Wet Toast - warming the market for rail

How the heart swells when you see traditional scenes like this on today's railway!

What's that you say?

It's not from a kettle!

Oh!

New Steam operator enters market

Exciting news for fans of kettles!

Devon and Cornwall Railway have operated their first steam train on the national network and completely failed to get the railway on fire!



Eye understands that despite desperate last minute interventions from others, the move went smoothly and the railway remained intact.

And a jolly good thing too, what ho?

In the dirt at York

Oh dear!

Platform 10 at York today

Low speed and no injuries, suggestions of track spread...

Definitely not a good month for charter operators.

UPDATE: This from George Hudson...

Have NR got it in for Charter Operators?

I think we should be told!

Another nail in the coffin for Charter operations?

Not a good 24 hours on the North Western.

With a West Coast Railway empty stock move getting on fire yesterday at Salford Crescent significant disruption was caused to a range of TOCs and their passengers.

Clearly it will be up to RAIB to determine the cause of this incident but the timing could not have been worse.

ORR is currently consulting on proposals that could see an end to Network Rail's cap on penalties charged to charter operators for delay causing incidents (currently set at £5,000) on the basis that this currently acts as a subsidy.

If these proposals are adopted then it is likely to be the death knell for the successors to BR's Special Train Unit.

Either way Wet Toast's social this weekend is likely to be a sombre affair, with the weather in mind perhaps just as well it won't be a BBQ...

UPDATE: This from Cynical Simon...

Has anyone else noticed what's being advertised in this picture?   

UPDATE: This from CLC commuter...

Is this a 'Point' less sign at Oxford Road.

If there are any points (full stops, or periods for our North American friends) used in the punctuation of this message, then they are out of sight off the side of the screen, along with some of the words.

Does that count as a pointless sign or just a terrible pun? (Sadly a terrible pun. Ed)

Steam Dreams spins a rescue story...

Telegrammed by Our international Correspondent
Publicity hungry railtour operator Steam Dreams got itself into The Thunderer this morning, with this offer of help to air travellers becalmed by Icelandic volcanic ash:

Additional capacity was made available on alternative transport from Scotland to London, including an extra 7,000 seats on Virgin Trains. The tourist firm Steam Dreams, which runs steam train trips for enthusiasts between Edinburgh and London, also offered an extra 50 seats to passengers who were unable to fly this morning.

Steam Dreams Chairman Marcus Robertson is himself no slouch as a spin doctor and has a reputation for attending the opening of an envelope.

But a big bowler raspberry to Times hackette Joanna Sugden for not enquiring more deeply into what Marcus was peddling her.

The Steam Dreams train, 1Z31, was booked to leave Edinburgh at 09.34, and after two lengthy water stops and a change of kettles in York, arrives at Kings Cross at a convenient 20.00 tonight.

A lugubrious 10 hrs 26 mins for 394 miles, an average speed somewhere south of 40 mph - pretty much in line with Eurostar's special Christmas timings and rather worse than the booked time in 1938 of 7hrs 20 mins offered by the pre-war LNER. Even a National Express coach promises to do the trip in 10hrs 5 mins.

The 1955 Modernisation Plan? What's that, then?

UPDATE: This from Gresley the Younger...

Love the comment on the SD story about ash clouds, was on R5 Live too!

But factually incorrect, the 1938 timing for Edinburgh to London steam hauled was 6 hours.

Of course, that was at 90mph without all these electric new fangled thingys to get in your way, hence the ten hours schedule today, and no water troughs as the track-circuits don't like them!

Fastest in preservation was eight hours (April 2009) but that was Clarkson powered, snigger!

Sherborne huffs and puffs in Kettle dispute

Oh dear, oh dear!

Much whinging from the good burghers of Sherborne over John Farrow's decision not to stop one of his UK Railtours charter trains at the town on the 8th of May.

This from the Western Gazette...

SHERBORNE'S grand efforts to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the railway in Sherborne have been snubbed by a steam operator's refusal to stop a vintage locomotive at the station.

But what's this?

All is not as it seems.

This from the uber-Charter Operator himself:

The itinerary, as you are aware, is London – Yeovil – Weymouth – London .

The tour’s attraction is that it covers both the LSWR ‘main lines’ and of course a chance to enjoy 35028 on a good long run without paying VSOE fares.

Given the need for water stops, turning at Yeovil and a break in Wemo, it’s quite a long day with precious little spare time in it, but it’s been done in the past and it works.

I was first approached by the people of Sherborne about a month ago, by which time our plans had been finalized and bookings were open.

Although the 150th anniversary of the completion of the line from Wloo to Exeter isn’t until July, the route opened in stages - Sherborne and Templecombe both opened in May 1860, and Sherborne Town Council want to mark the event.

That’s good of course - we should all be proud of our railway heritage.

In response to repeated requests for the train to stop, I have carefully looked at all the options and have reluctantly concluded it’s a non-starter.

We cannot offer Sherborne as an alternative destination, as obviously we don’t come back that way.

The best (?) we could possibly do is to insert a very brief stop of maybe 10 minutes (15 absolute maximum) – but just think about that…

The station is far from spacious. It would already be packed with ‘locals’, possibly several hundred. We would be turning up with around 450 people who could do nothing but get off (if there is room on the platform) and get back on again. The rear four carriages would be out of the platform, back over the level crossing. Crowd management would be a huge issue, the situation would be inherently unsafe and I still maintain that the benefit to our customers would be absolutely nil. They will see nothing of the town at all, nor of any ceremony, nor will there be any photographic opportunities.

I have tried to put this message over, but all I get is abuse from people who really need to take a more responsible and less selfish attitude. Perhaps they should THINK before they start being abusive in their local press.

As it happens, I really like Sherborne as a place.

I have put it to one member of the council, in writing, that it would be a good idea for us to run a train specifically to Sherborne later in the year, maybe for Christmas carols in Sherborne Abbey as Steam Dreams have done in the past.

I have not even had the common courtesy of a reply, which says it all really!

Indeed!

Eye salutes Sherborne Town Council for negotiating with Charter Operators via megaphone.

UPDATE: This just in from John Farrow...

To be fair, I have this morning received a much more helpful and sympathetic response, from the Deputy Mayor, giving contacts for future visits etc...

UPDATE: This just in from Steam Dreams...

Disappointing to read about the issues in Sherborne.

Might I clarify a comment made above?

As was stated The Cathedrals Express has provided a special train in the past to take our passengers to the famous Carol service in Sherborne Abbey.

But not just in the past!

We will of course be running a similar train this December and hope to do so long into the future!

Cotton Mill Express - doomed

Telegrammed by 1Z51
Much fury in the North West over a charter train operation gone bad.

This from the Zelo Street blog...

One of the observers was from Network Rail (NR), where questions may well be asked about the lack of a test run by Scots Guardsman, to show it was fit for duty, after the first failure. NR will certainly be wanting one before they allow WCRC’s pride and joy out on the main line again.

What Woe!

UPDATE: This just in from Pillbox...

The original failure was not in away related to the more recent incident and a test run would have been worthless, as a static test proved the repair.

That being said, now a test run would be sensible when its fixed.

Tafia bans Charter Operators from the Ryder Cup

Exciting news from the Tafia!

Punters keen to see the energetic Tiger Woods at the Ryder Cup had better be aware of the following draconian restrictions placed on those attending the event.

According to an email from ATW's Contracts and Compliance Manager:

Due to concerns of the Ryder Cup organisers and the security arrangements that will be put into place, all trains conveying attendees to the Ryder Cup must use Newport station, where all attendees will be security screened prior to onward travel to the venue. They will then be transferred to specifically approved coaches for onward transportation into the Celtic Manor venue. There will be a 2 mile exclusion area around the venue; no pedestrians, private cars or non-approved coaches will be allowed in that area.

No doubt such extreme measures have been designed to protect what remains of the Principality's female virtue.

But what's this?

Arriva Trains Wales, famed for its desire to provide its own services over other operators routes, is apparently less keen to allow Charter operators in on the Ryder Cup action.

The email continues:

No trains, other than timetabled services, will be permitted to call at Severn Tunnel Junction station during this period. (In any case, there would not be enough space in the car park for coaches to wait and pick up, and the coaches will not be permitted into Celtic Manor). Please also note that we will not be in a position to accommodate steam haulage, deal with the disposal of bagged rubbish or provide facilities for the tanking of rolling stock during this period.

Good to see the Welsh rail operator safeguarding its own patch so zealously!

UPDATE: This just in from Pillbox...

You get more people in Cardiff on a Six Nations weekend than will most likely go to the golf (always 100k plus for Wales home matches).

This looks like overkill and going for the lowest common denominator rather than trying to accommodate demand.

Bernard Staite RIP

It was with great sadness that the Eye heard this morning of the death of Bernard Staite.

Picture from the Erlestoke Manor Fund

An obituary will follow.

UPDATE: This from our International Correspondent...

Bernard Staite, known as BJS to his many friends, was the Big Daddy of the mainline steam movement.

He came to the railway from a career in industrial sales and was at Bulmers, the Hereford based cider producer, when in October 1971 the company sponsored the return to steam of GWR King Class No 6000 King George V, breaking a 3 year steam embargo imposed by a steamophobic British Railways Board.

He was an official of, and railtour organiser for, most of the subsequent steam hauled trains on BR as well as many on the newly privatised railway, where he latterly served at EWS.

BJS had an un-erring instinct for what was possible with special trains in an operating environment that was always indifferent and sometimes downright hostile to steam.

His contact book was as long as your arm and he was universally respected by working railwaymen and women.

To mark his retirement from EWS in 2005 a special train of invited guests, hauled by both a GWR King and Manor with the Orient Express British Pullman cars in tow, toured the GW mainline, reflecting BJS' enduring passion for the Great Western in general and the King class engines in particular.

He is survived by his wife Dorothy, daughter Jo and son Andy, the latter as MD of Past Time Rail and a successful railtour operator in his own right.

Requiescat in pace

UPDATE: This personal reflection from Pete's blog

West Toast Railway

Telegrammed by Jack Ketch
West Coast Railway Company appear determined to continue making their mark, despite losing out to EWS on the operation of Tornado.

Thus on Monday the company treated the residents of Crewe to a splendid fireworks display courtesy of 37712

With four appliances in attendance and the juice switched off for an hour there was much to see.

Although sadly very few of the trains that passengers were actually waiting for.

Stiff competition

Telegrammed by our Independent Expert
Passengers on the first run of the "Hope Valley Executive", Cargo-D's Deltic-hauled dining train at the the weekend, were mystified to find a Mk 3 sleeping car marshalled on the rear.

There was much speculation over the reason for this as customers noshed their way across the Pennines behind 55022.

Was it for "executives" to take power naps after the port and stilton?

Or was it, as someone suggested, to provide the ultimate "have-it-away-day."?

Either way, it could perk up the flagging charter market!

Guinea pig

Red Faces All Round at the West Coast Railway Company this morning.

Despite being their most prestigious charter train ever, passenger loadings on yesterdays 40th anniversary re-run of the 1T57 '15 Guinea Special' were described by on-board hacks as 'abysmal'.

Thousands lined the route from Liverpool to Carlisle yet it would appear that few travelled on the train itself.

The original 15 Guinea Special ran with 440+ plus passengers. Yesterdays re-run had less than half that number despite being the first public train to be hauled by celebrity kettle 70013 Oliver Cromwell following its recent overhaul.

High ticket prices were blamed by some potential punters not to mention the ridiculous return time into Liverpool (after 11pm on Sunday night).

But the recent high profile spat between 'Wet Coat' and Steam Railway mag, over allegations of 'over the wall spying' before the recent Carnforth open day, may have also played it's part.

So poor are Wet Coat's relations with Steam Railway, the UK's best selling kettle rag, that no ads for the charter appeared in the magazine, this despite its readers paying the lions share of Cromwell's overhaul. Staff on the mag were also advised that their presence on the charter would not be welcome.

All this on top of the recent Cumbrian bridge barbecue and reported poor loadings on the thrice weekly 'Scarborough Spa Express' means that these are not exactly happy times for 'Britain's Premier Charter Train Operator'.

Pulled-out?

Much excitement in the Charter Train community.

Rumours have it that publication of the next glossy Stobart Pullman brochure may be delayed.

When The Fact Compiler visited their website to confirm details he was greeted with the following message: Our site is currently unavailable. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Scottish Charter Trains

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has had something of a Damascene conversion to the private sector in recent years - much to the disgust of party members.

In 2006 the SNP's Party Conference in Perth voted to re-regulate bus services, echoing a commitment previously included in the 2003 manifesto. With SNP membership clearly behind the policy it seemed a dead cert to be included in the 2007 election manifesto.

However, just weeks before publication date, Stagecoach boss Brian Souter bunged the SNP a £500k personal donation. Surprise, surprise, when the manifesto appeared the bus re-regulation commitment was missing!

The SNP's membership is also passionate about rail renationalisation. Once again the party fought the 2003 election on a platform of bringing ScotRail "back under public control". And yet again the undertaking was missing from the 2007 manifesto.

The ScotRail franchise is currently operated by First Group, who have the unenviable record as Britain's most hated franchise operator (Worst Great Western, FuCC, etc...).

Imagine, therefore, the shock amongst the party faithful when on the 3rd April this year Transport Scotland awarded Worst Group a four year extension to its franchise without any form of public consultation.

According to industry newspaper Railnews the decision was defended by Scotland's Finance Minister John Swinney on the grounds that public consultation might have caused damage to First Group's share price!

By now it will be apparent that with the SNP in power at Holyrood almost anything is possible.

With this in mind The Fact Compiler is inclined to give slightly more credence than usual to sources suggesting Stagecoach & Serco are going into partnership with the Scottish Exec' to run Charter Trains.

The Fact Compiler would love to hear more from his friends up North....