Steam charter times

[john_1983]

I used to use uksteam.info to keep up to date on any charters in my area, so I knew what times they would be passing. It's not been updated for a while - can anyone recommend an alternative?

[rs1952]

UK Steam Info is in fact a one-man-band, and I heard that the one man has not been well for some time. Hence the lack of recent updates.

[droopsnoot]

I've heard similar things, having had the same issue with the site, an hope it's not too serious a situation.

In the meantime I was pointed to this site by some people at a photographic site I use: http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/railtours

[john_1983]

droopsnoot said:

I've heard similar things, having had the same issue with the site, an hope it's not too serious a situation.

In the meantime I was pointed to this site by some people at a photographic site I use: http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/railtours

I suspected something like that. Thanks for the link, much appreciated

[outnumbered]

There's also:

http://www.railtourinfo.co.uk/diesel.html (ignore the "diesel" bit, it includes steam)

[DIW35]

I find it quite amusing that as a signalman, members of the public would know about a steam charter before I did. Many a time I’d get a phone call from platform staff saying a member of the public was enquiring if the steam train was running on time to which I would often reply “what steam train?”

[droopsnoot]

Whatever provides the data to the real-time trains web site doesn't generally show them as steam-hauled, so perhaps that is something to do with it.

[pitboard]

I'd wondered why there were no times listed on UK Steam info recently. I do hope he gets better soon.
My son lives in Hellifield, at the southern end of the Settle/Carlisle line. Steam locos are a common sight there, as they always stop for water. The Flying Scotsman was in town at the weekend, but the run was unpublicised because of fear of track trespass by suicidal photographers

[droopsnoot]

pitboard said:

The Flying Scotsman was in town at the weekend, but the run was unpublicised because of fear of track trespass by suicidal photographers

That seems to be quite common, and I don't really get it. To the average person, Scotsman looks just the same as most of the other steam locos pulling mainline specials.

[mr mac i]

These muppets, and many others like them, are the reason;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-4...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-4...

[droopsnoot]

Sorry, I didn't mean that I don't get why they don't post times - I meant that I don't get why people are so desperate to see that particular loco that they'll take stupid risks to get to see it with all those other crowds, when there are plenty of other steam locos they could go to see. The same number of people spread across all the other steam-hauled specials would be far more manageable and far less likely to cause a problem, and would be more enjoyable for everyone concerned.

The trouble is, if one of these idiots gets badly injured because they "didn't realise" that a steam loco travelling at 70-odd miles per hour might hurt when it hits them, it won't be that idiot that is to blame, it'll somehow be the operating company or Network Rail who haven't done enough.

[mr mac i]

droopsnoot said:

Sorry, I didn't mean that I don't get why they don't post times - I meant that I don't get why people are so desperate to see that particular loco that they'll take stupid risks to get to see it with all those other crowds, when there are plenty of other steam locos they could go to see. The same number of people spread across all the other steam-hauled specials would be far more manageable and far less likely to cause a problem, and would be more enjoyable for everyone concerned.

The trouble is, if one of these idiots gets badly injured because they "didn't realise" that a steam loco travelling at 70-odd miles per hour might hurt when it hits them, it won't be that idiot that is to blame, it'll somehow be the operating company or Network Rail who haven't done enough.

Ah! yes, Flying Scotsman does seem to get an inordinate amount of attention in comparison to others. I presume it's to do with the back story of being a record breaker, then almost scrapped and the public fundraising efforts which brought a focus onto Flying Scotsman that other loco's didn't get.

The other Loco which seems to get a lot of attention is Tornado; I suspect for similar reasons.