Railway Touring Company "The Peaks Express" 25 September 2022

[railfan99]

On my UK and European trip I booked on this special as RTC appear to use diesels the least of the UK rail tour operators:

UK Steam Rail Day Trips and Worldwide Rail Holidays

The Railway Touring Company has a long established reputation for providing an interesting variety of UK day trips by steam train and tours in the UK, Europe and Worldwide.

www.railwaytouring.net

Looks a great trip (assuming by September 'steam bans' and 'heat speed restrictions' have long been ditched.

I have an old UK/European rail atlas that's very good, but the detailed maps around urban areas that have many rail lines can be hard to follow.

Closer to the date, Real Time Trains or others will publish detailed times, but this far out, could someone describe the route of this circular trip in more detail so I can see where it should be travelling?

Also why does it start so late (1045 hours): is this due to the relative paucity of main and branch line trains on Sundays, so a later start allows patrons using rail to connect?

Thank you for all your help. As a foreigner from the convict colony, I've done a lot of rail travel in UK (and Europe), it can be hard to know exactly where one is going if the lines are a labyrinth.

 

[Watershed]

On my UK and European trip I booked on this special as RTC appear to use diesels the least of the UK rail tour operators:

UK Steam Rail Day Trips and Worldwide Rail Holidays

The Railway Touring Company has a long established reputation for providing an interesting variety of UK day trips by steam train and tours in the UK, Europe and Worldwide.

www.railwaytouring.net

Looks a great trip (assuming by September 'steam bans' and 'heat speed restrictions' have long been ditched.

I have an old UK/European rail atlas that's very good, but the detailed maps around urban areas that have many rail lines can be hard to follow.

Closer to the date, Real Time Trains or others will publish detailed times, but this far out, could someone describe the route of this circular trip in more detail so I can see where it should be travelling?

Also why does it start so late (1045 hours): is this due to the relative paucity of main and branch line trains on Sundays, so a later start allows patrons using rail to connect?

Thank you for all your help. As a foreigner from the convict colony, I've done a lot of rail travel in UK (and Europe), it can be hard to know exactly where one is going if the lines are a labyrinth.

From the description it sounds like it will follow:

• the same route along the WCML from Preston to Wigan North Western as many other services (e.g. this one), then the same route from Wigan North Western to Manchester Piccadilly via Bolton as used by a few services each day, e.g. this one (NB the Southport - Alderley Edge services use this route from Wigan Wallgate across the road, and there are also hourly services from Wigan NW to Leeds which use the connection between the two lines)
• the same route from Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield as Manchester - Cleethorpes services (e.g. this one)
• the same route from Sheffield to Chesterfield (the "old road" via Beighton) as are used by a couple of daily "route retention" services (e.g. this one)
• the Erewash Valley line from Chesterfield to Trowell Jn, just south of Ilkeston (used by Liverpool - Nottingham/Norwich and Leeds - Nottingham services)
• a rarely used section of line from Trowell Jn to Toton Jn (through the middle of Toton Yard); a couple of route retention services use it each day (e.g. this one)
• a short section of line with no regularly scheduled passenger service between Toton Jn and Trent East Jn
• the same route from Trent East Jn to Sheet Stores Jn as Newark - Crewe and Nottingham - Birmingham/Cardiff services
• the same route from Sheet Stores Jn to Dore South Jn as London St Pancras - Sheffield services (e.g. this one)
• a section of line with no regularly scheduled passenger services between Dore South Jn to Dore West Jn
• then the reverse of the outward leg

Even the sections without a regularly scheduled service do typically see use during diversions (e.g. for engineering work or due to problems on the day). Perhaps not the Toton Jn to Trent East bit though, that'd have to be a pretty unusual set of circumstances.

So there are a few sections of unusual track in there, though most you could 'bag' with a bit of patience and good planning. More important is the route in general, which I am sure you will find quite scenic, although I would have thought a run along the S&C (there are quite a number of steam specials along there) would probably be slightly more interesting.

You may find the Adlestrop map useful to work out where each of these lines go, as well as the Traksy site which shows the layout of most lines (other than areas of Absolute Block signalling, e.g. the Hope Valley).

 

[railfan99]

Watershed, huge thanks! Your reply took much work so I am extremely grateful.

I looked up the route. Not all junctions are marked on the European Rail Atlas but have a good idea as to exact route. It's terrific you have alternative routes: in my country, mostly not without huge deviations of 1000 kms.

Tremendous also that tours are allowed to travel on freight-only lines.

Toton Yard is famous for where Toyota 'car trains' start their trip to European destinations?

Years ago, I slotted in my sole main line UK enthusiast trip via Blackburn: featuring S&C. This time in two weeks in UK ex Australia, am slotting in a southbound scheduled S&C service as it is a wonderful line. Love the historic stations: in the English style but similar to our Sunbury to Bendigo line in peri-urban/rural Victoria: (see 7:07, 8:18 and 10:26 - ironically the steam loco was built by North British Loco Co. and has automatic stoker):

)

 

[Watershed]

I looked up the route. Not all junctions are marked on the European Rail Atlas but have a good idea as to exact route. It's terrific you have alternative routes: in my country, mostly not without huge deviations of 1000 kms.

Yes, largely a legacy of having competing companies building lines in the 19th Century and these being strung together in a vaguely coherent manner in the intervening years. The steeply graded Hazel Grove Chord (linking the Stockport to Buxton line to the remnants of the Manchester Central to New Mills line) was only built in 1986.

Similarly the Windsor Link, connecting the railways northwest of Manchester with the Castlefield corridor, was only opened in 1989.

Unfortunately the impetus to improve lines has stalled somewhat since then, and the most notable investment Manchester has received (other than electrification of some lines) is a white elephant by way of the £100m Ordsall Chord...

Tremendous also that tours are allowed to travel on freight-only lines.

None of the lines in question are actually freight only lines, it is just that they do not have a regularly scheduled passenger service. Railtours do sometimes go over freight only lines (most commonly Goods Loops) but specific authority is needed every time this happens. To be fair, this is usually not too difficult to obtain.

Toton Yard is famous for where Toyota 'car trains' start their trip to European destinations?

I don't think there are any Toyota car trains left in Britain. There are still some Ford and Jaguar car trains though.

 

[railfan99]

Watershed, thank you for another first class reply. It's definitional, as in my country, a 'freight only line' means 'a line that lacks regular passenger trains'. I guess we're not too far apart.

I've yet to go there but this indicates there are 'Toyota car freights':

First Toyota cars arrive and depart by rail at Toton

DB Cargo UK and Groupe CAT have officially launched a new international car-carrying service for Toyota between the UK and France.

www.railmagazine.com

 

[Watershed]

Watershed, thank you for another first class reply. It's definitional, as in my country, a 'freight only line' means 'a line that lacks regular passenger trains'. I guess we're not too far apart.

Yes, really the difference is to do with signalling standards - e.g. a goods line isn't guaranteed to have facing point locks, and overlaps may be shortened or nonexistent. There may also be permissive block working.

Generally it's only loops and sidings that fit into this category; if you are interested, you can look up the Sectional Appendix on Network Rail's website - goods lines are marked as dashed.

By contrast a "not regularly served" line will usually still be signalled to passenger standards, but simply lack passenger services - e.g. because there are no stations that would logically be served by a service over that line, as in the case of Wolverhampton to Walsall via Pleck Jn, until the new stations at Willenhall and Darlaston open.

I've yet to go there but this indicates there are 'Toyota car freights':

First Toyota cars arrive and depart by rail at Toton

DB Cargo UK and Groupe CAT have officially launched a new international car-carrying service for Toyota between the UK and France.

www.railmagazine.com

You learn something new every day!

 

[railfan99]

Watershed, another reason I chose this trip is that I surmised travelling on lines not much used by passenger trains would be exciting, and might involve slow travel, so the opportunity to observe freight yards/freights at close range, unlike say on a Pendolino travelling rapidly.

It's a commentary on what to those of us from sparsely inhabited nations is a big population on an island a quarter the size of the state of NSW (New South Wales) but you have a huge variety of special trains (mostly steam) from which to choose. It's surprising so many operators survive but each must have their loyal fans, and there are amalgamations including recently I gather.