Great Western Coffee Shop

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

I've not kept a log, but of (?) 4 or 5 steam specials scheduled to call at Melksham in the last 5 years, 2 or 3 have been cancelled; I can recall 2 actually running.   Have we just been "unlucky" on the TransWilts, or is the cancellation rate for steam specials really that high in general?

I will confess to putting "unlucky" in quotes quite intentionally; good publicity for the station comes from these specials being scheduled, but if they actually run we get big crowds beyond the capacity of the facilities, and were I wearing a health and safety hat, I would be expressing concerns.  In fact (for the record) I have expressed concern to the organisers ... which has been acknowledged.  And I don't know what they planned for today in terms of marshals had the train run, so this concern may now be ungrounded.

On the flip side, Kemble saw two steam specials last week, on Thursday and Saturday, and I believe Reading hosted no fewer than five steam-hauled trains in the previous seven days.

Yes we did, including an extra long stop for Tangmere which failed at Reading for a couple of hours on its return from Worcester on Saturday

I see there are also provisional times published for another Cotswold Explorer this Saturday (3 Oct):

http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t15/t1003a.htm (http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t15/t1003a.htm)

Should be a nice day on Saturday so I'll be at my usual lineside spot for that one, or I might head over to Sapperton to watch a bit of smoke on the climb!

Graham - I guess Melksham has just been unlucky with that gauging cancellation although, overall, 2015 has been a bit bleak for heritage runs following the fallout from the Wootton Bassett Junction SPAD.

Unfortunately this tour was diesel-hauled (class 47) due to 4965 Rood Ashton Hall failing a FTR exam the previous evening. The loco originally rostered had been 5043 Earl of Mount Edgumbe, but is currently under repair.
It has been a terrible year for steam on the mainline as a look at http://uksteam.info/tours/trs15.htm will show, much of it following the Wootton Bassett SPAD in March, as well as loco unavailability, gauging, GWML electrification, pathing issues etc etc..