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Steam Dreams 2017

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by John Petley, Dec 19, 2016.

  1. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    I reckon the diesel will be "hidden" in the middle of the train. WCRC will claim it's their new generator carriage

    I was tempted by the Gloucester trip but the price is too much for me at the moment as my funds are required elsewhere. Plus, looking at the RTT schedule for the Gloucester trip it seems that you can board at Woking on the outward run but you can't get off at Woking on the return as the train is going straight through so you have to leave at Basingstoke I guess.

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  2. 61994

    61994 Member

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  3. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Well at least the last paragraph is right.
     
  4. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Not really. For public consumption it's about right. Be fair, more people know about James the Red Engine than Stanier's locomotives and at least they have likened it to something that has a tender. 4-6-0, 2-6-0; what's a pair of wheels to a journalist!
     
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  5. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    A few extra trains hauled by 60103 have appeared on the SD website. They will run in October and largely involve East Anglia and the East Midlands.
     
  6. Rover

    Rover New Member

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    If I remember correctly,when Steam Dreams started about 10 years ago, their aim was to provide reasonably priced railtours for enthusiasts. I travelled on the first 2, to Canturbury and Salisbury,and I think they were £29.50 each. Fantastic value, but how times change, as they were the first to breach the £100 barrier for standard class, and the true enthusiast seems to have largely been forgotten in favour of the wealthy wine and dine set. Such a shame, as I, and I suspect many others can only afford to travel on rare occasions now. I first travelled regularly by steam in 1978, on the CCE and The Yorkshireman tours from Carnforth. The trains were packed, and not a diner in site. Happy days
     
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  7. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Unfortunately it's the wine and dine people who make up the bulk of the passengers, both on steam hauled and diesel hauled charters, last Wednesday diesel charter from Bedford to Berwick, 150+ diners, 100+ 1st class, standard class was the buffet, a TSO and the brake, about 125. The part steam Salopian the week before was not a lot different, so you adjust the make up of your train to suit the demand.
     
  8. alastair

    alastair Well-Known Member

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    Please not the corny "true steam enthusiasts only travel in standard class" argument yet again. For anyone 6' 3" plus and/or on the "large"side then 12 hrs plus in a TSO bay of 4 is not a great experience. For that reason I will almost always travel in first, and if my wife comes along, I know she will enjoy it more in dining. From chatting to other passengers in first or dining there are loads of "true steam enthusiasts" there and I don't think the vast majority would probably consider themselves to be "wealthy" or part of a "set"! Obviously, the inflation of SD fares is not good, but they do seem to have a business model which works for them.

    Much more important to me is whether there is a diesel on the back, which seems to be almost always on SD, hence my now very rare trips with them .
     
  9. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    One can be both.
     
  10. Kylchap

    Kylchap Member

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    Looking ahead to SD's tours with FS in October, what are the chances of these not having a diesel on the back?
     
  11. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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    Depends on the stock and start location. Anything that starts from Victoria or Hanwell, would get my alarm bells ringing.
     
  12. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    A number of these trips are Steam one way, so the diesel will almost certainly be on the back.
     
  13. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    A few more changes to the SD loco roster (see here) Good to see Ollie back in the picture after a lengthy absence from the main line. 60009 and 45305 still feature too. My guess is that these three locos will handle most of the summer and autumn WCRC-operated steam trains in the south, including the RTC "Dorset Coast Expresses" to Weymouth.
     
  14. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    Hopefully they'll all be ready in time as none are currently FTR, mostly in various states of dismantling. Not a long timescale to June for 70013. Perhaps someone can update on the superheater position? Yet again sadly the loco situation isn't improving very much over last year.
     
  15. JDTTRAINS

    JDTTRAINS Member

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    Superheaters are still currently away at the Tyseley Loco Works having contract welding done. Once delivered back to Loughborough, they'll be trial fitted and 'Cromwell' will be steam tested, before leaving the GC in early June, bound for Tyseley.
     
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  16. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    Last edited: Apr 20, 2017
  17. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    Thanks for that.
     
  18. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    This thread has been quiet for several months. I'm reviving it to enquire why (and how long ago) today's Hampshire Hills lunchtime circular was cancelled, and whether there are any implications for other SD trips with 60009.
     
  19. OldGit

    OldGit New Member

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    SD's two round trips on Tue 18th July are shown on UKsteam's timing sheets as being hauled by Flying Scotsman and not U of SA.
    Is this correct or is it a typo?
     
  20. D1002

    D1002 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I would think it's a copy and paste error from a previous run.
    No mention of a LE move for Flying Scotsman on UKsteam.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2017

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