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New Belmond train in England & Wales

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25 Nov 2018
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16
Looks as though there could be some test runs starting tomorrow from Eastleigh Arlington

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

And now cancelled.

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Has been reinstated, departing at 1145.
 
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BillStampy

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Llanharan
Is a schedule up?
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
 

Peter Sarf

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Croydon
Looks as though the first outing since repairs (at Brodies Hamilton) has finished ontime at Victoria.

Next trip, starting 15:48 today from Victoria, is as per :-
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
 

GaryNeville

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17 Mar 2026
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Chestershire
Interesting to see that they're not doing the Barmouth to Tywyn and return "shuttle" now
Looking at RTT for Wednesdays going forward, the first services in each direction are terminating at Barmouth, both using Platform 2, and then returning to where they came from.

Presumably to allow the Belmond to remain at Barmouth and save all the hassle of that shuttle.
 

Peter Sarf

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I saw it leave Victoria this afternoon with all ten coaches in the formation. First time I have seen coach 99104 at last in action but had a door out of use sticker.

I gathered these are test runs with Belmond staff being given a chance to break em.
 

chrisjo

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Llanishen
gathered these are test runs with Belmond staff being given a chance to break em.
Still going strong this morning on its way to Machynlleth, where I will be passing in a couple of hours, touch wood. I wonder if the crew have been told to open and close all the doors a few times at each stop?!
 

zwk500

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Still going strong this morning on its way to Machynlleth, where I will be passing in a couple of hours, touch wood. I wonder if the crew have been told to open and close all the doors a few times at each stop?!
Which locos are they using, the Class 97s?
 

50032

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3 Mar 2016
Messages
163
Seems that 66748 was left behind at Shrewesbury when the 97s took over to take the Brittanic Explorer into ETCS land.
66708 came from Bescot, and once the Britannic had departed for the Cambrian, it went and coupled up to 66748 and towed it back to Bescot. Quite why 748 needed a chaperone, is anyone's guess.
 

MotCO

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66708 came from Bescot, and once the Britannic had departed for the Cambrian, it went and coupled up to 66748 and towed it back to Bescot. Quite why 748 needed a chaperone, is anyone's guess.
Had 66748 failed?
 

tfw756rider

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Wales (sometimes in England), thanks for replying!
Seems that 66748 was left behind at Shrewesbury when the 97s took over to take the Brittanic Explorer into ETCS land.
That's normal for any charter train on the Cambrian. The 66 (or whatever) is left at Shrewsbury and then it's just either two 97s or a 97+37 on the Cambrian (a 37 behind a driven-from 97 is allowed, although I did actually see a 37 driven at Machynlleth in 2022, but of course under possession on the 197003 drag night).

The last time a 66 went on the Cambrian was in 2023 I think, in the Welshpool and Newtown areas, but that was on its own, under possession at low speed (due to of course being non-ETCS-fitted), for track renewal work. A 56 also did the same thing.
 

Peter Sarf

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Had 66748 failed?
Generally, as others have said, non ETCS locomotives or units are not allowed to venture onto the Cambrian (West of Machynlleth iirc ?).

It might be that a driver had to come to Shrewesbery to relieve the driver of 66748 - I do not know how many hours 66748s driver would have been driving for ?. So maybe not a failure but a light loco from Bescot but that seems a bit excessive.
 

Jacob Porrett

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Gloster

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Up the creek
After each tour, why does the Britannic Explorer return to Eastleigh?

I wonder if it has a special cleaning and internal maintenance regime that is better handled at a separate location to normal carriage cleaning depots. Those moneyed blanks are high demand and, usually, low consideration.
 

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