UK Railtours - End of Southern Steam - 2017 Commemoratives

Sorry but I have no idea what your column is. £450 includes food and a ticket with food these days is approx £250 on most rail tours.

 

That depends what you're doubling. Full dining service is over £200 on most steam railtours and not much below that on the purely diesel-hauled ones. Last year's Deltic-hauled trip to the SVR with the Pullmans was £395. Were there 1st and 2nd class Pullmans in the old days? AFAIK it's 1st class only these days. UKRT are running a business. They need to cover all their costs, including contingencies, and they may perhaps aim for a somewhat higher profit margin on an especially prestigious trip, but I don't regard it as a total rip-off. Some can afford it and some can't, but that goes for many things in life.

 

Double the cost of what? Standard class? For £450.00 you are the getting the Pullmans, brunch and a four course dinner. When you compare it to the cost of the Belmond Surrey Hill trips (£395.00 for around four and a half hours of steam haulage) you are getting an extra meal and much more steam mileage. Plus the added attraction of spending four hours at a major seaside resort rather than 20 minutes at Shalford.
Bit of a dilemma, would love to film it but would also like to travel on it.

 

The Surrey Hills luncheon circuit on 31st March is £395 so why would you expect a run to Bournemouth and back on a significant anniversary date to be £150 cheaper?

 

If the return was also steam hauled from Bournemouth straight back up the mainline, I would willingly put my hand in my pocket but that really requires another loco. What a pity that the Swanage hasn't got its big turntable operating.

 

I obviously live in a different world to you well heeled lot. How many of you were actually there in 1967?

 

It's out of my price bracket, but as trains regular fill at that price then there are clearly those who can and will pay it. £250 is pushing it as far as I'm concerned, but again there is a ready market.The second part of your post is irrelevant to the discussion of price.

 

I was, as related above, but wouldn't fork out £900 for a rail trip, I'd expect a week's holiday somewhere warm for that. I've said £900 because you wouldn't travel alone so I would take the Director of Domestic Operations. I'll just be happy to photograph it.

 

I'd book it tonight for two of us .......but, will it be Clan Line? Hopefully she'll be back by then but, if not, we could end up with Tornado.
Anything other than a Bulleid would be a waste of time and money.

 

Braunton would be the substitute I think but I'd trust the announcement by MNLPS they have always come up with the goods and 35028 is now in the reassembly stage.

 

I'd be happy with that.

 

Tornado would be a good choice on just about any other railtour but it has to be a Bulleid for the Belle. How about a Class 47? The final Belle was hauled by one after all.

 

Only through bloodymindedness of the powers that be, Nine Elms had a Merchant Navy prepared but Control would have none of it.

 

Pointing out the current cost of rail tours has nothing to do with being well heeled or not.

 

UKRT have already thought about that. For authenticity, part of the trip will be diesel hauled.

 

I'm completely lost on the relevance of this. I wasn't there because I was 16 years away from being born. Should there be some special rate for people who happen to have turned up in 1967?

 

I think that was what was being implied, yes.

 

I was expecting £488 for some reason, so £38 cheaper. Either way, it's not my bag, as there'd be no room for my e-Trex and paperwork at the table! If someone else does the paying, though...