbox, but weather that changes each time I'm unsure of that.