Chairman's Special Trains

[EbbwJunction1]

I have seen quite a bit of coverage of these trains, which seem to be run for the Chairman of the LSL (and possibly other people?).

Does anyone know how these are arranged, please? In particular, how much notice does he have to give and does he just pick up the phone to the relevant person(s) and say "I'd like a trip on such and such day, please?"?

I'm sure that it must be more complicated than that, but your advice will be appreciated, please.

Thanks.

 

[FGW_DID]

I should presume once he has communicated his wishes to the companies operations / planning department and they have worked out the relevant resources available then, just as any other ad-hoc move, a path will be submitted to Network Rail for validation. Naturally there will be notice period for that to happen.
I know we can have VSTP paths submitted on the day (to recover failed units etc) but judging by other stock moves, eg units going to & from works then the paths are usually received around a week in advance.
Someone else may be able to give chapter & verse on time scales etc.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

One thing I didn't mention is that these trains mostly use LSL locos and stock.

I can imagine the request saying "I've got my own train, so you don't need to provide one!"

 

[Wyrleybart]

I imagine there is an Ops function at Crewe which arranges everything. They will arrange the crew, locos and rolling stock, and submit the track access requests to Network Rail.
Assume then the crew turn up for work and do their jobs, maybe a driver or two on the locos, a guard, and probably a host, attendant or "batman" maybe.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks, that's very useful.

 

[zwk500]

I should presume once he has communicated his wishes to the companies operations / planning department and they have worked out the relevant resources available then, just as any other ad-hoc move, a path will be submitted to Network Rail for validation. Naturally there will be notice period for that to happen.
I know we can have VSTP paths submitted on the day (to recover failed units etc) but judging by other stock moves, eg units going to & from works then the paths are usually received around a week in advance.
Someone else may be able to give chapter & verse on time scales etc.

Caveat that I haven't been involved with NR charters for a few years now.

To NR train planning, these are submitted as any other charter would be. The fact they are for a private party rather than publicly sold only really affects station access requests (which are mainly with the TOCs anyway). If additional loco gauging or goods line or similar is needed then the bid timescale was (no idea now!) 16 weeks. If not, I think the minimum bid timescale was a little bit less, might have been somewhere between 4-8 weeks. LSL would usually bid them in quite early, but they were not given anything special for being the company chairman's train.

The DB Company train tended to run at shorter notice but was run with a 110mph formation so was quite easy to path in.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks, that's very also useful.

 

[KevL]

Sorry just jumping in

Its a shame he doesnt advertise them
Scarborough windsor the other day would have been a nice railtour from my town!!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Its a shame he doesnt advertise them. Scarborough windsor the other day would have been a nice railtour from my town!!

I appreciate what you're saying, but if he did advertise them, they wouldn't be private tours, would they?

 

[theblackwatch]

Sorry just jumping in

Its a shame he doesnt advertise them
Scarborough windsor the other day would have been a nice railtour from my town!!

The Scarborough Windsor trip was one for the boss of WCRC rather than LSL. Pretty sure the coaches used on the train didn't have Central Door Locking, so therefore cannot be used by fare-paying passengers.

 

[Forty29]

The Scarborough Windsor trip was one for the boss of WCRC rather than LSL. Pretty sure the coaches used on the train didn't have Central Door Locking, so therefore cannot be used by fare-paying passengers.

Was the MK1 rake used or special coaches reserved for him. Wouldn't want to use the stock given to the railtour companies!

 

[37069]

Three Met-Cam Pullmans (325, 326, 354) that are generally kept under cover with the Queen of Scots.

 

[KevL]

The Scarborough Windsor trip was one for the boss of WCRC rather than LSL. Pretty sure the coaches used on the train didn't have Central Door Locking, so therefore cannot be used by fare-paying passengers.

Ah gotcha. Cheers!

Unfortunate even york starting railtours leave york around 7am which tends to rule them out with our service from Scarbro.