Railtour Catastrophies

[Whistler40145]

Does anyone have any amusing or nightmare stories of Railtours that you expected to be nice and straightforward, but turned out to be a complete shambles?

 

[Smudger105e]

Not quite, but I went on railtour out of Waterloo years ago, called the Thames Taymar Express, and leaving Waterloo it consisted of an 8TC being propelled by a 33/1. One poor guy was absolutely bricking it because "when I push a long train with a loco at home, they all derail"

 

[87015]

The 87 farewell tour that wasn't stands out, the CIE 141 tour that they "kindly" provided 078 for was a more recent sour note.

Oh, and seemingly add Rail Blue to the list of railtour companies who have run off with my money!!

 

[gazthomas]

Booked on a "valentines" special from Watford Junction to the Heart of Wales line in 2004. Tour was for two FMRail 31's.

We had lots of issues before and on the day. Before hand we found out we couldn't get back to Watford due to engineering so we chose to board at Northampton instead.

In the day the 31's failed so we had about 2 hours at Northampton with no information and it was freezing (I did a coffee run to the local McDonalds for the gathered crowd). We where then told that to make up time the train would bypass the Northampton loop so we all jumped on a Silverlink 321 to Rugby. We had another hour or so at Rugby.

The train arrived at Rugby a 47 which was low on fuel so required swapping. By this time I had a feeling we would not make the HoW line and asked the stewards to confirm this. They said all was okay but it came as no surprise soon after we left to say we where being redirected to Carmarthen via the Lickey!

The rest of the day went fine once I calmed down at being conned! At least something ran.

I'm still here a little wiser. Steamy Affairs luckily are not!!!

 

[Whistler40145]

I remember the Court Chester hauled by 50s, this had many problems, from the route being blocked south of Wolverhampton as the wires were down, then the Guard not signing the WCML from Stafford to Nuneaton & then the 'Icing on the Cake' being nearly getting caped at Bedford until a Traincrew was available to take the 50s through to St Pancras. Oh the joys!

 

[Rover]

Well there was the Pathfinder one a few years back with a single 37 from Sheffield which was supposed to go to Pwllheli but ended up in Blackpool!
Although they did run it again a few months later to Pwllheli free of charge so really we got two rail tours for the price of one.

 

[table38]

None of these were catastrophic, but I've jinxed been on:

• The Forth & Tay Scotsman, which avoided the Forth and Tay Bridges entirely after 47853 blew up
• The Western & Eastern Coastal Explorer, which never made it closer to the east coast than Norton Junction due to engineering works
• The East Lancs Explorer, where the mini-tour to Stanstead was cancelled after 40145 blew up
• The Esk Valley Moorlander which only went as far as York due to lack of a driver
• The Canterbury & White Cliffs Explorer, which avoided the white cliffs and returned via Rochester instead due to engineering works

Although apart from flagrant breaches of the Trade Descriptions Act , I enjoyed tham all.

 

[Schnellzug]

Talking of FM Rail, there was one famous time when a 33 ran out of fuel in the wilds of Lincolnshire or somewhere, and a farmer came along with his Tractor* and filled it up, didn't he.

*no, not a 37

 

[SickyNicky]

I remember a tour from Stratford on Avon to Weymouth a few years back where the engine ran out of coal and they had to get a delivery from a local coal merchant on route, blocking the mainline in the process.

Can't remember the details, but no doubt someone else can.

 

[eastwestdivide]

First railtour I went on, back in the mists of time (well possibly the late 70s), we changed to two 25s at Birmingham New Street, which promptly expired just round the corner at Washwood Heath.
Another one on freight lines around Yorkshire in a DMU, we diverged at a junction then ground to a halt when the driver realised he didn't have route knowledge. Waited an hour for a replacement in the middle of nowhere with no trains passing.

 

[northwichcat]

There was one between Altrincham and Cardiff via the HOW line. Class 6x locos had been provided but the train was refused to allow to go on the HOW line until they were changed to class 3x locos. However, it was later discovered that the train had been given dispensation to use the 6xs but Network Rail made an 'administration error.'

 

[Whistler40145]

Then we have the Class 58 Farewell Tour to Clacton-on-Sea which arrived in spectacular fashion!

Then we have the Class 56 hauled trip operated as compensation, which only reached Stafford & returned to Crewe, taking at least 3 hours to return using the slow-speed control!

 

[NIMBUS]

I remember the Court Chester hauled by 50s, this had many problems, from the route being blocked south of Wolverhampton as the wires were down, then the Guard not signing the WCML from Stafford to Nuneaton & then the 'Icing on the Cake' being nearly getting caped at Bedford until a Traincrew was available to take the 50s through to St Pancras. Oh the joys!

Have had loads of changes of itinerary en route but the Court Chester was probably the biggest balls-up. I still remember the riot at Bedford when BR wanted to cape the train and they tried to get the last HST away before transferring passengers could board: with enthusiasts holding several doors open, to the annoyance of the platform staff, we eventually got our way. Given what subsequently happened, I was glad that I didn't hang around to see if the train eventually made it to St P.


Not quite in the league of a catastrophe was the "Deltic Ranger" in February 1978, from Paddington to Paignton with Ballymoss. The heavy snow caused an early termination at Bristol TM, a request to run back to Paddington via Cheltenham, Birmingham and Oxford was declined and a direct run back (via the Badminton route) mandated. What was a catastrophe was that, when RPPR organised the re-run three weeks later, with Meld, my ECML train failed, the loco was replaced with a 40 which was then diverted via the Hertford loop, and we eventually reached KX just as the charter should have left Paddington. Fortunately, WR control were very accommodating and passed us down to Plymouth on a service train (the charter had been diverted to Newton Abbot, detach Deltic, then on with a 46 to Par - due to the Paignton line being unavailable due to engineering work). We caught up with the return working from Par, with 46 003, picking up the Deltic from Newton Abbot - so not quite a total disaster!

 

[scotsman]

Avoided catastrophe on Saturday! ETH between coaches K and J wasn't properly hooked up. Result - no heat in Standard class. Luckily sorted when we were looped in Grantshouse - 5 mins work by the Guard and onboard maintenance staff (how many railtour operators have that?!) restored heat

 

[Royston Vasey]

Class 6x locos had been provided but the train was refused to allow to go on the HOW line until they were changed to class 3x locos.

Doesn't sound like a catastophe to me!

 

[Polarbear]

For me, it was the Deltic Debacle in 1996 - the first main line outing of a Deltic for some years.

Class 86 from KX up the ECML was novel for me, if slow. The Deltic was great on the way back until the exhaust caught fire at Berwick & attempted to take the station canopy with it

Cue a 37 hauling charter train & dead Deltic very slowly to Newcastle, followed by some more staggering 86 back to KX & a very late arrival back home that night!:roll:

 

[12CSVT]

Hampshire Hog railtour March 1994

Set off from Manchester at 0426 behind 37405, ETH wasn't working. So 405 was replaced by 37425 at Crewe and everything was OK until just outside Eastleigh when somebody realised that 425 had snowploughs, and not cleared for running over third rail. A lengthy wait outside Eastleigh station (about 2 - 3 hours) until 425 was taken off to be replaced by a spoon. Southampton docks branches done about 3 hours late top&tailed by 37375 and spoon before 37425 was re-united with train minus snowploughs. Then the mega farce - the tour was then booked to go to Alton for the Mid Hants diesel gala, but due to late running arrived at Alton just in time to see Hymek D7018 set off with the last train of the day to Alresford (Mid Hants staff deliberately held the gate shut to prevent any tour passengers crossing platform to join the train in platform 3). On the return 37425 failed at Leamington to be replaced by another spoon.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A railtour that left the departure point 4 hours late after BR forgot where they had stabled the stock overnight ( and it was only ½ mile away all the time! ) and then it only had one loco instead of the booked two as one had failed...:roll:

Another railtour to the same destination 12 months later leaving 1½ hours late because the locomotive hadn't been brought down from a long way away in time... and then discovering that despite it being a 60 it had been given a schedule calling for considerably better than even time.:roll:

The free compensatory railtour offered after that second instance in order to cover the rare branch missed out through lack of time itself could not traverse said branch because of engineering work.....:roll::roll::roll:

( Some of you, I am sure, will know exactly which railtours I am referring to! )