Railtour Ideas

[TheAmateurBasher]

Sounds good but it'll cause pathing headaches when it gets to Rugby. I presume you will then divert the tour via Northampton and then rejoin the slow lines at Hanslope Junction? I say headaches because you will have to neatly slot the tour in between London Midland services, especially between Milton Keynes and Tring - Euston. How about making it circular, and route it from Lichfield Trent Valley - Birmingham New Street, then Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury and back up the Welsh Marches.
Sorry David these are only suggestions. I really think they are innovative ideas.

Maybe I could. Or if it's better, go via Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Wakefield and down the ECML to Kings Cross. Do you think that would be better too?

[photons66]

Yes because there is less traffic on the ECML so the 56 will be able to have the path required.

I might agree on this as well.

[TheAmateurBasher]

Yes because there is less traffic on the ECML so the 56 will be able to have the path required.

I might agree on this as well.

Okay then. Revised Itinerary goes like this:

Liverpool Lime Street - Huyton - Rainhill - Newton Le Willows - Manchester Victoria (changed from Piccadilly) - Huddersfield and Wakefield Kirgate. Head to London King's Cross via ECML.

Tickets start from £19 standard class... (oh, I wish!) Actually, there's another point to consider. Could you afford to sell low-priced tickets in this case?

[TheAmateurBasher]

And a final one from me (for now...)

Tour Name: The Mersey Clyde Express

Route: Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central. Calling at Huyton, St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle.

Itinerary: Liverpool to Preston, diesel hauled. Preston to Glasgow and return with electric loco. Preston to Liverpool diesel hauled. Diesel to be used also for stock moves.

Traction: 86101 Sir William A Stanier FRS, to handle the Preston to Glasgow and return section. Riviera Class 47 to handle the Liverpool to Preston and return legs, and also to be attached to the rear for stock moves in Glasgow.

Coaching Stock: 7 Tourist Second Open Mk2's (air con), 1 Mk2 Buffet, 3 Tourist First Open Mk2's (air con), 1 Mk1 Buffet, and 1 Brake Mk2.

Tour Promoter: Compass Tours

Operated by: Riviera Trains

Itinerary: Leave Liverpool around 07:30 AM, arrive Glasgow Central around 13:00 PM. Depart 16.30PM, to be back in Liverpool after 23:00 PM, or so.

[photons66]

I'll be quiet about this one.

[TheAmateurBasher]

I'll be quiet about this one.

Why? Is the title wrong?

[photons66]

No just to give someone else a say, mate.

[TheAmateurBasher]

No just to give someone else a say, mate.

Oh, thank goodness. You can still give your opinion (I'm not stopping you), but what does anyone else think?

[TheAmateurBasher]

Right, another day and a few more crazy ideas from The Amateur Basher's railtour planning department. Starting with this one...

Tour Name:The Mersey Sefton Crusader.

Route: Crewe to Southport via Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Victoria, Bolton and Wigan Walgate. Pickup at Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway, Liverpool Lime Street, Huyton and Manchester Victoria.

Itinerary: Runcorn to Liverpool, then reverse from Liverpool to Manchester Victoria. Reverse from Manchester and go to Southport via Bolton, and Wigan Walgate. Return journey in reverse order. Start at Crewe around 08.00 AM, arriving in Southport around 12.30 PM or so. Depart Southport 17.00 PM, to be back in Crewe around 22.30 PM.

Traction: 1x EWS 37, 1x Riviera 47/8.

Coaching stock: 6x Tourist Second Open Mk1's, 2x Tourist Second Open Mk2's, 1x Mk1 Buffet, 2x Tourist First Open Mk1's and 1x Mk1 Brake.

Tour Promoter: Pathfiner Tours

Operator: Riviera Trains and EWS

[JonathonAG]

Well, a Marathon Railtour.....sort of like the Great/North Briton Railtours, but more focussed on Scotland.

Day 1 : Route : London Euston - Preston - Carlisle - Glasgow Central
Motive Power : LMS Duchess No. 6233 "Duchess Of Sutherland"

Day 2 : Route : Glasgow Central - Ayr - Stranrear - Ayr - Glasgow Central
Motive Power : Ex-LMS Black 5's No. 45407 "The Lancashire Fusilier" and No. 44871

Day 3 : Route : Glasgow Central - Edinburgh Waverley
Motive Power : Ex-LNER A4 No. 60009 "Union Of South Africa"
Route : Edinburgh Waverley - Inverkiething - Kirkcaldy - Cowdenbeath - Inverkiething - Edinburgh Waverley ( Fife Circle )
Motive Power : Ex-LNER K4 No. 61994 "The Great Marquess" and BR K1 No. 62005 "Lord Of The Isles"
Route : Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Central
Motive Power : Ex-LNER A4 No. 60009 "Union Of South Africa"

Day 4 : Route : Glasgow Queen Street - Crianlarich - Oban - Crianlarich - Fort William
Motive Power : Ex-LMS Black 5's No. 45407 "The Lancashire Fusilier" and No. 44871

Day 5 : Route : Fort William - Mallaig - Fort William ( Jacobite ) *
Motive Power : Ex-LNER B1 No. 61264
Route : Fort William - Craigendoran - Edinburgh Waverley
Motive Power : Ex-LMS Black 5 No. 45407 "The Lancashire Fusilier" and Ex-LMS 8F No. 48151 "Gauge '0' Guild"

Day 6 : Route : Edinburgh Waverley - York
Motive Power : Ex-LNER A4 No. 60009 "Union Of South Africa"
York - London King's Cross
Motive Power : BR A1 No. 60163 "Tornado"

And so, onto the lesser details:

Title : The Scots Explorer
Tour Operator : West Coast Railway Company
Tour Pormoter : Railway Touring Company Or Kingfisher Railtours.
Stock : Mixture of Mk1 and Mk2 stock, all in British Railways Marroon, maximum train length of 11 - not including Support Coaches.
* - Coach Length reduced to 7, support coach not needed on Jacobite Operation

The tour would be best to run in Autumn time, around the time when it is neccessary to swap over locomotives and some coaching stock on the WCRC's Jacobite operations in Fort William.
The idea around it is, with the Jacobite season in full swing, B1 No. 61264 and 8F No. 48151 would already be in Fort William, so no locomotive movements would be required there.
LMS No. 6233 would move with Support Coach back South to Carnforth 2 days after it's arrival in Glasgow.
Black 5's No. 45407 and 44871 would move up to Glasgow with two support coaches. From there, one Support Coach continues diesel hauled to Fort William, the other stay with the locomotives at Mossend Yard.
When up in Fort William, No. 44871 stays after running with the tour from Glasgow to Fort William, to take over from 8F No. 48151 which goes with the tour South to Edinburgh with No. 45407.
The K1 would run with Support Coach from NYMR Grosmont to Thornton NTC a day or two before the tour, and would be stabled there with A4 No. 60009 and K4 No. 61994.
A4 No. 60009 and support coach moves to Mossend on the same day as the Black 5's head out to Stranrear, to haul the tour the following day.
On the morning of the Fife Circle section, K4 No. 61994 pilots K1 No. 62005 and support coach to Edinburgh, and is turned on the Sub so they can back down onto the rear of the tour when it has arrived in Edinburgh Waverley from Glasgow. A4 No. 60009 and Support Coach detach from rear, and turn on the Sub as the tour does the Fife Circle. Upon tour arrival back at Waverley, the Mogul's and K1 Support Coach detach, and A4 attaches and haulsit to Glasgow. The K4 runs light engine to Thornton NTC, the K1 moves South to Carnforth
The A4, on Day 4, moves back to Edinburgh to Millerhill Yard, from Mossend Yard via Shotts.
The rest is simple from there, as A1 No. 60163 would already be based in York so can haul the tour to London, the A4 can be based at York after the tour to run other tours in the area, easier when based South of the border.
As for No's. 45407 and 48151, well they run with Support Coaches from Edinburgh Millerhill to Carnforth on Day 7 ( Crewing )
Stock to and from London at the beginning and end of the tour is T&T by WCRC 47's.

Perhaps I went into tooo much detail there, but still....would be a lovely tour....would be nice if it happenned, a varied selection of motive power there.

[chester025]

Tour Name: Royal Scot

Route: London Euston – Glasgow

Traction: 87002

Coaching stock: 13 Cargo D MK3s

Tour Promoter: Spitfire Railtours

[chester025]

Tour Name: (haven't thought of one!)

Route: London Euston – Edinburgh - London Kings Cross

Traction: 87002

Coaching stock: 13 Cargo D MK3s

Tour Promoter: Spitfire Railtours

[TheAmateurBasher]

Tour Name: (haven't thought of one!)

Route: London Euston – Edinburgh - London Kings Cross

Traction: 87002

Coaching stock: 13 Cargo D MK3s

Tour Promoter: Spitfire Railtours

And make sure the stock is good and working properly!

[chester025]

Tour Name: (haven't thought of one!)

Route: London Euston – Edinburgh - London Kings Cross

Traction: 87002

Coaching stock: 13 Cargo D MK3s

Tour Promoter: Spitfire Railtours

And make sure the stock is good and working properly!

Indeed! Seriously though, I'm really looking forward to 87002s return to the main line!

[87015]

Indeed! Seriously though, I'm really looking forward to 87002s return to the main line!

Best start trying to find a big envelope to post yourself in