2x buffer puffer silverlink fare well tours

[westcoaster]

from pathfinders web site

Saturday 3rd November R An unusual railtour from London Euston featuring lines not usually covered by passenger trains (and highly sought after by the track brigade). Two Cl.37's provide the traction in top 'n' tail mode.
In association with Silverlink Trains to mark the ending of their franchise.
Saturday 10th November R An unusual railtour from London Euston featuring lines not usually covered by passenger trains (and highly sought after by the track brigade). Two Cl.50's provide the traction in top 'n' tail mode.
In association with Silverlink Trains to mark the ending of their franchise.

from ri mag

the train will also visit bletchley tmd with 08874 helping

the route should be euston- willesden- watford- tring- barking- bletchley- bedford- swanbourne- northampton

sound's like a good tour to me although i think the trian's will go to barking before watford, the best bit will be bdeford- swanbourne- northampton, because this will include a trip along the freight only line from fenny stratford to swanbourne, with a trip across the bletchley fly over reverse then down across it again along the freight only line to denbiegh south junction.

i might go in for this one although id go for the 50's tour on the 10th

 

[ChrisCooper]

Sounds interesting. Any idea on price and timings? If it's not too expensive and can be done in a day (e.g it doesn't leave too early or get back too late for me to travel from Loughborough), I might do one of them. I'd probably do the 50's, since I've had a fair amount of 37s both mainline and preserved, wheras 50's even in preservation are quite rare for me, but 37s wouldn't be bad either.

 

[37402]

I'm also informed that Wembley CARMD was being investigated for inclusion in the itinerary...

 

[theblackwatch]

Any idea on price and timings?

Nothing confirmed on the PF website yet. However, in the past the Buffer Puffer type trips have started around 08.00-09.00, and the fare for all this years trips has been in the £65-70 region.

 

[Snapper]

They're well worth it for a fun day out - an eccentric stagger around places you could never get to with traction you'd never expect to see.

 

[Techniquest]

Not done a Buffer Puffer to know that for sure, but the planned routes and traction are usually always interesting!

Would do this but relies on my finding money and FAST!

If I get to do it, I will go for the 37s tour, but we will see!

 

[Coxster]

I'm certainly interested. Buffer Puffer tours always seem to get good reviews.

 

[RJ]

4.1 was brill - there's nothing quite like screaming at every person visible on stations on the Wimbledon loop at night - no doubt I'll be on one of these and a couple of the other provisional tours.

 

[ChrisCooper]

Probably will come down to my usual problem with railtours, getting to somewhere to board the train. When going on these sort of trains I alway leave plenty of time incase things go wrong (it's a lot of money to throw away if delayed, and of cource railtours arn't covered by normal rules on compensation, so it's your loss if you are delayed and miss it, and it's you who has to deal with it if it's late and you miss the last train home), generally at least an hour slack each way (e.g aim to be at the starting station an hour before it's due to leave and be back at where I'm starting my normal train journey home (basically, at the point where if delays occur and I get stranded some TOC will be responsible for getting me home or putting me in a hotel overnight) at least an hour before the last train. Of cource this often requires stopping over, which adds to the cost, and of cource the cost of the journey to and from the railtour is also added in (and of cource cheap pre-booked fares are rarely useful what with the fact that timings of tours can change at quite short notice, and again the risk of delays to the tour and missing the booked train).
You lot who live around London and therefore are in easy access to most tours don't realise how lucky you are.

 

[theblackwatch]

You lot who live around London and therefore are in easy access to most tours don't realise how lucky you are.

If you plan it right you can get a reasonable deal. 3 of us went down from Yorkshire for the Buffer Puffer 4.1 at the end of March - booked GNER tickets the day they went on sale, so it cost me around £12 one way and £14 the other, and a Travelodge family room in Slough for the Friday/Saturday was £26 per night, so around £18 each. We also got a Friday in London (and Sunday in my case, the other 2 went back first thing Sunday morning).

The one problem with doing that sort of thing, where there are no accommodation or train ticket refunds available, is the risk of the tour being caped, in which case you just have to have a weekend in London or lose that money.

 

[5872]

If I could save enough and get a new camera at the same time , I might come.Seems fun...


Fred

 

[Jim]

If I could save enough and get a new camera at the same time , I might come.Seems fun...


Fred

Never been on one, but they are very popular, if you want to go on it, you will need to book as soon as the bookings come out!

 

[RJ]

Pathfinder have some very appealing tours on the agenda - Crewe to Dungeness with 86101 and EPS 37s, a 50 to Lincoln, the Spin n Win to Dollands Moor and the Silverlink jobs - not sure I'm ready for another 14-hour Buffer Puffer yet though...

 

[matt]

The 10th November tour will now be a class 37 and class 50 as opposed to two class 50s

 

[matt]

More details now available here http://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/Enthusiast.htm#Silverlinkswansongs03&101107

 

[jonb]

Hellfire just booked on the 50/37 combo one - 300 quid mind though!!!!

 

[87015]

Bit of a cheek to call it Swanbourne Sdgs, Swanbourne isn't exactly where it is! Bletchley Flyover West or Newton Longville would be a bit fairer...
Not sure whether i'll be on one yet, i'd like to do the flyover again but £75 is a serious whack for me.

 

[jonb]

I suppose the extra cost is coming from hiring in the 08 at Bletchley to drag the tour around the depot but as i've done one of these before i'd highly recommend. If you don't fancy this one theres always one in early January with 2 EWS 37's visiting East Grinstead & Uckfield!

 

[Techniquest]

Which sounds excellent too!

£75 each for the Silverlink ones? As much as I'd love to do either of them, I will not be able to do them after all. Ridiculously expensive!

 

[37402]

Bit of a cheek to call it Swanbourne Sdgs, Swanbourne isn't exactly where it is! Bletchley Flyover West or Newton Longville would be a bit fairer...
Not sure whether i'll be on one yet, i'd like to do the flyover again but £75 is a serious whack for me.

Go on, you know you want to! I'm even making an appearance on the first one! :roll:

 

[RJ]

Booked on the Swansong II

The pleasures of enjoying the fruits of my labour - today, we watched the X Factor, played Chirades and watched numbskull drugdealers and hyper people on camera at the Notting Hill Carnival 8)

 

[jonb]

Booked on the Swansong II

See you on there...lol

 

[Gavelex]

'tis a shame it wont go to North Woolwich, it still is possible ATM as dlr ain't done anything yet (!). Just not sure if they would fit down there without taking half the scenery with them

 

[RJ]

Its not a shame - the line itself is as crap as the trains which served it.

 

[Gavelex]

Its not a shame - the line itself is as crap as the trains which served it.

Still, it's part of silverlink's heretage IMO

 

[D306]

I mayeb going on the tour, but on the second one.

 

[RJ]

Still, it's part of silverlink's heretage IMO

It was only closed a few months ago!

 

[Tom]

It would be a rare opportunity to do it still though.

The line has now been closed and NR links severed now though...

 

[Techniquest]

Glad I did it on the final public service on that final day then!

 

[class 313]

It was only closed a few months ago!

Yes? And because of that its now rare to get a mainline train into the branch.

Shame that this tour is still a bit chingy!