Steam Dreams 2015

I wonder if they were also given ridiculous timings if they wanted to use steam? The outline timings I saw were very early out and very late back (I had looked at catching it at Guildford: 07:15 out, back at 23:20 & decided it wasn't for me in case it was delayed on the return as I would have missed the last train home).
Also I hope they give you some money back as they are charging £115 in std for the journey to Kingswear. Minehead trips are all priced at £99.

 

Well since you are clearly going to travel I hope you have a good day. However I don't want to labour the point but the T&C's on the website make no reference to alterations to the destination(although they do,reasonably, to the pick-up points). You should certainly get a substantial credit(more than the normal £10/£20 or whatever)as clearly this trip must be costing SD a lot less to operate than what was advertised.

I too would regard myself as a loyal SD customer,having travelled on at least 2 trips every year since they started. I am shocked that they are taking this very hard line with refusing refunds on this trip. I am quite sure they have no legal basis to do so given that the destination is totally different to that advertised.

 

They did plan to use steam for part of it, but they chose too long a route and on a weekday. Both SD and RTC have been trying to run trips to Kinswear over diferent routes of varying length and a variety of pickups. The problem is this leaves insufficient time in Dartmouth when you take the ferry into account. In my opinion they need to run trips on more direct routes to Kingswear, on a weekend, with pickup in locations where there are large carparks and easy access to major roads.

 

Yes, it is true we chose this trip as a pickup is on our doorstep. Don't want to say too much, as we are loyal to SD and Marcus & Graeme (when he was there) have always looked after us in the past. The below is the first lines of the T&Cs which is why we are travelling

"
Steam Dreams will use its best efforts to ensure that the proposed locomotives, coaching stock, route and times run as advertised and we reserve the right to amend or cancel any part of the tour at any time. "

 

Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 may be relevant here for anyone wishing to insist on a refund.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/c...contracts/unfair-terms-in-consumer-contracts/

 

Phil

Why not email them, if you do not feel like speaking to them. I would ask for a transfer rather than a refund.

Paul

 

Last April RTC did a similar timed trip using steam from Taunton, 1130 departure. That path still seems to be there. Dep 1010 Salisbury should leave time to get to Taunton. As the forum title says, What's going on?

 

We have spoken to them. They rang us, we didn't ring them. We pointed out we booked for Kingswear, not Minehead. We've never done the P&DSR

 

Yes of course; they sometimes can't help making changes. But they can't say "and we will make no refund, no matter how extensive the changes". I've occasionally cancelled bookings with some of the railtour promoters, for one reason or another, and always had either a refund or credit towards another trip, usually for the full amount or with only a small penalty.

 

Don, it appears the RTC trip is cancelled as it has been removed from the RTC site today.

 

Thanks

So I won't be going at all this year then. Hope for better things in 2017

Don

 

Now booked on the 9th July SD trip. I hope the fire risk factor doesn't arise between now and 9th July..........

 

Indeed. In the last two months, we've had very little rain in East Sussex and I think other parts of the south have been equally dry.

I wonder if SD will switch to 34067 as RTC won't be using it on that day.

 

From the SD Facebook page,seems that the following trips are now cancelled: 30 June-Kingswear.18 July-Plymouth and 11 August- Carlisle. Said to be due to the WCRC "phasing in" process of resuming normal operations.

SD,RTC and VT must have lost a pile of money this year..

 

How come we've seen nothing here about the Emerald Isle Explorer? Are they all too busy enjoying the ride and guzzling the Guiness? Is no-one videoing from the lineside?

 

I noticed earlier in the week that the above trips had refer to booking office, as well as 19/8 Southend to Weymouth, 8/10 Cranmore to Bluebell Railway, and 11/11 London to Kent .
The 5/12 London - Norwich disappeared from the website about a month ago.

 

Link to Irish Independent coverage below

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...rience-here-a-snip-at-2300ahead-31317652.html

 

Having a great time on the train. Some fast running today behind Merlin. From Ennis to Limerick we doubled up as the service train to take some Limerick supporters to see their team play Tipperary. The Guiness is flowing and we're off to Tralee tomorrow.

 

Yes!!

Just arrived in Killarney on the second day of steam with 4-4-0 compound, no 85 'Merlin', from Limerick.

This morning we had 2-6-0 no. 461 from Galway to Limerick.

On Friday 85 took us from Dublin Connelly station to Portarlington, with 461 onwards to Galway.

All going well although both days finished a little later than planned.