GBRf Rail Tour 2021: This time it's personal

[43 302]

GBRf have announced a four-day rail tour from the 24th to the 27th of September to raise money for Prostate Cancer.
Includes Class 73s, 66s, a 33 and 37 in multiple on the G&SW, a 92 through the Severn tunnel and an 86 up the Lickey! All with Mk1 stock.

https://www.gbrfcharityrailtours.co.uk/gbrf2020

GBRf 2021 will be the third 4-day Railtour marathon that we have operated. Originally planned for 2020 but postponed due to Covid, our train will depart from London Victoria on Thursday 2nd September 2021. Over the following four days and one overnight we will travel over many parts of the UK Rail Network, featuring some scenic routes and unique traction before finishing as has become customary under Brunel's famous canopy at London Paddington on the evening of Sunday 5th.

 

[31160]

Good tour for a good cause I wish them well with that

 

[snakeeyes]

Why no class 50?

 

[Grid56005]

There is on day 4, assuming it runs

 

[31160]

Why no class 50?

You sure you read it right

 

[43 302]

Why no class 50?

There's two class 50s, presumably 50 007 and 50 049. I'm sure the tour will go ahead as planned, maybe the date will be pushed back a little though. Worth noting that GBRf have postponed ticket sales for the time being. Has anyone been on one of these tours before and can comment on what it's like on board?

 

[47403]

I was onboard GB 15 on day 3 and I didnt encounter any hassle whatsoever. The 3 guys whom I was in company with, whom I didnt know from Adam, were good craic.

 

[Kite159]

The only slight annoyance from GB18 for me was "laptop man" who joined the train on day 3 in Scotland when it went towards Fort William. Spent pretty much the entire journey watching movies on his laptop with the curtain closed.

Although I was in first class, the extra money was worth it for the much better seat

 

[Mag_seven]

The only slight annoyance from GB18 for me was "laptop man" who joined the train on day 3 in Scotland when it went towards Fort William. Spent pretty much the entire journey watching movies on his laptop with the curtain closed.

How odd, although it does remind me of a friend who seems to fall asleep on railtours and train trips normally at the best bit!

 

[black-cat]

Does anyone know if we have to stay on the train when the traction is changed.

 

[43 302]

Does anyone know if we have to stay on the train when the traction is changed.

I'm 99% certian you don't

 

[Kite159]

Does anyone know if we have to stay on the train when the traction is changed.

Unless the change happens outside station areas.

During the last tour, I don't think I was alone in dashing to a nearby Tesco during a lengthy traction changeover for supplies.

 

[theblackwatch]

How odd, although it does remind me of a friend who seems to fall asleep on railtours and train trips normally at the best bit!

Assuming this is a chap, proving that men can multi-task. Bashing and sleeping!

 

[Kite159]

Assuming this is a chap, proving that men can multi-task. Bashing and sleeping!

Lots of that happens on railtours, especially later in the day when drink is involved

 

[LA50041]

How odd, although it does remind me of a friend who seems to fall asleep on railtours and train trips normally at the best bit!

This reminds me of a certain railtour I was on where the chap on the Aisle seat was moaning about needing a window seat, so I swapped then he promptly fell asleep for most of the tour

 

[D365]

Class 92 on the Great Western, will that be the first passenger stock hauled using an electric locomotive?

 

[Mag_seven]

Class 92 on the Great Western, will that be the first passenger stock hauled using an electric locomotive?

No 87002 worked a similar GBRf railtour from Didcot to Paddington a couple of years ago.

(not my photo)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pksphotography/43919775885

 

[43 302]

Class 92 on the Great Western, will that be the first passenger stock hauled using an electric locomotive?

Will be the first one from Cardiff through the Severn tunnel into Paddington but as mentioned 87 002 went from Didcot to Paddington a couple of years ago.

 

[_toommm_]

The virtual ticket office for this is now password protected - could this be a sign that they're thinking the tour might not be able to run?

 

[OliverH68]

The virtual ticket office for this is now password protected - could this be a sign that they're thinking the tour might not be able to run?

It has always been that way.

 

[_toommm_]

It has always been that way.

Has it? I swore I’ve been on it as I was looking how expensive the tickets were...

 

[43 302]

Yeah they were going to release the tickets but they haven't yet.

 

[gazthomas]

Having done the first two tours in full I'm somewhat disappointed with the planned itinerary. I know there are constraints on what can be done but to me this lacks ambition, with a repeat of places visited previously (for example Harwich and Hampshire). It would have been good to have covered more of Wales, for example to the coastal ports and then up the Heart of Wales. It feels more like a trip for people wanting rare locos on rate track rather than a proper four day rail tour and given the poor experience we had accessing rare/private sites on the last trip it seems risky). So I'm undecided whether to go, though I wish the fundraising every success

 

[ThameslinkUser]

Yeah they were going to release the tickets but they haven't yet.

That's no surprise considering the uncertainty on whether the tour will go ahead due to the social distancing and current lockdown.

 

[Mag_seven]

It feels more like a trip for people wanting rare locos on rare track

With due respect I think that that is exactly what the purpose of the tour is.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

With due respect I think that that is exactly what the purpose of the tour is.

The purpose of the tour is to raise money for charity

 

[gazthomas]

With due respect I think that that is exactly what the purpose of the tour is.

Since when? That wasn't my experience of the first two trips. If I wanted that I'd go and do a Branchline Society tour

 

[Mag_seven]

Since when? That wasn't my experience of the first two trips. If I wanted that I'd go and do a Branchline Society tour

Maybe the traction bit is more important than the track?

 

[gazthomas]

Maybe the traction bit is more important than the track?

I agree with that and that's my point, the track proposed is to niche and we should get out and about and enjoy the 4 days and the traction. But the itinerary just doesn't float my boat sadly

 

[JonathanH]

It would have been good to have covered more of Wales, for example to the coastal ports and then up the Heart of Wales.

Each to their own really on this - on routes, the point really is that there are better ways of getting these routes covered on one day railtours where the choice of route is what you are buying. The Heart of Wales route is exactly the sort of line that makes more sense as a day trip itinerary (and indeed there have been tours in the last year or so which have covered it)