Thoughts on night railtours?

[Iskra]

Pathfinder Tours have announced a series of railtours in July including an overnight one. The overnight one interests me due to the routing, but I’ve never been on an overnight railtour and I’m looking for anyone who has who can share there impresions and experiences please?

Are they worth doing, as you presumably don’t see anything?
Are they a mobile drinking session, do people sleep?
Would you recommend doing it or not?

 

[Kite159]

They are useful to covering lines which would normally be next to impossible to visit during the day due to passenger trains on single track lines or high frequency. So a good way to say you have been to Ebbw Vale Town behind a 37 (for example). Also useful for bits of rare connections onto branch lines [i.e. Slough - Windsor & Eden Central, or these days Twyford P4 - Henley branch]

Probably a mix of both, some drinkers overnight, some will try and keep awake but end up falling asleep, or drifting in & out of sleep. [cue lots of bottles of energy drinks].

Depends if there is anything of interest track wise, like you said you won't be able to see much for the bulk of the trip. But doing an overnight tour during the summer months where it will start to get light around 5am is better than doing an overnight tour in the depths of winter. Also as it's Mk1s I would recommend going first class, just for the seat comfort.

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As for that Pathfinder tour, it does look interesting, solely for the novelty factor of class 37 locos on passenger lines which wouldn't see loco haulage in the current day. Although it depends if you have the money to travel to Bristol & get a hotel room for the Saturday night [if you do the Saturday daytime tour as well]

 

[Iskra]

Thanks for the information!

I agree they are good for the Valley lines, and doing it in comfort. I'd much rather do them on Mk1's than crowded 150's.

It's a good value option for me as the £99 fare is very reasonable in first, then I can do the return car journey on one tank of petrol which beats the fares it would normally cost me to get to this area. I need all of the Branchlines involved so it's a bit of a no brainer.

I booked on anyway, went 1st class and I won't need a hotel so it's good value, plus plenty of new coverage and 2 Colas 37's. I'm not doing the daytime tour as it is less interesting for me and I'm not sure I'd enjoy back to back night/day tours as I could end up too tired without quality sleep.

My only concern is leaving my car overnight at Bristol Parkway.

 

[DarloRich]

if the objective is to cover the track then as suggested this might be the only way. Personally I cant think of anything worse than an uncomfortable overnight trip on a train full of drinking trainspotters or their even worse cousins: the track bashers!

Also if you are asleep can you claim the the track? Is that not cheating?

 

[Iskra]

if the objective is to cover the track then as suggested this might be the only way. Personally I cant think of anything worse than an uncomfortable overnight trip on a train full of drinking trainspotters or their even worse cousins: the track bashers!

Also if you are asleep can you claim the the track? Is that not cheating?

I understand what you're saying. The 1st class Mk1's are very comfortable however and 1st class does usually mean a fairly civilised environment. Track bashers create an exam-like atmosphere as they all haunch over their map-books with their pens/time the train. I can deal with that

I'm not all that fussy about my approach to the hobby

 

[Calthrop]

Also if you are asleep can you claim the the track? Is that not cheating?

Quite often discussed by myself and fellow-keen-track-bashers long ago, were points of principle along the lines of whether "new track" counted if covered while one was asleep / using the loo / having sex / praying / deep in a game of cards or Scrabble... etc. -- we would indeed seem to have qualified for the suggestion that we should get lives.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Also if you are asleep can you claim the the track? Is that not cheating?

As long as you've been in a train moving along the relevant bit of track, as far as I'm concerned you can claim it.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Quite often discussed by myself and fellow-keen-track-bashers long ago, were points of principle along the lines of whether "new track" counted if covered while one was asleep having sex

Sounds like a hell of a railtour

 

[Andy Pacer]

Sounds like a hell of a railtour

Would be a tad questionable if they were indeed "asleep having sex" but I agree the track would be valid as it's been travelled over regardless of what is happening in the train.

 

[Calthrop]

In my post, I edited a little later, to add the intervening "loo" bit (having remembered it as another contingency discussed), putting it between "asleep" and "sex" -- thus spoiling the fun a little, perhaps !

 

[xotGD]

Counting a 'rare' but of track when you are doing it on a Nedex specifically aimed at covering the 'rare' bit of track is the questionable bit.

It stops being rare, and just becomes expensive.

 

[Kite159]

Counting a 'rare' but of track when you are doing it on a Nedex specifically aimed at covering the 'rare' bit of track is the questionable bit.

It stops being rare, and just becomes expensive.

Is it any different to covering unusual freight lines or other freight bits (goods loops etc)?

 

[xotGD]

Is it any different to covering unusual freight lines or other freight bits (goods loops etc)?

It is different to covering the track on a service train that gets diverted for some reason. Points failure, broken down train, engineering work, whatever the cause.

Just my view of these things. Good luck to the track bashers who enjoy these tours.

 

[Sm5]

I think night tours are a good idea.

ive followed a lot of NRTT in the South East during lockdown, and some of those itinieries have been really comprehensive. Ive followed them with the camera at ungodly hours.

There is something calming / tranquil and a bit reassuring about being on a station devoid of usual passengers at a dark hour.

one such NRTT covered things like both sides of cannon st curves, blackfriars, victoria as well as Epsom Downs, Wimbledon balloon loop , Tattenham, Caterham, Grinstead, Oxted and Uckfield and still managed a Brighton run.... there is a lot of flexibility to be creative at night... a lot of freight lines could fit here too (All those stone terminals in the SE).

Admittedly you've got to be comfortable with late nights and more self sufficient (most outdoor catering is closed at these hours), but night photography could also be fun, and when your the only on the station, and the tour itiniery with no other workings, it gives plenty of time.

if such a tour could swing something like a 73 with mk2’s through Thameslink, or Wimbledon to Clapham via the District amongst other lines ?

GBRF or Colas would be the best to staff these, Tonbridge drivers sign everywhere.