If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Saphos 2023

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by NathanP, Oct 31, 2022.

  1. NathanP

    NathanP Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2017
    Messages:
    695
    Likes Received:
    820
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Worcester
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Next year's trips were put on the website today.

    Still going through the programme but it looks like the usual mix. One thing I have noticed is a tweak to the prices.

    Pullman Dining is reduced from £365 to £350.
    First Class is reduced from £195 to £185
    HOWEVER Standard Class is increased from £155 to £165.

    So with this new pricing structure there is just £20 separating Standard from First.

    Midland Pullman and Statesman are the same prices as well, so it looks like LSL have standardised the prices across their various brands. Saphos is still the only one even offering a Standard Class option.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2022
    JBTEvans likes this.
  2. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    3,991
    Likes Received:
    1,039
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    Yes, not a lot there to make me part with £165. There seems to be a real flood of 'Golden Arrows'. Might have been tempted by a Severn Valley trip if there was one on offer.
     
  3. TheModster

    TheModster Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2019
    Messages:
    751
    Likes Received:
    1,238
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    It's nice to see that, following LSL buying Steam Dreams who are mostly based at Southall, that Saphos have used that to their advantage to have some tours 'down south' a bit more, seeing as some of the LSL fleet will be based there for SD.
     
  4. jsm8b

    jsm8b Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    Messages:
    2,895
    Likes Received:
    6,172
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Escapee from the corporate bear-pit
    Location:
    Shropshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Anyone noticed the 30th Sept Lakelander coincides with a CCE on the same day.
     
  5. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2005
    Messages:
    9,635
    Likes Received:
    8,303
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Alderan !
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    No SVR trip and no Stratford trip either currently

    at the price point I'm afraid I'm not likely to be a Saphos customer anyway
     
  6. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2007
    Messages:
    2,849
    Likes Received:
    2,361
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Researcher/writer and composer of classical music
    Location:
    Between LBSCR 221 and LBSCR 227
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    2023 looks like being the best year for steam in Kent for some time. Four "Golden Arrows" and 12 British Pullman luncheon circulars (which now seem to be running via the LC&DR main line ot Dover and back via the SER) is a lot to look forward to. Also RTC is running its "Kentish Belle" again and Steam Dreams has yet to release its 2023 programme.

    I'm delighted by this as I live only about 10 miles from Kent and have argued on a number of occasions that it is a relatively straightforward area for pathing main line steam. Everything that goes really fast runs on HS1 but a lot of money was spent upgrading the traditional routes prior to the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 , so there's a decent amount of spare capacity on some of the main lines. The big problem is that tight clearances rule out most larger non-SR locos - or at least, so we thought. The appearance both of 45596 and 60103 in the last 18 months imply that the railways of Kent are not so gauge-unfriendly as was popularly believed.
    I'm waiting to see if the claim that the new cylinders on 6024 have slimmed it down to being no wider than a Merchant Navy will be put to the test with a visit to this neck of the woods!
     
    banana patch likes this.
  7. GWR4707

    GWR4707 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    May 12, 2006
    Messages:
    18,042
    Likes Received:
    15,732
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cumbria
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Bloody hell standard £165, its becoming a very select hobby.
     
    banana patch and 26D_M like this.
  8. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2005
    Messages:
    9,635
    Likes Received:
    8,303
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Alderan !
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  9. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    6,075
    Likes Received:
    4,889
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Surely £20 has to be worth it for 6 abreast versus 8 for a full day?
     
  10. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2006
    Messages:
    5,921
    Likes Received:
    3,827
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    East Grinstead
    Yes and you are likely to be in a Mk 1 rather than a Mk 2. When I looked at the Vintage Carriage Database most of the Mk1's they own are First Class.
     
  11. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2005
    Messages:
    9,635
    Likes Received:
    8,303
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Alderan !
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2022
  12. pete12000

    pete12000 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2006
    Messages:
    914
    Likes Received:
    327
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    No sign of double headed steam next year, unless I've missed it..
     
  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    21,064
    Likes Received:
    20,773
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Given that this is just a fraction of the total number of tours that are likely to be on offer in 2023 you do wonder about the market and capacity.

    Obviously each company plans for itself and will try to grab as much of the market as it can but we have lived through times when aspiration has exceeded reality. And economically, this is not really the time to splash the cash.

    My hope is that big money doesn't drive out the relatively smaller businesses who give us so much variety at reasonable cost.
     
    banana patch, MellishR and 30567 like this.
  14. 30567

    30567 Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2012
    Messages:
    5,608
    Likes Received:
    3,510
    That's the worry, but my hope is that WCR and RTC are positioned a bit differently from LSL and that there is not too much market overlap. Perhaps a bigger concern is that all sorts of discretionary spending markets will be smaller in 23 than they were this year. Look at the A1 trip programme to Aberdeen--- will there really be a market for that number of trips?
     
  15. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2006
    Messages:
    8,031
    Likes Received:
    7,605
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Train Maintainer for GTR at Hornsey
    Location:
    Letchworth
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Another worry is that LSL will simply keep offering to buy up other tour companies to take away the competition.
     
  16. 30567

    30567 Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2012
    Messages:
    5,608
    Likes Received:
    3,510
    I guess another version of that is what will Mr Smith want to do with his legacy. That's the usual question with SMEs. Will a willing buyer find a willing seller at some point?
     
  17. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    6,075
    Likes Received:
    4,889
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Maybe but normally companies are purchased for something they have that is of extra value. With SD it was an in ticket loco I suspect, if LS were after "global domination" there are other ways to do it without resorting to buying a going concern.
     
  18. Adam Tandy

    Adam Tandy Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2018
    Messages:
    287
    Likes Received:
    268
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    85A (Evesham)
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I can't help but wonder if LSL might run such trips under the "Steam Dreams" banner?
     
  19. JBTEvans

    JBTEvans Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2008
    Messages:
    2,344
    Likes Received:
    673
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Casnewydd, De Cymru
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Not often something goes down in price, especially at the moment!
     
  20. JBTEvans

    JBTEvans Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2008
    Messages:
    2,344
    Likes Received:
    673
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Casnewydd, De Cymru
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Maybe it was a bit optimistic, but I thought they would've tried to do a trip to Cornwall with the return of 6024 and the potential of using St Blazey turntable.

    Even if it was consecutive weekends or something and just steam one way. Steam on/off at Norton Fitzwarren, or even Exeter.

    I would have been interested in doing a reverse of the Holyhead to Cardiff they have planned for 1st March.
     

Share This Page