North Wales Coast Express 3/9/22

[peteb]

Just been notified this Vintage Trains tour is cancelled owing to the train (assume that means the steam loco) being out of gauge. If anyone knows what's caused this gauge issue I'd be interested to know. Other tours are booked to Blaenau Festiniog so hope it's not an infrastructure issue on the branch?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Yes I’ve just been notified of this as well. VT gave me a full refund but I‘m still rather unimpressed as I’m now £150 out of pocket on unrefundable hotel booking for two nights in Brum due to the last minute cancellation. One would have thought that gauging issues would be sorted well in advance!

(Just can’t catch a break with railtour issues this summer!)

 

[railfan99]

Just been notified this Vintage Trains tour is cancelled owing to the train (assume that means the steam loco) being out of gauge. If anyone knows what's caused this gauge issue I'd be interested to know. Other tours are booked to Blaenau Festiniog so hope it's not an infrastructure issue on the branch?

Is one platform (with no adjacent alternative track that lacks one) out of gauge? In my state in Australia, an old diesel-electric rail motor (built in about 1931) is preserved and runs well but hits the edge of some newly built platforms at their end: it makes a shocking sound and one can smell the result, but the rail motor just keeps going.

 

[XAM2175]

In my state in Australia, an old diesel-electric rail motor (built in about 1931) is preserved and runs well but hits the edge of some newly built platforms at their end: it makes a shocking sound and one can smell the result, but the rail motor just keeps going.

It never bothered V/Line either, judging by all the scraped and gouged N cars you'd see running about.

 

[43096]

Yes I’ve just been notified of this as well. VT gave me a full refund but I‘m still rather unimpressed as I’m now £150 out of pocket on unrefundable hotel booking for two nights in Brum due to the last minute cancellation. One would have thought that gauging issues would be sorted well in advance!

(Just can’t catch a break with railtour issues this summer!)

Hate to say it, but booking non-refundable accommodation for a railtour always makes you a hostage to fortune. There’s plenty of tours that get cancelled or re-dated and the current industrial disputes have only made the chances greater.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Hate to say it, but booking non-refundable accommodation for a railtour always makes you a hostage to fortune. There’s plenty of tours that get cancelled or re-dated and the current industrial disputes have only made the chances greater.

I only booked it last weekend! Thought as it was so close that things would be ok. (Also a bit surprised VT aren’t running it diesel hauled, but maybe that’s their policy.)

 

[peteb]

Pure speculation but maybe an issue with passing loops on Bleanau branch? Eg: train too long or inadequate clearance for the 47 and mkii carriages. I'd have thought if steam out of gauge they'd have run it diesel all the way. Maybe someone from VT could enlighten us?

 

[bleeder4]

Pure speculation but maybe an issue with passing loops on Bleanau branch? Eg: train too long or inadequate clearance for the 47 and mkii carriages. I'd have thought if steam out of gauge they'd have run it diesel all the way. Maybe someone from VT could enlighten us?

I doubt it. I went that way with 2 47s and 11 Mk2s in May. There's only one passing loop on the Conwy Valley Line, at North Llanrwst. I remember we had to wait there a few minutes to let a unit come through.