2010-07-24 - Dunwich Dynamo DD18

:-)

It wouldn't surprise me if next year (or soon anyway) Messrs Mason & Field decide it's all a bit too much of a headache! It would be very simple to limit the amount of coaches/people. Relatively few riders make their own way back.

I think someone over on yacf with some connections in railways made some enquiries about running some a special train (or trains) with plenty of space for bikes using the Leiston/Sizewell branch all the way into London.

The biggest problem is that it's just too expensive. It's a one off with too high a cost of getting the train made up, from the depot to the east coast, staffing it with a guard and driver, getting it back to the depot after it's been used, etc, etc.

Unless, of course, you can find enough people happy to pay £30+ to get such a train, and that's for a single train; if you want to run it back/forth between Dunwich and London to give people a few options for leaving times then it's only going to get more expensive as it'll be needed for longer.

Well, my gf was talking to the guard on a train back from Halesworth, on the subject of DD, and he apparently said that if someone had let them know, they would have added coaches to the trains.

They did know, that's why Darsham (usually an unmanned station) was manned that day.

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=36077.msg679914#msg679914

Well, my gf was talking to the guard on a train back from Halesworth, on the subject of DD, and he apparently said that if someone had let them know, they would have added coaches to the trains.

I let them know in both 2007 and 2009.

In 2007 I called about a month before to book tickets only for them to refuse as already booked out and they knew that there was a big cycling event on.
I emailed them shortly after the 2008 to ask if they would be increasing the train service capacity and received a "we have passed on your enquiry to the appropriate person" response. I chased a couple of months before and was told that they weren't going to change their current service provisions.

I have it from the grapevine that they are well aware of the event and monitor the SC website so that they know when it is.

Unfortunately train guards can sometimes resort to gobshite if they want to avoid getting and earful from a customer. I can't say I'm surprised, this sort of stuff is way above their pay grade.

Ah ok! Joined up transport? Hmmm.

I'm sure that if events like the DD multiply around the country, the need for better train provision to get back will sink back into the bloodstream of train companies. It's going to take some doing to reverse the regrettable process whereby they've become run more and more like airlines.

i'll be using these for the next dynamo..

http://www.nightbrighttyre.com/

Yeah, but are they puncture proof.

I suspect that they will suffer from McDonalds Syndrome.

i think they are quite cool. a bit cheesy and fad-ish. not for the long term, just for the dynamo.

they should fit them to the hire bikes, that would add an additional tourist attraction, The london mobile illuninations to rival blackpool

DD Lost Property department calling:

http://www.londonschoolofcycling.co.uk/lp.html

thinking of doing this next year...is it fun? Anybody?

thinking of doing this next year...is it fun? Anybody?

It rocks, hasn't this thread convinced you of that already?!

Friend of mine who did it is talking about a reverse Dynamo, train there and cycle back to London.

Or if anyone fancies it a few peeps are going to be cycling to the Chappel Beer Festival soon. Amazing place/great beers.

120 miles and doing the last coming back into london? Why swap that for coming arriving at the sea?

120 miles and doing the last coming back into london? Why swap that for coming arriving at the sea?

I'm inclined to agree - but I guess a lot of people would gladly swap a potential 9 hour wait on said beach, followed by a 3 hour coach ride, followed by a 1 hour scratched bike scramble in Smithfield - for a leisurely roll towards their local cafe/boozer or bed!

i think it's much more exciting the original way.

chappel sounds good!

Chappel http://www.earm.co.uk/events/beerfest.php

We're looking to go on Thursday the 9th.

Ooooh.

well if my new frame arrives on time/i build it up in time, then i might be up for that. looks good.

what's the milage on that?

55-60 miles?

nice.

I love that little railway line between Marks Tey and Sudbury. It's surreal but good that it's even survived.