Steam Dreams 2017

Perhaps more accurately this post comes under the "Steam Dreams 2017" heading but a number of trains due to run early next year now state that haulage has been changed to "Stanier Black Five". The Horsted Keynes-Oxford-Worcester train for 18th March is still down for Mayflower, but no others. One would suspect that the 18th March trip will be either cancelled, re-scheduled or allocated to another as yet unconfirmed loco as, reading between the lines, one would assume that Mayflower won't be ready as quickly as we were told.

 

The 18th March trip states refer to booking office on the booking page, which usually means cancelled or to be re-scheduled.

 

Once again Steam Dreams tours are totally altered....they really do need to get their act together and not advertise trips they cannot fulfill as scheduled. I would not consider wasting my money booking with this shower as the chances of getting the Locomotive, Route and Timings advertised are remote......and that's not mentioning you will be pushed around by a Diesel all day.

This company needs to address its ethics issues.

 

My most recent, hopefully not last, tour with SD was June 2015 from Victoria to Bristol and return with Mayflower - and no diesel. That was late booking after heads up on here it would be unassisted, then checking with SD themselves.

I said (on here) more of the same please.

Like Jun 2015, happy to pay good money, get up at stupid o'clock -1 to get the 04.47 from Temple Meads to London, to get steam from London to Bristol and back, then the kebab express back to Bristol...

But if its shovage forget it.

Any gen on which tours will be diesel free on the steam legs (with understandable exceptions e.g. banking out of Victoria) gratefully received.

 

It has indeed been cancelled, but a number of new trips have now appeared, going up to early November. See http://steamdreams.co.uk/Executable...SVR01&DB=SteamDreams&Division=A&ActionCode=TC Sherborne trip (5th September) is tempting if SD could guarantee it would be diesel-free.

 

From the latest HR " has been provisionally postponed because of gauging issues at Dormans Station 2 miles down the line from East Grinstead. Whether Network Rail solves the problems in time for the trip to run remains to be seen".

From the latest Steam Dreams brochure received yesterday " All engines are currently banned from the Network Rail line between Oxford and East Grinstead during long term engineering works. Steam Dreams is still committed to running the first ever trip originating with Steam since it was reconnected to the mainline". The trip is still listed but - date to be confirmed.

 

I notice 45305 is now down for a few tours in the summer, interesting considering how long its been away from the mainline

 

45212 is also mentioned in the "joke book", sorry brochure and letter that arrived in the post yesterday.

I hope 45212 is also working some RTC trips and not just for SD.

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It is listed as hauling the following in the RTC brochure : The Bath and Bristol Steam Express 18/3/17 ( although the website states 34046, but has not been updated since the brochure was issued) and the Royal Wessex 8/4/17 both starting from Three Bridges, so you will have to be prepared to drive to one of the pick-up points in Sussex to travel behind it.

Come Easter you will have to go to Fort William, since it is required there according to Ian Riley on the The Works.

 

I understand that despite what the brochures state, the Riley black fives (including 45212) are most unlikely to be used on any trains in the south in the first part of the year owing to heavy commitments elsewhere, especially the additional Jacobite services, and also the planned overhaul of 44871. This leaves open the question of what Black Five is to be used on the Steam Dreams trains in March/April. I guess this could perhaps be 44932 fresh from overhaul, with 45305 appearing later. The other uncertainty is how soon 45231 will be released from Carnforth for its new owners at Crewe.

 

Comprehensive as they may be Alan, it remains the case that known or forseeable eventualities cannot be the subject of disclaimers in T&C. As you point out with a good example, very often some of the discalimed factors are known at the planning stage and so, legally, should be brought to the buyers attention with equal prominence to the promoted features.
Tedious of me to point this out again I am sure many of you will think but if the promoters keep setting out along a tightrope sooner or later there will be a fall.

 

Thanks Paul. I seem to have misplaced my RTC brochure. I put it somewhere safe for a good browse and now I can't find it!

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And that is why I called it a joke book.
I read through the brochure when I got home from work and got a little frustrated as they have contradicted themselves from page to page.
A trip I was actually interested in has one destination on one page and then you turn over to the next page for more information and the same trip has a different destination
I also had a chuckle at the inclusion of a picture of 60163 Tornado when there is no chance of the A1 actually hauling any of the SD programme!
Good luck to them but they won't be getting any money from me.


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They would seem to be following in the footsteps of A N Other railtour promoter in failing to check the information in their publicity.

It's conceivable that they might intend to use DBC (or a new TOC?), or that WCRC might have had a change of heart on Tornado, but none of those seems very likely. Otherwise it is false advertising, for which they risk a serious challenge.

 

I'd say in fairness with the Tornado picture, it is showing the correct route (North Wales Coast Line), and no more false advertising than the picture of a Terrier on the observation salon on the Bluebell; Ie. advertising the route/destination.

 

I have just asked SD to stop sending me their brochure. Having read through it there is little attraction to most of the trips. The restrictions on looking out of the window and lingering in the vestibules is just part of this. On many of the trips the thought of being stuck in the seat for 5 or more hours each way really puts me off, even if I was dining. I suffer from back trouble and being seated for this length of time really gives me trouble. On some trips the return will be completely in the dark. If you add the time and difficulty of access to many of the trips from mid Kent then it just does not seem worth the bother.

They seem to have plenty of custom but I will be spending my "steam pounds" elsewhere.