Proposed joint CFPS/DTG tour May 2010

[nedchester]

Dear All,

As some of you may have heard there are plans afoot to run a 2 day tour to Cornwall with the DTG .

A large amount of work has been put into trying to get an interesting spec allied to a reasonable quote to run the tour.

It is proposed to run on the 15th/16th May as follows:

15th

40145 from the North West via Birmingham, Oxford, Swindon to Westbury

D1015 + 40145 in TANDEM Westbury-Plymouth

40145 Top n Tail D1015

Plymouth-Penzance (Break) Penzance-Truro-Falmouth-Truro-Penzance

40145 Leading into Penzance

16th

40145 Top n Tail D1015

Penzance-St Ives-Penzance (Break) Penzance-Par-Newquay-Plymouth

40145 on rear out of Penzance so that it leads into Falmouth and Newquay

D1015 + 40145 in TANDEM Plymouth-either Bristol, Westbury or Oxford for 40145 solo forward.

This tour is being promoted by the CFPS with the DTG’s support. This is an extremely ambitious but very interesting tour and we need to know what the level of interest is for this to run as we do not want to proceed only to find that we have to cancel because of lack of interest and incur the cost of cancellation. The DTG will also be emailing out this request so please only reply to one, preferably the group through which you would intend to book.

This will be a two day tour so you have to start looking in the region of £120 in standard as the cost of the tour.

We are seeking expressions of interest at booking on the Tour to try to establish if it is viable

If you are intending to book via The DTG Please reply to m.j.streetATbtinternet.com (replace AT with @)

If you intend to book via The CFPS please reply to chairmanATcfps.co.uk (replace AT with @)

The aim is to arrive in Penzance on Saturday afternoon and allow a reasonable break before the trip out to Falmouth.

Those not wanting to do Falmouth on the Saturday night and St Ives on the Sunday morning can then have extended time in Penzance.

Many thanks

Tim Rogers
CFPS Publicity.

 

[Techniquest]

Me want in on that!

 

[4SRKT]

Sounds fantastic! I'll be doing my best to get on this. Bin the Western and replace with a 50 and all my dreams will have come true!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
At the risk of arousing the wrath of some other posters, I'd better get the rolling stock question out of the way at this early stage. I'm extremely interested in this tour, as mentioned, but not prepared to spend two days sealed up in a coffin. Mk Is or PV Mk IIs only please (at least in second class)!

 

[Techniquest]

Getting impatient with trying to work it out, but what does 'PV' mean?

 

[royaloak]

PV stands for pressure ventilation, ie mark2, A, B or C not air conditioned mark 2D-F

 

[Techniquest]

Oh right! Thanks for that, I have learned something in this early hour of the day then

 

[Pegasus]

Sounds fantastic! I'll be doing my best to get on this. Bin the Western and replace with a 50 and all my dreams will have come true!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
At the risk of arousing the wrath of some other posters, I'd better get the rolling stock question out of the way at this early stage. I'm extremely interested in this tour, as mentioned, but not prepared to spend two days sealed up in a coffin. Mk Is or PV Mk IIs only please (at least in second class)!

Yes I'm sure the DTG are going to go with that idea.

 

[4SRKT]

Yes I'm sure the DTG are going to go with that idea.

Well, it wasn't intended to be 100% serious! This sounds like a brilliant tour and I'm very interested in it. Basically I was saying that the only possible improvement I could think of would be a 50, but I'm sure there are plenty who would disagree with me.

Another question for Tim. What does 'the North West' mean as the start point for the tour? For us West Yorkshire lot, Rawtenstall would be good. A call at Manchester would also be a good alternative. Given that the tour won't be coming back the same day, and is presumably less subject to time pressure as a result, is there any chance that any departure from Manchester could be made late enough to facilitate rail connections from Bradford, Leeds, York etc?

 

[Pegasus]

Well, it wasn't intended to be 100% serious! This sounds like a brilliant tour and I'm very interested in it. Basically I was saying that the only possible improvement I could think of would be a 50, but I'm sure there are plenty who would disagree with me.

Another question for Tim. What does 'the North West' mean as the start point for the tour? For us West Yorkshire lot, Rawtenstall would be good. A call at Manchester would also be a good alternative. Given that the tour won't be coming back the same day, and is presumably less subject to time pressure as a result, is there any chance that any departure from Manchester could be made late enough to facilitate rail connections from Bradford, Leeds, York etc?

OK you are forgiven

The North West is certainly Crewe and probably Manchester. It all depends what is the most economic way of doing things. I'm afraid we have no timings yet, once we decide to go ahead then it will almost certainly be back timed from Penzance and see where we end up.

 

[4SRKT]

OK you are forgiven

The North West is certainly Crewe and probably Manchester. It all depends what is the most economic way of doing things. I'm afraid we have no timings yet, once we decide to go ahead then it will almost certainly be back timed from Penzance and see where we end up.

No, I didn't expect that you would have timings just yet! Hopefully when you do draw it up, it will work out that Manchester is accessible by rail for the Trans-Pennine brigade.

 

[nedchester]

No, I didn't expect that you would have timings just yet! Hopefully when you do draw it up, it will work out that Manchester is accessible by rail for the Trans-Pennine brigade.

Prob route from North West is Crewe, Warrington, Man Pic, Stoke, Stafford then south.

 

[4SRKT]

Overnight accomodation in Penzance could be an issue in such a small town, what with 400-500 cranks (and first class diners of course) blazing into town all at once.

There are cheap hotels (Travelodge, Premier Inn) in Hayle. Maybe the tour could stop there on the way back from Falmouth. The next morning it could call at nearby St Erth en route to St Ives to allow folk back on.

 

[Techniquest]

If people book early enough I'm sure there will be enough accommodation to go around. Depending on the timings, I plan not to need it anyway, as I envisage doing some moves on the Night Riviera. One less room to fight over then!

Welcome to the forum Pegasus

 

[Pegasus]

If people book early enough I'm sure there will be enough accommodation to go around. Depending on the timings, I plan not to need it anyway, as I envisage doing some moves on the Night Riviera. One less room to fight over then!

Welcome to the forum Pegasus

Thank you.

Yes you are right, Penzance is a holiday destination and has to cope with the demand for accomodation in the Summer Holidays so there should be plenty available in the middle of May.

 

[37401]

sounds top, Penzance is a great place, nice scenery and its got pleanty of decent shops, 40145 and D1015 to penzance sounds awsome

 

[nedchester]

Thank you.

Yes you are right, Penzance is a holiday destination and has to cope with the demand for accomodation in the Summer Holidays so there should be plenty available in the middle of May.

And having kept away from the Bank Holiday weekends it should be easier to find accommodation.

 

[theblackwatch]

If people book early enough I'm sure there will be enough accommodation to go around. Depending on the timings, I plan not to need it anyway, as I envisage doing some moves on the Night Riviera. One less room to fight over then!

I wonder what time that night you will realise that the Sleepers do not run on Saturday nights!

 

[37401]

I wonder what time that night you will realise that the Sleepers do not run on Saturday nights!

sssshh dont tell him, the fun is watching him find out

 

[4SRKT]

sssshh dont tell him, the fun is watching him find out

I foresee a night on a park bench!

 

[almark]

Just realised it's the same weekend as 'The Coronation',yes i know its a kettle ex,but a quality one at that.......

Pity because both are 100% tours for us,already booked the former i'm afraid.

 

[theblackwatch]

I foresee a night on a park bench!

That's a big improvement on the usual quality he is used to!

 

[Techniquest]

Oh yeah, talk about an uber epic fail...Must have been playing too much Hellfire lately, gotten used to the idea of overnight trains on Saturday nights! Back to reality for me then...Thanks for pointing that out, although I care not for the attitude in the posts on this page of the thread about it.

Contrary to your view there theblackwatch, I've never slept on a park bench anywhere overnight. Although it is true that I've had my share of rubbish accommodation before (that hostel I stayed in in York in 2006 was pretty crap!), and who here can honestly say they've never done some ridiculous overnighter at some shack before, miles from home?

Anyway, this is getting rather detracted from the point of the thread! Let's hope this tour runs, would sure be a big contender for Railtour of 2010 already!

 

[4SRKT]

Where was the most rubbish place any of you did an overnight fester? MIne was either the shelter on Swansea station (hard slats, heater on a timer that went off every 5 minutes, so someone had to stay awake to prevent everyone freezing to death), or being forced to bail from the warmth of a Mk 2a at Inverness at about 4:30 in the morning off the Edinburgh/Glasgow sleeper, and wander around the town until either the 06:35 Thurso/Wick or 06:55 Kyle. This last discomfort worth every second for the tractor heaven to follow (((((37025 on 06:55 Inverness - Kyle sometime in 1983)))))).

 

[Techniquest]

Lucky you lot having a waiting room in Swansea! Never had that privilege myself, although hardly ever needed it at the time (what with living there) as an overnighter in West Wales was usually the 2335 to Fishguard and 0150 return 158 (occasionally 150 though, that was evil ) for the 0400 HST. All to avoid the taxi ching!

Worst that I can recall right now would be Carlisle on a Sunday night after Community Railfest 2006 in Darlington. Did a HST to Carlisle then was stuck there until 0714 when my booked train headed south. Pretty damn cold and boring, with little overnight freight or anything. Waiting room weren't open until 0600 or something like that either!

 

[37401]

Just done a quick google
http://www.bedandbreakfasts.co.uk/propertysearch.asp?townCity=Penzance

prices start from £16+ for the night

 

[4SRKT]

There's a Youth Hostel as well, which should be cheap enough.

 

[Techniquest]

Pretty good that, although I'm waiting for the tour to be announced as a runner first!

 

[4SRKT]

John from the CFPS e-mailed me back to say no to aircons!

 

[Techniquest]

Excellent, I get the feeling we'll be needing the quarterlights before we reach the last pick-up point...

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

Lucky you lot having a waiting room in Swansea! Never had that privilege myself, although hardly ever needed it at the time (what with living there) as an overnighter in West Wales was usually the 2335 to Fishguard and 0150 return 158 (occasionally 150 though, that was evil ) for the 0400 HST. All to avoid the taxi ching!

Best to do the 2245 Pad - Swa, when they're are divereted, as you arrive in time for a few hours in Sizzlers (24hr Cafe) intime for the 0400 back. About 1hr 30min.