YORKSHIRE WOLDS AND HARRINGWORTH FOR RTC
Published at 05:45 on Thursday 26th January 2012
Tags: RTC, Charters
Last week the intensive programme of repeat itinerary workings planned by the Railway Touring Company during the July and August high season was described. This is matched by an equally intensive schedule of one-off workings leading up to the high season, and this week, we take a closer look at the highlights of these.
On 14th April, RTC become only the second tour operator to take steam over the Yorkshire Wolds line since it was upgraded to take heavier trains last year. The 'East Riding' starts the day at London King's Cross and uses the East Coast Main Line to Doncaster before turning east for Goole and the 'Wolds' line through Beverley and Bridlington for an afternoon in Scarborough. To complete a varied day out, the 'East Riding' returns via Malton and York ahead of the run south along the ECML back to King's Cross. 'Britannia' No 70013 Oliver Cromwell is scheduled throughout.
Over the weekend of 22nd-24th June, the North Norfolk Railway will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the filming of the famous British feature film The Titfield Thunderbolt, with Holt adopting the identity of Titfield for the weekend. RTC will be joining the celebrations on 23rd June with a charter from King's Cross, aptly entitled 'The Titfield Thunderbolt', which will pick up via Stevenage, Hitchin and Cambridge, ahead of reaching Norwich by way of Ely and Thetford with Battle of Britain No. 34067 Tangmere at the helm. At Norwich, Tangmere will be joined by 'Black 5' No. 44767 George Stephenson, which is due to be re-registered for main line operations this year. The RTC special will then proceed via Wroxham hauled by No. 44767 to Cromer, where the train will reverse and continue with Tangmere again in charge via the re-established level crossing at Sheringham and onto North Norfolk metals through to Titfield (otherwise known as Holt). A reversal will also be required at Cromer on the return, so the train will be again in the hands of the 'Black 5' via Sheringham, with Tangmere then working back to Norwich, and after being turned on the Crown Point triangle, heading the train back to London. As with previous charters operating to Sheringham, the train will be split at Norwich, with passengers travelling one way on the train and the other by road coach.
One of the disappointments of last year was the postponement of the first planned through charter over the re-established connection at Matlock, which now enables through running to the Peak Railway's northern terminal at Rowsley. The good news is that this pioneering train is now booked to operate on 27th May and feature No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell throughout from King's Cross, working northwards via Peterborough, Melton Mowbray, Loughborough and Derby to Ambergate Junction and the remnant of the old Midland main line to Manchester through to Matlock and onto Rowsley. As a bonus on the return, instead of taking the Peterborough route at Manton Junction, near Oakham, the train will instead head over the huge Harringworth Viaduct and return to London St Pancras International via the Midland
Main Line.
A 'Royal Scot' from London Victoria to York, via the Midland main line is the attraction of RTC's 'Yorkshireman to Railfest York' on Tuesday 5th June. Which 'Scot' it will be remains to be seen! After winding its way around West London, the tour picks up at St Albans through to Kettering, before taking the line via Corby, and Harringworth to the final pick-up point at Melton Mowbray. It is then north over the Erewash Valley to Chesterfield and via Barrow Hill to York, and Railfest 2012. The return is diesel-hauled throughout.
Another significant one-way steam working is booked for 9th June, featuring No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly. The feature of this tour is that it is booked to provide a rare locomotive-hauled working on the line from Colwich Junction, via Stone to Stoke-on-Trent, and then onwards via Macclesfield to Piccadilly. The return will be diesel or electric-hauled, which if the latter, possibly implies another run for Les Ross's Class 86/2 No. 86259.
The South West is due to see regular visits from RTC, with two workings into Cornwall, the first being the balancing working to get the two locomotives that worked the Penzance leg of RTC's 'Great Britain V' back north. 'The Royal Duchy' runs diesel-hauled from London Paddington, via the Berks & Hants line to Penzance, where Bulleid Pacifics Nos. 34046 Braunton and 34067 Tangmere will be waiting to head the train back as far as Westbury. Diesel traction returns the train to Paddington. Two weeks later, and Par is the destination for the 'Cornishman', from Bristol Temple Meads, which is booked for either 'Castle' No. 5029 Nunney Castle or 'King' No. 6023 King Edward I.
The planned re-signalling work on the Yeovil Junction to Exeter Central route via Honiton, which will again permit through steam workings, has opened up the opportunity to run two 'Atlantic Coast Expresses', booked for Sundays 13th May and 10th June. Each will work over the classic London & South West route from London Waterloo, via Basingstoke and Salisbury to Exeter, and is then scheduled to return over ex-Great Western metals to Westbury, rejoining the outward route at Salisbury. No locomotive is currently allocated to these trains, and the itinerary appears to fail to take into account the lack of turning facility at Westbury. RTC's current specification implies steam throughout, so we await with interest to see what happens!
Other workings in a busy programme include the annual visits to the Central Wales line on Monday 7th May from Leicester, with steam-haulage from Crewe, via Shrewsbury and Llandrindod Wells, to Newport, and later on Saturday 12th May from London Paddington, with steam coming on at Newport and working through to Shrewsbury. Ian Riley's 4-6-0s Nos. 44871 & 45407 will be doing the honours on each trip.
