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Wednesday 19th November - "A certain Pathfinder Steward caught on camera!" A local Staffordshire boy, well known as "Brad" has been caught on camera at Stafford Station. Looking quite "scruffy", not as presentable as he usually does, Brad was noted running up and down platform 6 "bellowing" and "train spotting" the Pathfinder "Industrious Trader" tour. Brad is most likely known to many of you as one of the Pathfinder Tours stewards, noted on many of our trains. If you every come across this young man please don't hesitate to shake his hand for being a skiver and a proud train spotter!.. At the end of the day, all he wanted was some "thrash"... ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Friday 11th April - ‘The return of the Royal Scot' Riviera Trains, the UK’s largest charter train provider, has reached agreement with Virgin Trains for the use of the Royal Scot train name. The historic name will be used by Riviera Trains on its programme of premier steam-hauled excursions which will be operated in conjunction with the Railway Touring Company as part of a five year contract. The Royal Scot name is licensed to West Coast Trains Limited, which trades as Virgin Trains, and has been made available to Riviera Trains under an agreement which runs to the end of the current West Coast franchise in March 2012. Riviera Trains Operations Director, Charles Paget, said: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with Virgin Trains for the use of the Royal Scot name. Our contract with The Railway Touring Company will see us running 85 trains this year alone and are investing half a million pounds in refurbishing a fleet of 13 Mk1 coaches for use on these prestigious trains. This will be the last major investment in Mk1 vehicles and shows our commitment to delivering the highest quality of service for our partners.” The Mk1 coaches are being repainted into the famous “Blood and Custard” livery which they carried on their introduction in 1951 and the First Class vehicles feature the traditional armchair-style seats, table lamps and full size tables. The new Royal Scot operation was launched on Friday April 11th with a special run between London Euston and London Victoria carrying guests of all companies involved in the new agreement. Hauled by LNER A4 60019 “Bittern” it was symbolically flagged away by Virgin Trains Chief Operating Officer, Chris Gibb, who said: "Whilst Virgin Trains is a forward thinking business, we also acknowledge the rich heritage and history of the railways. We are pleased to support Riviera Trains by allowing it to use the historic 'The Royal Scot' train name, for its prestigious steam-operated services". Riviera Trains operates with EWS as part of the Charter Alliance. The Charter Alliance, which was launched in April 2007, is “a dedicated provider of reliable and high class passenger services." ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Friday 28th September - ‘Riviera's class 47769 ' Resolve' makes a debut run after 5 years'... After being out of service since 2001, 47769 'Resolve', made her first debut mainline passenger run on Saturday 22nd September. She was hauling the Compass Tours trip to Ayr along with sister locomotive 47839 'Pegasus'. Since 2001, when she was withdraw from use with Virgin Cross Country, she was put into store at Toton until Riviera purchased her in June 2004 and immediately moved her to the East Lancs Railway. Since then a number of repairs have been carried out along with the fitment of TPWS and OTMR. We have also reunited 47769 with her 'Resolve' nameplates carried when she was in use with Virgin. 47769 made a very successful run to Ayr, and back, reaching a three digit number on the speedometer which has shown us confidence in another distinguished class 47. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sunday 1st April - ‘The first day of the EWS Network Charter Alliance'... Sunday 1st April 2007. The first day of the EWS Network Charter Alliance saw four trains deliver over 2,500 football supporters from Bristol and Doncaster arriving into Cardiff Central for the "Johnsons Paint Final" football match held at the Millennium Stadium. EWS provided their three 'celebrity' Class 67 locomotives to haul these trains. Please note the availability from today of two additional train sets, the traditional Mk1 OO91 set and the new Mk2 'The Pride of the Nation' VIP train set. The portfolio of train sets now available to the UK charter train business is formidably and it can provide for any type of train for hire from the leading and most experienced charter train providers in the country. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Friday 16th March 2007 - ‘Chelthenham Race Festival'... Last week was the Race Festival commencing in Cheltenham. Riviera Trains provided 'The Great Briton', our luxury air conditioned train set, to run from London Euston to Gloucester and return. The train was hired to 'Totesport' with the help of EWS in supplying two class 67 locomotives. The train ran four consistent days with no faults. The two class 67's were 67021 and silver 67029. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Monday 12th March 2007 - 'Charter Alliance launched for quality specialist passenger rail services’...
EWS
Network and Riviera Trains are pleased to announce the launch of the
Charter Alliance, a dedicated provider of reliable and high class
specialist passenger rail services. Stuart Boner, Managing Director of EWS Network, said: “This is an alliance built on over 20 years of consistent, reliable and quality led service to the wide range of customers in the charter market. By creating the alliance we have both underlined our commitment to deliver an exceptional level of service to this market. Certainty of supply and providing quality services to customers is our objective. We are convinced this mission is now strengthened under the Charter Alliance.” ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Saturday 17th February 2007 - ‘The Bard n Birch’... The unexpected appearance of 37411 and 37425 from storage at Margam after inspection yesterday afternoon enabled them to haul 'The Bard n Birch' rail tour today. Passengers were pleasantly surprised to find the two 37/4 locomotives waiting at Bristol Temple Meads station to work the train forward to Quainton Road. The day was a resounding success, both locomotives performing superbly enabling the train to run virtually to time all day. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Saturday 2nd December 2006 - ‘The White Rose’... The first of the ‘The Railway Touring Co’ Christmas steam trains ‘The White Rose’ ran from Kings Cross to York and return. The locomotive used to haul the train being A4 Pacific 60009 ‘Union of South Africa’. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 25th November 2006 - 'The Son of Christmas Cracker'... Pathfinder Tours today ran another very successful railtour in association with the Class 40 Preservation Society (CFPS), using their locomotive, Class 40145. The train ran from Manchester Piccadilly to Salisbury (return). during the outward journey the train had to be diverted via, Reading West and the Berks & Hants line due to flooding in the Swindon area. the locomotive performed superbly and all those travelling on the train enjoyed the tour. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10th November 2006 - Preparations for 'The Edwalton Equinox'... Important preparations for the Pathfinder 'The Edwalton Equinox', railtour tomorrow, Saturday 11th November 2006, have taken place today at the Alstom test track in Ashfordby. Virgin West Coast kindly arranged for one of their Class 57 locos, 57311 'Parker' to be used today to enable several test runs to take place. It is vital that the track and line side equipment is all in operational order and satisfies the safety case to operate the passenger train over the line tomorrow. This railtour is expected to be the very last train to traverse over the Ashfordby Test Track line, as its understood that Alstom will no longer have any requirements for a testing facility in the UK at the present time. It's now several years since the Virgin West Coast Pendolino trains were tested prior to mainline certification. The 8 mile line has not seen use since December 2004 when Class 390002 made the final Pendolino test run over the route. As tomorrow's passenger train is expected to be the very last train over the route we look forward to a another successful railtour and hope those passengers travelling have an enjoyable day. Special thanks are extended to the following gentlemen who have made the running of this train possible over the test track: Ross Spicer & Ben Andrew of Virgin West Coast, along with Lloyd Jenkins, Ken Davies, Fred Jackson and Nigel Moreton all from Alstom Transport. We understand that there are a few seats available on the train tomorrow to 'pay on the day'. For more information please visit: www.pathfindertours.co.uk/Enthusiast.htm ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8th October 2006 - Riviera hands 'Brian Morrison' nameplates to Brian himself... ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1st September 2006 - Riviera Hires 7 Class 47/8's to DRS... With DRS requiring additional traction for their 'Sandite' railhead treatment contract for Network Rail this autumn, Riviera Trains will be supplying seven Class 47/8 locomotives from 1st October 2006. In advance of this requirement 47815 and 47839 moved to Carlisle Kingmoor on 2nd August 2006, to work traffic flows transferring to the XHKM operational pool. The additional locomotives moving to Carlisle Kingmoor in October will be 47805, 47843, 47848 all now repainted into Riviera's house colours of 'Oxford blue’, with 47812, 47847 and 47853 retaining their heritage liveries. 47815 will be returning to Crewe to join 47769 both locomotives being retained for Charter train work, stock moves and TOC use. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1st July 2006 - Riviera Celebrates 10 years of success... ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12th December 2005 - Arriva TW Require Mk2 Coaches on the North Wales Coast... Riviera Trains are pleased to once again to be supplying Mk2 coaching stock to Arriva Trains Wales to work the Holyhead - Manchester Piccadilly and return services. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18th November 2005 - Class 47812 Repainted into Two Tone Green... To commemorate its 40th Birthday of mainline service with British Railways, locomotive 47812 has recently been painted by 'Middi Specialist Services' at Old Oak Common Depot, into original Two Tone Green livery with full yellow cab ends. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 15th September 2005 - Class 47815 Renamed 'GREAT WESTERN... Class 47815 was named at Crewe Works Open Day to commemorate the locomotive being the last working TOC class 47 with First Great Western Trains.
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© Riviera Trains Limited 2009. All rights reserved |
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Registered Office: 116 Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 5NE | Telephone: +44(0) 207 727 4036 | Fax: +44(0) 207 727 2083 |
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