Could the Heart of Wales line host more regular steam trips?

[peteb]

Yesterday's Great Britain VI demonstrated that it's possible to run a double headed steam train with 10 carriages from Craven Arms to Llandeilo Junction without deisel assistance. And quite late in the day.

Is it feasible to run from Crewe at, say 0830am, to Llandeilo by steam, stopping to pick up at Shrewsbury and Craven Arms, drop the deisel at Craven Arms, pick it up again at Llandeilo Junction AND return to Crewe all in one day?

I think it could be possible provided the steam engines return separately (tender first, or turn on a triangle somewhere), and the main train returns with the deisel to Shrewsbury and Crewe, timed for 90mph where permissible.

 

[30907]

Yesterday's Great Britain VI demonstrated that it's possible to run a double headed steam train with 10 carriages from Craven Arms to Llandeilo Junction without deisel assistance. And quite late in the day.

Is it feasible to run from Crewe at, say 0830am, to Llandeilo by steam, stopping to pick up at Shrewsbury and Craven Arms, drop the deisel at Craven Arms, pick it up again at Llandeilo Junction AND return to Crewe all in one day?

I think it could be possible provided the steam engines return separately (tender first, or turn on a triangle somewhere), and the main train returns with the deisel to Shrewsbury and Crewe, timed for 90mph where permissible.

It should be possible to path it, and there's a triangle (in fact 3 within easy reach!).

Double-heading is expensive so I would expect a diesel to remain on rear as an cheaper insurance.

A small question - for a one-day trip you need a nearby steam loco, where would you opt for and would it make more sense to start the train there or thereabouts?

 

[Trainguy34]

I'm not sure about steam but I know theres often a 47 at Crewe so could go from there, Chester, and Wrexham?

If people do the Kent Loop steam trips, they would probably do a HoW trip with steam and maybe a few hours in Swansea / Carmarthen or track bashing?

 

[peteb]

It should be possible to path it, and there's a triangle (in fact 3 within easy reach!).

Double-heading is expensive so I would expect a diesel to remain on rear as an cheaper insurance.

A small question - for a one-day trip you need a nearby steam loco, where would you opt for and would it make more sense to start the train there or thereabouts?

I had thought Saphos from Crewe or maybe Vintage Train's from Birmingham. VT has two castles to start with!!

 

[mangyiscute]

I happened to be in Llandrindod as the train was stopped there (it waited for over an hour) and it seemed very busy with a mix of people who had been on the train milling around and plenty of locals who had come out to see the steam train - it was a great sight.

 

[The exile]

I'm not sure about steam but I know theres often a 47 at Crewe so could go from there, Chester, and Wrexham?

If people do the Kent Loop steam trips, they would probably do a HoW trip with steam and maybe a few hours in Swansea / Carmarthen or track bashing?

The Kent loops are, I would guess, mainly aimed at the “premium dining” market - with the fact that it’s a steam train being little more than the icing on the cake. They have a huge potential market (London and Home Counties) on their doorstep. No disrespect to Llanelli, but the HoW is in a different position.

 

[Meerkat]

Is the HoW pretty/famous enough to support a reduced Jacobite type operation in the summer, and if so where could it run to/from? Could you get from Cardiff/Swansea to Shrewsbury and back in a reasonable time, and is there room at Cardiff/Swansea/Shrewsbury to deal with it?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

At a guess , Swansea to Llandrindod might work - access at Swansea end good for connections all over and enough track around to berth and so on - run it via the Swansea District (plenty of paths and nice views over the estuary and towards the Gower) - pleasant scenery down the Vale of Towy and a decent climb up towards the Sugar Loaf. A destination with things to do and see.

Could possibly interwork with Swansea to Carmarthen options , or even Swansea to Llandeilo...

Not very often though - maybe a couple of weekends a year.