Upcoming Branch Line Society tours

[ExRes]

These three tours, all involving 50008, are drawing ever closer

11th February - 'The Wolf Hall Thunderer' visiting London Waterloo with 37403 and Mk1 stock accompanying 50008

12th February - 'The Technical Cobra' visiting Wakefield, same locos and stock

18th March - 'The Second Bite' visiting Whitby, 50008 booked with a n other 37

 

[LUYMun]

These three tours, all involving 50008, are drawing ever closer

11th February - 'The Wolf Hall Thunderer' visiting London Waterloo with 37403 and Mk1 stock accompanying 50008

Looking at the diagrammes, I'd say the Wolf Hall Thunderer will be visiting most of the South Western network!

 

[Suraggu]

Hope they keep a track of its fuel miles this time...

 

[Forty29]

Wondered why locos had been swapped around on Chiltern Shooter tour.

 

[12LDA28C]

These three tours, all involving 50008, are drawing ever closer

11th February - 'The Wolf Hall Thunderer' visiting London Waterloo with 37403 and Mk1 stock accompanying 50008

12th February - 'The Technical Cobra' visiting Wakefield, same locos and stock

18th March - 'The Second Bite' visiting Whitby, 50008 booked with a n other 37

Not much variety of traction there...

 

[nw-sparks]

Not much variety of traction there...

Haulage collectors can add 08871 and 08756 to The technical Cobra.

 

[D365]

Not much variety of traction there...

Which company provides the traincrews?

 

[JonathanH]

Which company provides the traincrews?

RailAdventure

 

[xotGD]

Not much variety of traction there...

BLS tours are aimed at yellow pen merchants, rather than red pen merchants.

 

[12LDA28C]

BLS tours are aimed at yellow pen merchants, rather than red pen merchants.

Indeed although they have certainly used a variety of traction and stock providers in the past, from DB to WCRC and so on. It's not unheard of for tour participants to have to bring both red pen and yellow highlighter on the same trip!

 

[Train Maniac]

Haulage collectors can add 08871 and 08756 to The technical Cobra.

Where/When? There is no mention on the website page

 

[ExRes]

Where/When? There is no mention on the website page

Odd that it hasn't been updated but confirmed on WNXX by the organisers, subject to their availability of course

 

[theblackwatch]

Where/When? There is no mention on the website page

BLS - News

"With huge thanks to our friends at Loram, it has been agreed, subject to the usual operational caveats and availability, that BOTH Class 08s will power our train within the confines of the RTC. We are, as ever, extremely grateful for this fantastic support and the difference it will make to Martin House Hospice."

 

[D365]

BLS tours are aimed at yellow pen merchants, rather than red pen merchants.

What does this mean?

 

[12LDA28C]

What does this mean?

BLS tours tend to prioritise rare track rather than rare traction, maybe unsurprisingly given their name.

 

[_toommm_]

What does this mean?

Red pens IIRC being used to highlight new traction for an enthusiast, with a yellow pen being used when they’re traversing lines they haven’t yet travelled across. Some even go as far as marking individual sets of points they haven’t travelled across before.

 

[ExRes]

'Technical Cobra' schedules on RTT today, 0845 1Z88 Derby to Pontefract Monkhill and 1545 1Z89 to Falkirk Grahamston also 'Wolf Hall Thunderer' starting with 0525 1Z40 Derby to St Pancras and finishing with 1837 1Z54 London Waterloo to Derby

 

[zwk500]

Red pens IIRC being used to highlight new traction for an enthusiast, with a yellow pen being used when they’re traversing lines they haven’t yet travelled across. Some even go as far as marking individual sets of points they haven’t travelled across before.

Some go as far as to count each direction separately!

 

[XCTurbostar]

Paths have appeared on RTT. Any ideas why a turnback at Twickenham is required?

Realtime Trains | 1Z44 1029 Shepperton to Wimbledon | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z44 1029 departure from Shepperton to Wimbledon on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[matt]

Anyone travelling on any of these tours. I'm on the first on the 11th

 

[JonathanH]

Paths have appeared on RTT. Any ideas why a turnback at Twickenham is required?

Realtime Trains | 1Z44 1029 Shepperton to Wimbledon | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z44 1029 departure from Shepperton to Wimbledon on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

It would appear to mean that the tour can cover both lines on the Strawberry Hill to Fulwell curve, which is the rarer side of the triangle, and may also be about ensuring the 'right' locomotive is at the front for some part of the trip.

 

[XCTurbostar]

It would appear to mean that the tour can cover both lines on the Strawberry Hill to Fulwell curve, which is the rarer side of the triangle, and may also be about ensuring the 'right' locomotive is at the front for some part of the trip.

Indeed, rare except today when every Shepperton train goes via the curve Thanks JonathanH.

 

[LUYMun]

Paths for the Wolf Hall Thunderer have been updated in more detail, so every intermediate stop (previously not shown) is exactly timed for the railtour to pass through.

Realtime Trains | 1Z40 0525 Derby to St Pancras International | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z40 0525 departure from Derby to St Pancras International on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z42 0849 St Pancras International to Shepperton | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z42 0849 departure from St Pancras International to Shepperton on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z44 1029 Shepperton to Wimbledon | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z44 1029 departure from Shepperton to Wimbledon on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z46 1138 Wimbledon to Hampton Court | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z46 1138 departure from Wimbledon to Hampton Court on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z48 1419 Hampton Court to London Waterloo | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z48 1419 departure from Hampton Court to London Waterloo on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z50 1617 London Waterloo to Chessington South | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z50 1617 departure from London Waterloo to Chessington South on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z52 1648 Chessington South to London Waterloo | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z52 1648 departure from Chessington South to London Waterloo on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z54 1837 London Waterloo to Derby | 11/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z54 1837 departure from London Waterloo to Derby on 11/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Deepgreen]

Looking at the diagrammes, I'd say the Wolf Hall Thunderer will be visiting most of the South Western network!

Only the suburban area really.

Popped out to my old home station, New Malden, and then Leatherhead for a few shots.

 

[Train Maniac]

Brilliant day out chasing trains!!
Here is a shot from this morning at Dudding Hill Junction (large image alert)

 

[xotGD]

Just been listening to the tour thrashing away up Airedale.

 

[Deepgreen]

Brilliant day out chasing trains!!
Here is a shot from this morning at Dudding Hill Junction (large image alert)
View attachment 128805

Nice shot at a tricky location. I considered going there to include a semaphore or two in some shots, but couldn't justify the journey.

 

[Train Maniac]

Nice shot at a tricky location. I considered going there to include a semaphore or two in some shots, but couldn't justify the journey.

Thanks. It was great to feel like part of a community with the amount of other enthusiasts who had the same idea...

Your photo of 37403 and inset of 50008 looks like it belongs on the front of RAILWAY magazine!

 

[Class68Basher]

Good afternoon all, Does anyone have the mileage for the Branch Line Society Technical Cobra Railtour as there are bits that I'm struggling to work out
Thanks

 

[12LDA28C]

Good afternoon all, Does anyone have the mileage for the Branch Line Society Technical Cobra Railtour as there are bits that I'm struggling to work out
Thanks

Don't you have a copy of 'Mile by Mile'? Or 'Miles & Chains'?

If not, the railmiles website is pretty good.