Hastings Diesels - The South Devon Coaster, today 16th June.

[yorksrob]

If an Okehampton run happens I’ll try and come along (even if it does mean travelling past my house four times in one day).
I was just thinking of ‘The Long Thin Drag’ earlier. That tour really captured people’s imagination. I was trying to work out whether the current two motor coaches were the same ones that were added to the other two units that went to Carlisle? It looks like the tour was 14 coaches altogether, the three powered cars on one end must’ve sounded wonderful.

Yes definately - there´s nothing wrong with going through your home town a few times on a railtour (done that with Ashford a few times in the 90´s )

Yes, the long thin drag must have been a belter. No idea whether HDL´s current fleet was involved !

 

[yorksrob]

I was thinking about that after I posted. It’s got history in its own right now hasn’t it. Don’t see many hopper windows like that these days...

Indeed, nor bright orange walls on the network

 

[yorksrob]

View attachment 48393 View attachment 48394 View attachment 48393 Fantastic sight as it went thru Norton Fitzwarren this evening

Splendid pics !

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I was on that train too. It was a great trip. I wonder if they will use any of their other stock on the main line, maybe to make the current 6 coach train a bit longer. Although I personally would like it to all be the narrow body stock through out.

The trip was rather bouncy in places !

I got off at Reading, did the train go across the main lines to get onto the southern network, or did it go down through a tunnel underneath.

I think they did go to Okehampton a few years ago? or perhaps it was upto Barnstable.? They are a great firm to travel with.

 

[E759]

We took the dive-under; video I shot here here:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/new-diveunder-line-to-the-east-of-reading-station.79016/

The North Downs Line was taken at speed as per the trip down and was rather exhilarating

 

[yorksrob]

I was on that train too. It was a great trip. I wonder if they will use any of their other stock on the main line, maybe to make the current 6 coach train a bit longer. Although I personally would like it to all be the narrow body stock through out.

The trip was rather bouncy in places !

I got off at Reading, did the train go across the main lines to get onto the southern network, or did it go down through a tunnel underneath.

I think they did go to Okehampton a few years ago? or perhaps it was upto Barnstable.? They are a great firm to travel with.

I'm pretty sure they've done Barnstaple years ago. Not sure about Okehampton though.

 

[E759]

A great number of tours, including Barnstable, it seems according to their archive
http://www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk/railtours/railtour-archive

 

[Cowley]

Just had a read of their website and stocklist, it looks like they’ll be able to add two motor coaches at some point - 60000 ‘Hastings’ which has run before, and 60019 which is nearing completion.
Photo below from their site of 60019...


They’ve also got a trailer car on its way back after long term restoration so exciting times.
It looks like we may start seeing 8/9 coach formations at some point I suppose there’d be a bit more money to made with a couple more coaches too.

 

[yorksrob]

Just had a read of their website and stocklist, it looks like they’ll be able to add two motor coaches at some point - 60000 ‘Hastings’ which has run before, and 60019 which is nearing completion.
Photo below from their site of 60019...
View attachment 48410

They’ve also got a trailer car on its way back after long term restoration so exciting times.
It looks like we may start seeing 8/9 coach formations at some point I suppose there’d be a bit more money to made with a couple more coaches too.

Exciting developments indeed !

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Yes, that would be a great thing to happen. Wish them good luck with it. They are a really nice bunch of people, well maintained rolling stock and their railtours are always very good.