Great Western Coffee Shop

The Staycation Express ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-53484392/views-from-new-north-yorkshire-to-cumbria-tourist-train )  runs from Appleby to Skipton - a tourist train on the main line, on which the journey itself is much more the day out than the final destination.

If someone asked you where in the South of England a "Staycation" express should run, where would you choose and why?

Exeter St Davids to Penzance - there's not enough time or space to list all the reasons! Even better, start it back at Exmouth so you get a ride up each side  of the Exe Estuary,

There is always the classic Bristol Temple Meads to Kingswear via Bath and Westbury - although the work on the Dawlish sea wall has somewhat spoiled the experience.

Reasons - well what beats the Avon Valley; Somerset Levels (particularly after prolongued heavy rain); the sea wall; then over the top to Kingswear?

Strikes me that there's something to be said for a Bristol or Bath to Swanage jaunt. That would get me contemplating dusting off the debit card. A route that included the scenic Severn Estuary stretch between Gloucester and Chepstow, perhaps taking in Parkend as a detour from Lydney on the Dean Forest Railway might tickle my fancy too.  Bristol Minehead goes without saying.

Plymouth to Looe is hardly a day out but a nice half day. Same with Plymouth to Gunnilake or the Tarka Line.

Marylebone to Salisbury - via Bicester Village and Oxford, out via Westbury and back via Basingstoke

Reading to Taunton - out via Pewsey and Bath Spa, back via Castle Cary and Swindon
varient
Reading to Weymouth, out via Poole and back via Maiden Newton.
varient
Reading to Newport, out via Gloucester and back via Pewsey

I have an old BR Scottish Region timetable on my shelves, showing "Doon the Watter" services for high summer - with a different set of ports act day for the boat(s) out of Gourock. From Appleby, there's really a choice of one route; from Reading, there could be a weekly cycle for the summer holiday season.

The route of the old South Coast Express, Brighton to Plymouth?

Paddington Kidderminster out via Golden Valley  and back via Hereford. On the outward journey you could do a detour round Birmingham to be facing the right way round in Birmingham.

For the real enthusiast a trip round Birmingham How many times can you passs through New Street without reversing? Possibly about 6.

As many times as you like. Figure of eight via Soho, Perry Barr, Aston, New Street, Bournville,Lifford Curve, Camp Hill, New Street. Of course, if you are not allowed to repeat anything, instead of returning into New Street you continue from Camp Hill to Castle Bromwich, Sutton Park, Walsall and Soho into New Street and then do the figure of eight in reverse

Also if you do the Sutton Park line through Walsall you can approach New Street from either direction, which is in effect what the Wassal/Rugeley trains (used to do?) arrive from  one direction and depart for the return journey without reversing. When i did it they came in from the East and departed via Soho.

The layout around Birmingahm is quite remarkable I am pretty sure you can depart for any destination in either direction from New Street.

Staycation Landcruises South

Departures at around 10:00 from Reading. 
Around five hours of travel and three hours at destination
Back to Reading by around 18:00.

Runs for six to eight weeks in the Summer season.
Fare £75.00 per seat (first class throughout) sold in pairs

Six different trips each week:

Monday - Weymouth (out via Southampton, back via Westbury and Swindon)
Tuesday - Exeter (out via Pewsey and Bath, back via Castle Cary and Didcot)
Wednesday - Cardiff (out via Evesham and Hereford, back via Bath and Bedwyn)
Thursday - Brighton (out via Eastleigh and Chichester, back via Gatwick and Kensington Olympia)
Friday - Stratford-upon-Avon (out via South Greenford and Haddenham, back via Oxford)
Saturday - Portsmouth (out via Westbury and Salisbury, back via Winchester)

* A single train, based at Reading (or based at Southall and running from Reading)
* Looking to avoid lines that will be ubercongested!
Reading for 10 a.m. has a great catchement for customers from all over the South East
Likewise they can get home after arrival back at 6 p.m.
Something of great interest to train buffs, but carefully selected routes to give a very big market

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"
- based on idea from the Settle and Carlisle operation
- and also from the Clyde Steamers summer cycle as used to be

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/t26_1.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/t26_2.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/t26_3.jpg)

"Except if you are born-and-bred Portsmouth trying to pronounce Tighnabruaich"

Tin - a - brewie

 ;D

Oft referred to by the locals as tiny b.

You had me fooled there Grahame I tried looking up Staycation Landcruises South on Google and nothing came up. Then I realised that your list  of excursions from Reading was just an idea.

 One problem one might have with such an idea is where to park the stock for three hours, carriage sidings are few and far between these days as are run round facilities so may have to be top and tailed.

Oh goodness - sorry about that.   I should have flagged it as the "Crayonista Express".   Do look on Google again in a few days, though, and you'll probably be sent to this public thread.


Indeed - though I think you'll find that there are sidings at/near destination in most cases, and a platform it can occupy at Stratford-upon-Avon.  Yes, I would go for top 'n tail - though I recall an old 4TC kicking around (in LT colours?) which would do well with a 33 or 73 on it - just top, or just tail?  Would put paid to the "First Class Only" mind.

My other concerns were crew route knowledge and the complexity of needing pilots because of a lack staff with the traction / route combo.   And all the intracompany stuff needed.    Also concerned as to how long a train can come off the west coastal route into Brighton then head northward, whether locomotives can run into Portsmouth Harbour  any more, and a host of other issues which - being crayonista - I have been able to gloss over.   But wouldn't it be both fun and a great promotion for getting back on rail?

One further issue with Weymouth being a major destination - and also a slight digression for this post.

NR have closed the (non-electrified) extension of the Jersey Siding at Weymouth. I believe I have read that this was a formal closure. Currently the crossover in this area formerly used for running round of locomotives is also barriered off with a sleeper making it non-usable.

Now there is a run-round facility (loco release) in Platforms 1 and 2 at Weymouth but I have never seen it used. So is this the way forward for future excursions, or will it be some top/tail arrangement using the now common diesel tail loco, or is the Jersey Siding issue just a temporary problem? There are some steam specials scheduled in August so let us see the result, unless anyone knows the answer now!

Two solutions have been used in the past. Those coming from Westbury/Salisbury tend to change the engine at Yeovil for servicing with the train being hauled by diesel from Yeovil and the steam loco travelling down later. It then takes the train back from Weymouth.

Those from Southampton have been hauled by attached diesel to Southampton and then by the steam engine via Laverstock.

Neither 'Traksy' nor 'OpenTrainTimes' show an engine release road on their maps.

The original Staycation express has confirmed that, after a successful trail last year they are resuming from July with a few tweaks plus the option of adding October half term and Christmas break services.  I'll try to add a link to the article that I read this in shortly.

From the Yorkshire Post:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/the-staycation-express-will-return-to-the-settle-to-carlisle-line-this-summer-with-an-intercity125-dining-train-a-longer-route-and-a-new-timetable-3212174