Class 33 to Whitby on 10th July

[4SRKT]

Short notice short distance tour from Spitfire, with a crompton and a tractor top and tailing from York to Whitby and back. BUT..... completely ludicrous timings of 06:45 off York and 22:45 return, making it totally impossible to do by rail for anyone living off the North Transpennine route. I live in Shipley, only 35 miles away, but am bowled out for a tour I would like to do, mainly because I don't live in York anymore Sure, tours often start early, but they usually have a lot of pick up points en route, so as the morning wears on they become more and more accessible. The only other pick up on this is Middlesbrough. Is having ten hours in Whitby really so important that such a long day is created? Ten hours seems waaaaay too long to me, although I suppose you could combine it with a day on the NYMR.

 

[theblackwatch]

Short notice short distance tour from Spitfire, with a crompton and a tractor top and tailing from York to Whitby and back. BUT..... completely ludicrous timings of 06:45 off York and 22:45 return, making it totally impossible to do by rail for anyone living off the North Transpennine route. I live in Shipley, only 35 miles away, but am bowled out for a tour I would like to do, mainly because I don't live in York anymore Sure, tours often start early, but they usually have a lot of pick up points en route, so as the morning wears on they become more and more accessible. The only other pick up on this is Middlesbrough. Is having ten hours in Whitby really so important that such a long day is created? Ten hours seems waaaaay too long to me, although I suppose you could combine it with a day on the NYMR.

No other paths on Whitby branch, the rest are taken by Northern and NYMR services.

 

[4SRKT]

No other paths on Whitby branch, the rest are taken by Northern and NYMR services.

Shame. Would have liked to have done this

 

[142094]

Would it not be possible to use some of the passing loops along the line? Or is there not enough capacity at Whitby, with Northern sometimes storing a 156 there for the late service (or is this just on Sundays now)?

 

[Drimnagh Road]

This trip featured in yesterday's Penzance trip brochure and was a great source of entertainment to all on board.

The question everydody was asking, was what in earth do you do in Whitby for 10 hours? Even the most normal of normals will find 10 hours too long!

 

[4SRKT]

This trip featured in yesterday's Penzance trip brochure and was a great source of entertainment to all on board.

The question everydody was asking, was what in earth do you do in Whitby for 10 hours? Even the most normal of normals will find 10 hours too long!

I've been to Whitby many times, and never managed to spend more than about 4-5 hours there tops without getting bored, and that's even as a bucket and spade wielding kid.

My guess is that you'd spend the day on the NYMR, and spend a lot of time drinking (although the tour gets in before the pubs are even open!!). Quite staggering levels of drunkenness should be expected on the return leg IYAM. However, it's clearly much better to get there with a 33 and 37 then my method of 185 from Leeds to Malton and then on the Yorkshire Coastliner bus to Whitby.

Is this trip a dead duck d'ya think?

Edit: Drimnagh Road, I've added an album of shots from last month's trip to Tralee to my user profile if yr interested.

 

[theblackwatch]

A day on the NYMR is the obvious thing - from memory, the first train is 11.00 off Whitby and the last gets back around 17.30. So thats an hour for breakfast in the morning and a couple of hours for tea and a beer or two in the evening. Day sorted!

 

[4SRKT]

Day sorted!

If you happen to live in York that is.

 

[theblackwatch]

If you happen to live in York that is.

I don't - but this tour is much more sociable than most. Often I have to drive to Crewe for 06.45, which means an 04.15 start. This one is an 06.00.

 

[starrymarkb]

I usually have 1 or 2 weekends per year in Whitby - usually April and Halloween There is usually a lot on

 

[theblackwatch]

I usually have 1 or 2 weekends per year in Whitby - usually April and Halloween There is usually a lot on

Are you a goth by any chance?

 

[4SRKT]

I don't - but this tour is much more sociable than most. Often I have to drive to Crewe for 06.45, which means an 04.15 start. This one is an 06.00.

I don't mind early starts when the tour is covering a lot of miles and needs to start early to get it all in. Last September's awesome trip with 40145 to Inverness springs to mind, with its Carlisle start at 04:40 or some such. This tour's not even going 100 miles each way tho, so such an early start is, plainly, absurd.

I also expect that when I live so close to York, on lines with such high quality services at such high frequencies, that getting to York by train (surely anyone's preferred mode for getting to a tour) for a short tour should be very straightforward. Not so apparently. I could stay with my parents, but then I'd have to explain to the wife why a day out to Whitby requires 2 overnights.

 

[blackfive460]

Short notice short distance tour from Spitfire, with a crompton and a tractor top and tailing from York to Whitby and back. BUT..... completely ludicrous timings of 06:45 off York and 22:45 return

I should wait and see what the times turn out to be (if this actually happens) because those quoted sound unlikely.
The timings into Whitby seem possible but the return from Whitby at 19:45 isn't on as the NYMR have a Whitby - Battersby diner that night which uses the 19:45 path and you can't get out earlier due to a NR service into and out of Whitby just after 19:00 plus there's the diner ECS to get down to Whitby too.
In addition, what are they going to do with the stock?
Bog Hall siding and run round will be in use by NYMR during the day so the stock can't stay in Whitby and running the ECS off the branch, what with the restricted paths, will be difficult.
Not an easy one but time will tell.

 

[I T S]

This trip featured in yesterday's Penzance trip brochure and was a great source of entertainment to all on board.

The question everydody was asking, was what in earth do you do in Whitby for 10 hours? Even the most normal of normals will find 10 hours too long!

A bit like 10 hours in Rosslare Drimnagh Road,

Irish train scenes

 

[blackfive460]

NYMR now saying 10th July evening diner from Whitby is TBC so the 19:45 return path for the charter may be a possibility after all.
If it does run, it will be interesting to see what happens to the stock during the day.

 

[theblackwatch]

NYMR now saying 10th July evening diner from Whitby is TBC so the 19:45 return path for the charter may be a possibility after all.
If it does run, it will be interesting to see what happens to the stock during the day.

My contact at the NYMR has advised that their trains to/from Whitby will be top and tail. Timings for the tour posted on wnxx give it as 18.10 off Whitby, so there shouldn't be any conflict with the NYMR diner now.

 

[4SRKT]

My contact at the NYMR has advised that their trains to/from Whitby will be top and tail. Timings for the tour posted on wnxx give it as 18.10 off Whitby, so there shouldn't be any conflict with the NYMR diner now.

Well, at least that's 95 minutes less in Whitby, and might just about make it possible to get back from York to some places in Yorkshire other than Leeds and Huddersfield.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Well apparently this tour has attracted a total of 25 passengers for Spitfire.

Will probably get a rollicking, but was it ever going to work?

Best sticking with the tried and trusted long distance, high mileage 37 tours me thinks personally.

 

[Donachie]

Well apparently this tour has attracted a total of 25 passengers for Spitfire.

Will probably get a rollicking, but was it ever going to work?

Best sticking with the tried and trusted long distance, high mileage 37 tours me thinks personally.

Well, I know of several bashers from the North West, Southern Scotland area's , who would have done this tour if it had not been for the pathing problems to Whitby ,resulting in the early start from York and late return. The 33 and 37 combination would have filled many a tour. I only hope that something else with 33's appears soon.Not getting confirmed timeings till Wednesday did not help either .

 

[theblackwatch]

Well apparently this tour has attracted a total of 25 passengers for Spitfire.

Will probably get a rollicking, but was it ever going to work?

Best sticking with the tried and trusted long distance, high mileage 37 tours me thinks personally.

Much better than most tours, plenty of space, front coach both ways, loos still full of water, and no scrum at the photo stop. More similar would be nice....

Tour has left Middlesbrough 33 early.

 

[yorkie]

This train was priced at three times the normal rail fare. I'd still have done it, even at three times the price, if it had been a sensible time off York, or I'd have considered doing just the return if a one-way fare was priced reasonably.

 

[theblackwatch]

I don't think £20 for a one way leg of a railtour is unreasonable. It just happens that the normal fare for this journey is ridiculously underpriced - many journeys of around 1/3 of this distance are that fare!

 

[4SRKT]

Much better than most tours, plenty of space, front coach both ways, loos still full of water, and no scrum at the photo stop. More similar would be nice....

Tour has left Middlesbrough 33 early.

Unsurprising that there's plenty of space really. A coach each maybe? The profit motive seems to be entirely absent on this tour!

 

[blackfive460]

Well apparently this tour has attracted a total of 25 passengers for Spitfire.

Those 25 passengers must have been fast breeders. NYMR staff counted 50 getting off when it arrived at Whitby.
Still not quite what you'd call a great commercial success though...

 

[33011]

Good to see that Spitfire have kept to their word and not cancelled the tour through low bookings.