Railtour Ideas

[EE Type 3]

According to their website, they've got a solitary sleeping car, for staff mainly.

Are the Night Riveria and Caledonian Sleeper sets really the only full sleeper rakes around? And how many sleeper coaches are there? The two lowland sleepers each have up to twelve I believe (six for Glasgow, six for Edinburgh) plus two seated and two lounge. The Highland has two sleeper cars for Fort William*- are there five each for Inverness and Aberdeen (bringing it to the same size as the Lowland)? That would put the Caledonian on a total each night of forty eight running- wikipedia says they have 53, which seems a reasonable pool of spares.

How many sleeper cars do the Night Riveria services run? From what I can pick out they're barely bigger than a single "section" of the Caledonian, so I'd guess no more than six each way. Add a couple of spares to that, and add to the Caledonian stock, and you've got around seventy. Again relying on wikipedia, there were over 200 mk3 sleeper coaches built 82-84.


*These get a lounge car added for the run between Edinburgh and Fort William

The Northen Belle has 2 sleepers in their rake of stock. There are quite a few in preservation, used as accomodation.

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

'Coast to coast railtour' - Start at Newcastle - across to Carlisle, then a full circuit of the Cumbrian coast line with a stop at Ravenglass. Proceed onto the Furness line and shoot back up the WCML at Carnforth and return back to Newcastle via Carlisle. Double headed by 2 class 37's.

'Trafford Wanderer' - London Euston - Watford - Birmingham New Street - Crewe - Manchester Picadilly. *Via Trafford Park industrial lines* Would be an oppurtunity for a rare passenger working on metals used exclusively for industrial purposes and would, in my, opinion attract alot of interest. Hauled by 57601.

'Weymouth Harbour Special' - Special service allowing the first railtour since 1999 to visit the Weymouth Harbour Branch which is still in good condition today. The oppurtunity for some rare street running which is virtually unknown in the UK would no doubt be extremely popular, especially after recent calls for the tracks to be uplifted. Hauled by 40145 'East Lancashire Railway.'

 

[Chester025]

'Weymouth Harbour Special' - Special service allowing the first railtour since 1999 to visit the Weymouth Harbour Branch which is still in good condition today. The oppurtunity for some rare street running which is virtually unknown in the UK would no doubt be extremely popular, especially after recent calls for the tracks to be uplifted. Hauled by 40145 'East Lancashire Railway.'

I like the sound of that! Starting from Crewe...

 

[jopsuk]

'Weymouth Harbour Special' - Special service allowing the first railtour since 1999 to visit the Weymouth Harbour Branch which is still in good condition today. The oppurtunity for some rare street running which is virtually unknown in the UK would no doubt be extremely popular, especially after recent calls for the tracks to be uplifted. Hauled by 40145 'East Lancashire Railway.'

I was recently in Weymouth (for the first time)- I noticed that there's still road markings for the clearence and signs warning to park clear of the line in case of passing trains.

 

[Chester025]

Round Oak
Walsall - Water Orton

http://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/Enthusiast.htm#Tour151108Midlands

Burton-on-Trent - Leicester via Coalville
Walsall - Water Orton

Hmmmmmm. Hows about:

40145 Bristol TM - Severn Tunnel Junction - Maindee Curve - Hereford - Worcester - Lickey Incline - Birmingham - Walsall - Water Orton - Nuneaton - Coalville - Derby - Matlock

After a recent trip to Matlock, there is a big long run-round siding to the north of the station which can hold a charter train. So I see no objections as to how a charter train could get there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Proof: http://www.peakrail.co.uk/archive.htm

 

[rail-britain]

I could investigate if First ScotRail could hire out a Class 156 unit to visit non-passenger routes, for a Saturday
There are quite a few routes in Scotland (mostly in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas, so that helps keep costs down) which passenger trains don't normally use
Most obvious to myself is the Polmadie triangle, including Muirhouse
From memory the daily hire rate for a Class 156 is about £12,000

 

[Ascot]

I could investigate if First ScotRail could hire out a Class 156 unit to visit non-passenger routes, for a Saturday
There are quite a few routes in Scotland (mostly in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas, so that helps keep costs down) which passenger trains don't normally use
Most obvious to myself is the Polmadie triangle, including Muirhouse
From memory the daily hire rate for a Class 156 is about £12,000

Can you put Wi-Fi on it?

 

[rail-britain]

Can you put Wi-Fi on it?

Yes, just take any WiFi capable device
Most of the Glasgow and Edinburgh area have WiFi capability

 

[me123]

Sunday'd be better; Whifflet's closed, Paisley Canal's closed, Maryhill's as good as closed... more paths as well

Wifi on Edinburgh-Glasgow would be good, and I'm sure it'd be well used!

 

[rail-britain]

From memory First ScotRail are very reluctant to support railtours on Sundays, and when they do there is a "premium" to pay
It therefore makes more sense to operate this on a Saturday, which for some routes would not be an issue as they have little or no freight either
Also, there is little additional peak time provision

Many people already use WiFi between Glasgow and Edinburgh, the coverage albeit patchy is acceptable
I am able to use it when travelling between Croy and Aberdeen, although the coverage north of Bridge of Allan is pretty poor, and also between Cumbernauld and Pollokshields

 

[me123]

Hmm, not bad... but I thought if FSR could get wifi on the turbos "proper" (a la NXEC), it would be well used indeed.

 

[rail-britain]

FSR have no plans to introduce train-installed WiFi on any rolling stock during the current franchise
However, I could bring this up as a proposal nearer the time when the next franchise bid is being prepared

 

[Ascot]

FSR have no plans to introduce train-installed WiFi on any rolling stock

 

[me123]

FSR have no plans to introduce train-installed WiFi on any rolling stock during the current franchise
However, I could bring this up as a proposal nearer the time when the next franchise bid is being prepared

Didn't think there would be plans, just thought that Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh commuters (in the express corridors) would appreciate it: for a businessman, 3 hours can be a long time without internet access.

 

[Techniquest]

It can be a long time if you're awaiting gen too...

 

[rail-britain]

It was brought up in a meeting about internet access on trains, buses, and coaches operated by First Group
Apparently there were plans to install at FGW, but that has now been suspended
The main reason is due to the rapid expansion and improvements made by the mobile phone companies

I myself can get mobile Broadband on my laptop in most locations in Scotland now
When travelling by train the reception does tend to vary, but seems to have improved greatly over the last 12 to 18 months
This may also be one of the reasons why Virgin Trains have not pursued a train-installed format either

 

[me123]

I'm surprised that Scotland really has good coverage TBH, though: I'm on 3 for my phone () and I can't get reception between Dunblane and Gleneagles, or North of Perth towards Inverness (except Pitlochry and Aviemore). And the Aberdeen-Inverness line, just forget it! I imagine Wick and Kyle aren't the biggest wifi hotspots in the country, either.

 

[Max]

I'm surprised that Scotland really has good coverage TBH, though: I'm on 3 for my phone () and I can't get reception between Dunblane and Gleneagles, or North of Perth towards Inverness (except Pitlochry and Aviemore). And the Aberdeen-Inverness line, just forget it! I imagine Wick and Kyle aren't the biggest wifi hotspots in the country, either.

I'm certain I saw a report on the news a while ago which suggested that wireless internet points were being installed more often in remote areas such as Scotland, because it is cheaper than upgrading phone lines for fast broadband. The speeds can often be much quicker too.

 

[me123]

Would make sense, but I've not really been in the more remote areas too much. But yes, rural Scotland is pretty bad when it comes to internet because of the insane amounts of nothingness. We're the only part of the UK to have areas still without a "conventional" broadband connection; up in the Western Isles. This excludes one random telephone exchange in London, though, which still doesn't have Broadband!

EDIT: I lie; 21 exchanges in Scotland without BB, all in the Western Isles. Of course, it wouldn't really be commercially viable to extend out that way.

The villages of Roding (Essex), Prickwillow (Cambridgeshire) and a few places in Sussex also don't have, as well as one non-residential building on London.

 

[djw1981]

Most business users have Vodafone / Tmobile / 3 3G mobile broadband cards / dongles if they need access. many just need email access - which is possible from blackberry, iphone etc.

 

[Coradia]

There are a lot of proposed 'classic' traction railtours on here, for a change, I propose modern stock. A class 180 speed railtour.
Starting from Blackpool North, then calling Poulton, Preston, Bolton, Slaford Crescent, Manchester Victoria, Stockport. The have it going on a really fast ride (non stop if possible) through the Hope Valley, take the 'Sheffield avoider' route through Bradway to Chesterfield, then on the Erewash valley line to the site of EM parkway, on the Leicester route turn off at Sileby onto the Melton Mowbrary line then carry on as far as Peterborough (I think we could get it non stop as far as Oakham ). Once past Peterborough southwards to Kings Cross.

 

[Ben]

How do you propose doing Manc Vic to stockport?

 

[Coradia]

Via Guidebridge, then on the Reddish South & Denton route into Stockport. Compass Tours do this route to avoid Piccadilly, though it takes twice the time.

 

[Phoenix]

You know after having lived in Water Orton I have only seen one loco hauled train stop there and that was a HST due to there being no service at Tamworth due to some Bomb scare.

 

[P156KWJ]

what does that have to do with this?