BackOfTheNet
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My Dad was a Fireman on the steam loco footplates in the sixties. He used to 'fire' a number of our 'football specials' to our away games, attend the game and then 'fire' them back to Castle Station. At 89, he'll be into his 76th season of watching The Cobblers when the 2023-24 season begins. Bless him, going strong I hope! My Dad was also a fireman in the early 50’s after leaving school at 15. Then again after national service, based at Woodford Halse around 1960. I think he got fed up shovelling coal and turned to bus driving, then driving dreys and arctics on the brewery for 40 years, slightly younger at 86. I’m always astounded that he never actually did a HGV test and got it in Hong Kong after driving a couple of laps around a sports field. A story you can imagine I’ve heard hundreds of times! These olds have lived!
My dad is right in the middle of these two! He's 88 on Saturday and 23/24 will be his 77th year of sailing on the good ship Cobblers! He also did all his driver training while on national service in Hong Kong. I've also heard many times how it basically involved driving down a straight road and back and as long as you didn't hit anything you passed! (Although considering he once knocked over a cyclist while he was out there and then drove a tank straight through someone's garden wall you'd question how accurate an assessment that really was...)
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The Hotelend Grand National* Sweepstake Champion 2020
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Tabasco Kid
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And that's because of the båstard Tories. 😉
I agree. Not far right enough for my liking.
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Were in the pipe 5 by 5.
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GrangeParkCobbler
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Going back to the original post, it would have been impossible to arrange something at such short notice (8 days)
Staffing, pathing, policing, stewarding etc etc. Even if a train had been arranged, its a lot of effort to transport 500 people out of 15000 and at the end of the day wouldn't have made that much difference.
Sadly, thats what the railway has become.....a jigsaw of 1000 pieces rather than the whole. I am involved in the introduction of a new fleet of trains on the WCML, for test runs, route proving, training and suchlike we need to provide 3/4 weeks notice to get a path.....thats for our own company to run our own trains!! It really is a chore!
With the kickoff time being early this also affected the availability of the train companies to do much about anything...... those of us who are old enough may be able to remember back to our trips to Wembley in 1996 and 1997, North London Railways as they were at the time put on lots of extra trains and managed to convey around 8000 supporters to Wembley and back each year. Northampton to Wembley for a 3pm kickoff is a bit different to Carlisle to Wembley for a 1.30 kickoff though!
This weekend just gone, we (WMT) did actually manage to get a couple of paths in to run relief trains from Rugby to Euston to cater for the Coventry fans who couldn't get there any other way.....couldn't stop at Wembley though as there was no availability of staff to manage the location (TFL station), had to turf them all off at Harrow. We tried!!
The suggestion of looking at the fixture list and planning stuff well in advance is good though.....for the Cobblers next season how about a special to Wigan or Blackpool.... both relatively easy to get to from Northampton via the WCML......!
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The Hotel End GTA Champion 2006/7, 2007/8, 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2018/19
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Tabasco Kid
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GPC, serious question, if you were to run a train to a station with only two platforms, where do you park it up whilst waiting for the return journey? Surely a lack of suitable sidings would limit the number of stations that could be used. Youre the man to ask..
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Were in the pipe 5 by 5.
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DavCobb
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I suggest getting an old boy from the ICF on the consultation body.
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GrangeParkCobbler
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GPC, serious question, if you were to run a train to a station with only two platforms, where do you park it up whilst waiting for the return journey? Surely a lack of suitable sidings would limit the number of stations that could be used. Youre the man to ask..
Indeed it would limit where you could go..... you would need sidings relatively nearby. Wembley is ideal for that! Another thing that would limit is the stock you used, for example if you didn't have an engine at both ends there would have to be a runaround location where the loco could change ends. Not necessary for multiple units though...so many variables. For Wigan it would probably have to run to Preston and sit there until return time. Trying to think back to some old specials, the train that ran to Wolverhampton was parked up at Bescot I believe. Plenty of room at Crewe, even unused platforms there.
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The Hotel End GTA Champion 2006/7, 2007/8, 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2018/19
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Tabasco Kid
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Indeed it would limit where you could go..... you would need sidings relatively nearby. Wembley is ideal for that! Another thing that would limit is the stock you used, for example if you didn't have an engine at both ends there would have to be a runaround location where the loco could change ends. Not necessary for multiple units though...so many variables. For Wigan it would probably have to run to Preston and sit there until return time. Trying to think back to some old specials, the train that ran to Wolverhampton was parked up at Bescot I believe. Plenty of room at Crewe, even unused platforms there.
Cheers for that. To be honest I thought that all trains were double engined. comes in handy for signal failures at East Croydon, and you find yourself going backwards! ( twice in one week)
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Were in the pipe 5 by 5.
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Tony Mahoney
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Thanks for the input GPC, good to have an expert on board!
I do accept helping Carlisle fans was maybe too much of a push, but did Avanti really, really want to help? I do have some limited experience of the railway but only through plant delivery for engineering work but understand a few of the many complexities just gaining possession for example.
I have some further information, similarly to what you have just been alluding too and some figures, hot off the press so please do pick away with these, we all love figures here!!
A rake or consist of 6 x 2nd Class MK3 (seating 74) 2 x 1st Class (seating 48) plus options on catering (Total capacity 540) For a 400 mile return journey the lowest you could charge without profit would be £44 2nd Class and £60 1st Class, that would rise to as much as £60 2nd Class and £100 1st Class depending on time of day etc and those aforementioned complexities!
From what I gather depending on destination the standard is two diesel locomotives, one at each end, and as you rightly point out siding access is important but you will obviously be able to pick the holes in this but where are they? As I said I really can see a possibility for the big games, Arsenal have Finsbury Park for sidings, Newcastle Heaton, London has various as I guess Kensington Olympia would be ideal station for direct access to Chelsea and Fulham? Lets remember one train a week would eliminate 4500 bus journeys a year and all that parking.
If you fancy trying to fill one for a Cobblers game good luck but there's a few possibilities. One scenario, Away at Exeter last game of the season with a chance of play offs. Sky have moved the kick offs to 5pm on Sunday 540 Cobblers fans can depart Castle station at 1pm direct to St. James Park for kick off with full buffet bar facilities (Train stored at Exeter) Return direct after final whistle, station 1 min walk. Carlisle is the obvious other possibility but would need local bus shuttles to Brunton Park, Derby, to save the Birmingham change? Pompey? Luckily the rest are all a hop skip and a jump away this season but then again Northampton is the capital of distribution for a reason, we don't suffer like some other teams do!
Edit at least 6 weeks minimum notice, if the strikes ever end, good luck!.
So many sporting events and festivals all over the UK and not one specialist FanRail company? An opportunity or am I actually mad?
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« Last Edit: May 31, 2023, 16:52:53 pm by Tony Mahoney »
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Tabasco Kid
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A rake or consist of 6 x 2nd Class MK3 (seating 74) 2 x 1st Class (seating 48) plus options on catering (Total capacity 540) For a 400 mile return journey the lowest you could charge without profit would be £44 2nd Class and £60 1st Class, that would rise to as much as £60 2nd Class and £100 1st Class depending on time of day etc and those aforementioned complexities!
So many sporting events and festivals all over the UK and not one specialist FanRail company? An opportunity or am I actually mad?
If you know 540 people with cash to spare, thats fine. If not they will be on the coaches. Simple.
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Were in the pipe 5 by 5.
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Bingers
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I agree. Not far right enough for my liking. How about Mussolini, he used to get the trains to run on time. Is he suitably right wing enough for you?
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The Hotelend Grand National Sweepstake Champion 2015
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everbrite
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How about Mussolini, he used to get the trains to run on time. Is he suitably right wing enough for you?
He was cad and a rotter.
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2020 Grand National S/S 3rd Place
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Bingers
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He was cad and a rotter.
There you go Tabby, perfect.
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The Hotelend Grand National Sweepstake Champion 2015
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Tabasco Kid
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There you go Tabby, perfect.
I quite like that sobriquet. Ironic really, because my dislike of cats is how i acquired my user name. But thats a whole new story. Im off now to sh!t in next doors garden.
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Were in the pipe 5 by 5.
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DavCobb
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Admirable groundwork TM. I think leaving Northampton with 500 people at 1pm for a 5pm kick off in Exeter might be pushing it! To arrange, facilitate and pull that off would be some undertaking by a group of people. You wouldn’t want to be collecting cash on the train! I think the days of the choo choo as a preferred method of travel are over, unless you live/work near a station or in London every day.
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Tony Mahoney
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As I said from the start its not really relevant for league one but it certainly is for long known, well in advance Premier League fixtures played at times where return train travel is not possible to stadiums that have stations within 5 mins walk or closer than bus parking. There are several of these fixtures every week. The 4 hours timing direct from Northampton to St. James Park Exeter was provided to me subject to confirmation and day of travel etc. The company I spoke to recently would not provide any more hypothetical scenarios! As I say, maybe not for us but the more you look, the more you notice how many potential opportunities there are to provide a service and at very reasonable and attractive cost. I think you could easily sell 500 tickets in advance to Newcastle fans for an away game at Arsenal on Sunday/Monday evening for £50 considering the journey would be virtually direct to the stadium, faster than the bus and a lot more comfortable. You can also potentially have several local pick up points too such as Chester le Street and Durham for example making it even more attractive. I'm sure I cant be the only one to have seen this, just posted my thoughts.. Have fun playing with your pussy Pete.
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« Last Edit: June 02, 2023, 01:32:29 am by Tony Mahoney »
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Tabasco Kid
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As I said from the start its not really relevant for league one but it certainly is for long known, well in advance Premier League fixtures played at times where return train travel is not possible to stadiums that have stations within 5 mins walk or closer than bus parking. There are several of these fixtures every week. The 4 hours timing direct from Northampton to St. James Park Exeter was provided to me subject to confirmation and day of travel etc. The company I spoke to recently would not provide any more hypothetical scenarios! As I say, maybe not for us but the more you look, the more you notice how many potential opportunities there are to provide a service and at very reasonable and attractive cost. I think you could easily sell 500 tickets in advance to Newcastle fans for an away game at Arsenal on Sunday/Monday evening for £50 considering the journey would be virtually direct to the stadium, faster than the bus and a lot more comfortable. You can also potentially have several local pick up points too such as Chester le Street and Durham for example making it even more attractive. I'm sure I cant be the only one to have seen this, just posted my thoughts.. Have fun playing with your pussy Pete. I did wonder why you were sometimes posting at silly o`clock am. It now falls into place. You have fun playing with your Solanum tuberosum.
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Were in the pipe 5 by 5.
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Tony Mahoney
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I did wonder why you were sometimes posting at silly o`clock am. It now falls into place. You have fun playing with your Solanum tuberosum. What silly hours? Its always opening time somewhere. Hold on fella, more to come yet and not on this thread, enjoy the summer.
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Tabasco Kid
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What silly hours? Its always opening time somewhere. Hold on fella, more to come yet and not on this thread, enjoy the summer. I found a photo of you online, is that your little terrier type dog? You know what they say about dogs looking like their owners..
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Were in the pipe 5 by 5.
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