Okehampton - Paddington Special on 16 March 2017

[DaveHarries]

Evening all.

These look interesting.

1Z18 0750 Okehampton - London Paddington
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V20001/2017/03/18/advanced

1Z81 1812 London Paddington - Okehampton
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V20002/2017/03/18/advanced

I presume these to be railtours at first sight (and indeed they could well be, although I would think that GWR doing railtours is a bit of a rareity) but GWR are running both of them with HSTs. The two ECS workings relating to these are:

5Z18 0507 Laira T&RSMD - Okehampton
5Z81 2121 Okehampton - Laira T&RSMD

I can't find anything on GWR's website about either of the Okehampton - Paddington trains. Anyone know anything more?

Dave

 

[Quakkerillo]

https://www.facebook.com/events/1133731563370177/

We are hoping to run a special train from Okehampton to London Paddington on Saturday 18th March 2017.

This is to promote the reinstatement of an Okehampton to Exeter regular passenger service.

Please indicate if you would like to express (no pun intended!) your interest.

When we are able to confirm, we will tell you how you can buy tickets. We think that standard class tickets will be around £40 and £25 there will also be some first class tickets of around £70 and £45 too, prices are adult and concessions respectively.

Drop us a message if you want to know more details, but express your interest anyway.

This is from the OkeRail community by the looks of it.

 

[Cowley]

That looks good, pretty decent prices too.

 

[Okey Red]

OkeRail, who are the main group responsible for trying to reinstate Okehampton's regular service to Exeter, have organised a day return to Paddington to try and help their cause.

The trip is Saturday 18th March.

Standard Class: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/341176

First Class: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/341141

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/okerail/

 

[yorksrob]

Sounds like a good idea - hope it gets plenty of passengers

 

[trainmania100]

If it did starts from Paddington i would go
Would the stock be an external TOC or from the Dartmoor railway? I understand they have a thumper and that's about it

 

[Crossover]

If it did starts from Paddington i would go
Would the stock be an external TOC or from the Dartmoor railway? I understand they have a thumper and that's about it

Looks like it will be a GWR HST. Doubt much else would keep the timings into London!

 

[455driver]

Looks like it will be a GWR HST. Doubt much else would keep the timings into London!

I would pay good money to be on the Thumper doing that trip.

 

[Cowley]

I would pay good money to be on the Thumper doing that trip.

I second that!
A pair of blue and grey Hastings with 1970s fare prices...

 

[AnthonyRail]

Can't get to okehampton in the morning so not for me but will see it go thru Exeter. Also classic buses running day that day in Exeter.

Wonder if they use the green set.

 

[AnthonyRail]

I second that!
A pair of blue and grey Hastings with 1970s fare prices...

Or a pair of 50s.

 

[DaveHarries]

Thanks for the replies above. I think I will get up at some daft hour on the Saturday morning (I don't live in the Exeter area!) and try to photo the set at Crediton on the London-bound run.

Dave

 

[AnthonyRail]

Thanks for the replies above. I think I will get up at some daft hour on the Saturday morning (I don't live in the Exeter area!) and try to photo the set at Crediton on the London-bound run.

Dave

Planning to see the ECS somewhere and head into Exeter for vintage bus at the coach station.

Clash of dates, else I've would of gone on it.

Is this the first HST to visit the Dartmoor Railway??

 

[221129]

Planning to see the ECS somewhere and head into Exeter for vintage bus at the coach station.

Clash of dates, else I've would of gone on it.

Is this the first HST to visit the Dartmoor Railway??

No it's not.

 

[Ash Bridge]

As ollieb says above,

18th March 1990 Hertfordshire Railtours "Atlantic Coast Express" 43099+43076 to Meldon Quarry then Okehampton.

13th December 1997 Hertfordshire Railtours "Teign-Taw Turkey" 43004+43192 once again to Meldon then Okehampton, pretty sure there have been others too.

 

[Cowley]

As ollieb says above,

18th March 1990 Hertfordshire Railtours "Atlantic Coast Express" 43099+43076 to Meldon Quarry then Okehampton.

13th December 1997 Hertfordshire Railtours "Teign-Taw Turkey" 43099+43076 once again to Meldon then Okehampton, pretty sure there have been others too.

I remember the first one going there. That was around the time they did start using HSTs for the odd tour I think. Was the fact that it was the same two power cars just a coincidence?

 

[Ash Bridge]

I remember the first one going there. That was around the time they did start using HSTs for the odd tour I think. Was the fact that it was the same two power cars just a coincidence?

No coincidence, just this idiot getting his facts wrong

The power cars on the Teign-Taw train should read 43004+43192.

 

[Cowley]

Whoops

 

[Cowley]

Hahaha. I'm sure no one noticed.
I thought maybe one was named 'Town of Crediton' and the other one 'Town of Okehampton' and they had to use them both for that reason...

 

[Ash Bridge]

Hahaha. I'm sure no one noticed.
I thought maybe one was named 'Town of Crediton' and the other one 'Town of Okehampton' and they had to use them both for that reason...

Nice! I really like the sound of that.

 

[221129]

As ollieb says above,

18th March 1990 Hertfordshire Railtours "Atlantic Coast Express" 43099+43076 to Meldon Quarry then Okehampton.

13th December 1997 Hertfordshire Railtours "Teign-Taw Turkey" 43004+43192 once again to Meldon then Okehampton, pretty sure there have been others too.

The last HST to Okehampton was Tuesday 21st Feb 2017. Albeit an ECS and not in passenger use.

As a further note this Special has completely sold out!

 

[Cowley]

The last HST to Okehampton was Tuesday 21st Feb 2017. Albeit an ECS and not in passenger use.

As a further note this Special has completely sold out!

I saw it was sold out, we were thinking of doing it and were just sorting out if we had the day free but by the time we had it was full!
Time for a class 50 hauled 13 coach relief.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I saw it was sold out, we were thinking of doing it and were just sorting out if we had the day free but by the time we had it was full!
Time for a class 50 hauled 13 coach relief.

Fully booked already, wow thats fantastic news, it would be good to think that a good chunk of those passengers are actually from the Okehampton area.

 

[83G/84D]

The bus event in Exeter is on Sunday 19th March to commemorate the closure of the bus station albeit it has another stay of execution:-

Sunday 19 March 2017- Exeter Bus Station - The Final Fling!
Join us at Exeter Bus Station on Sunday, 19 March 2017 - the final Sunday of the Bus Station’s operation - to celebrate over 50 years of its service to the city of Exeter, to re-live memories of years and vehicles gone by, to mark the closure of yet another iconic public facility from the 1960s … and to look ahead at things to come. We plan to have a selection of Devon General, Western National, Exeter Corporation and other appropriate buses and coaches, many of which will be running in-service for periods throughout the day. Free rides will be available to the public around carefully-planned routes from the past 50+ years. More details will appear on this site and in the press a little nearer the time.
http://www.dgot.co.uk/page8.html

Full story behind indefinite delay and rising cost of Exeter's St Sidwell's Point and bus station

Read more at http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co....0158750-detail/story.html#jRABx66VaAmXedui.99

 

[AnthonyRail]

Proves there is a need for a okehampton rail service being that it sold out.

 

[headshot119]

Proves there is a need for a okehampton rail service being that it sold out.

It does nothing of the sort, it's a railtour, I very much doubt you'd get a HST worth of people buying a return from London to Okehampton on a daily basis.

 

[221129]

It does nothing of the sort, it's a railtour, I very much doubt you'd get a HST worth of people buying a return from London to Okehampton on a daily basis.

Whilst I agree with what you're saying, it is NOT a railtour.

 

[AnthonyRail]

It does nothing of the sort, it's a railtour, I very much doubt you'd get a HST worth of people buying a return from London to Okehampton on a daily basis.

Class 150 maybe

 

[headshot119]

Whilst I agree with what you're saying, it is NOT a railtour.

Then what is it? Charter train, private train, special train?

 

[AnthonyRail]

I'd say it's a charter, since they are looking at another one later in year which takes it being special away.