In fairness, the injuries and fatalities suffered in recent years on the main line have largely been associated with the droplight windows, rather than the type of door locking operation. This is a separate issue and can be more easily resolved by fitting window bars, which I’m surprised aren’t more widely fitted to charter stock.
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Really though, all these tour companies that for months now have been offering packaged tours that include a trip on Jacobite have been playing with fire, given the situation with the tickets.
I would not be, in the least surprised if David Smith were to in effect put two fingers up to the industry and pull out of running the Jacobite, concentrating on just what his own company is organising, and to wind down their involvement in main line steam.
Notably their website doesn't give any 2026 details for the Scarborough Spa Express, Dalesman or indeed railtours, either. It doesn't give a great impression, let alone allow anyone to plan any trips.
Tangmere can't run the Jacobite anyway, it's not one of the defined locos permitted over the WHL extension.
And at the moment only 45407 Is availible , Rileys other 5'S are under overhaul, the 8f whilst newly overhauled, isn't air fitted, so in effect, there is no steam loco to operate the service.
Given that the Jacobite is highly profitable, that is the very definiton of "cutting off your nose to spite your face".
Ah, but is it not only profitable in original all Mk1 guise?
Which is rather silly imo. WCR and all the others have been on notice for, what, a decade that there had to be an eventual end to the CDL exemption? Also, istr from the Signals to Danger roundup that there was an incident where a steward who was meant to supervise the doors was apparently overpowered by another passenger.
Not just that, he wants to run his trainset like it's still 1968 which means vacuum brakes and no CDL (Tangmere of course had its air brakes fitted by its previous owner).
I would strongly suspect this is a technicality based on the the Jacobite not being operated by WCRC (Charter) TOC, but instead WCRC (Jacobite) TOC. Whilst technical in nature this difference is very important. A Charter (Track Access Contract - TAC) essentially says they can bid & run trains on the network. The Jacobite TAC however, has more in common with a 'normal' passenger operator. The TAC specifies firm rights to 1tpd SX/SO/SU between the 1st April and 31st October, and 2tpd SX/SO/SU between 1st May and 30th September. This is why The Jacobite services are in the WTT and means that if they choose to not operate the train, it doesn't automatically mean that those paths could be used by a LSL, Scotrail, etc. Would require either those rights to be formally given up/TOC cease to be, or them not to be run for sufficiently long Network Rail to be able to provisions in the Network Code. There is a mechanism to transfer rights between operators, this is sometimes used when some freight contracts change operator, but would require a TOC being established to received them, and the two parties agreeing. If such a change would happened I'd more expect for the TOC to be purchased than via the Network Code.
Instead he has spent a pretty sizeable amount on five HST vehicles and 12 trailers without seemingly a use for them.
A part of it can also be contributed to bloody mindedness, I don't think he apricated the ORR telling him as he saw it, how to run his business
....and B1s surely?
I have 2 issues with the 156s - ironing board seats, and Scotrail’s poor train cleaning programme, both interior and exterior.
They were removed from the access agreement some years ago.
Yet…
An HST would actually be a really good solution for the Jacobite!
Less than 10 years between end Mk1 production and the Mk3 protypes; & between the end of steam and start of HST squadron service.
But light years of improvement between them. Shame it’s gone backwards since.
I don’t know, I was only thinking of loco haled Mk1s.
Really not sure I agree, on the mainline I have been on some very rough riding Mk3 stock (inc Mk3 based units) and had some very pleasant runs in Mk1 (inc units).
