Steam Dreams 2023

Surely the answer must be 'yes', which is partly why BR dispensed with it in 1968, and that was at a time when steam-supporting infrastructure was still intact, thus not requiring, for example, water tankers en route, tailing locos for shunting and other special arrangements, never mind the need for two footplate crew rather than one.

 

Indeed, but in a Mk3 coach, you would be hard-pressed to hear anything outside, even if in the front coach.

 

Your post started me wondering whether the market has declined in the last ten years. After a while, without UK Steam for the last year, I gave up. My impressions are : variety has been reduced and repeat trips increased ; consolidation has progressed and fringe tour organisers and providers of locos and rolling stock are much reduced ; total capacity might not have changed that much ; the ratio of dining and first has risen from half to three quarters ; the proportion of cancelled trips has fallen dramatically perhaps as a consequence of the first two points. As a thumbnail sketch is that about right?

 

The that must imply that tour promoters re either running steam tours at a marginal profit or loss, or they are making an excessive amount from the diesel tours. Not sure to me either is the case.

 

I do wonder if promoters are missing an opportunity to upsell a 'premium' product to enthusiasts. For us the premium is not necessarily the fine food and drink, but the ability to hear and see the loco working at speed.

Vintage Trains used to offer an 'Enthusiast Carriage' at a small premium over standard, which was guaranteed to be as close to the loco as possible on at least one leg of the tour. However these days, when the whole train is turned at the destination, there's a strong risk you get stuck at the back next to a 47 all day!

I wonder if it's possible to modify a coach with a semi-open section (caged sides so you can't lean out, but otherwise open to the elements) where those who want to could stand to experience the sound and smell of steam).

 

Surely a way forward is for tour operators to put Gopro or similar cameras on locomotive footplates, or high on the front of the first coach, and live-stream the resulting footage - and sound - to mobile phones of enthusiast passengers on the train? Maybe for a small extra fee.

 

Might as well stay at home and watch the live stream.

 

Or this:

 

I wonder what part volunteer labour plays in the various elements of each.

 

And if you read the diesel oriented forums they are even more against "coffins" than we are. Although they also seem unimpressed with no vestibule standing as well on a Mk 1 as well.

 

Jasper? I remember arriving there at 0400 one day after a 16 hour delay to our train arriving at Winnipeg (our previous stop). We walked to our hotel about a quarter of a mile away and saw a bear crossing the street just ahead of us!

 

Yup. I knew the GCR had one but didn't know if one had been approved for the main line.
Obviously you'd still have the support coach and/or water carrier in front, so you'd still presumably need to have an end with a corridor connection

 

This is/was part of the 'Royal Scotman' set and I think the coach had a connection at the other end.

 

While I see where you are coming from, I don’t agree. On the train, one can experience the speed, the ambience and the view from the window. Having the option to also dip into the view from the footplate or front of the train would add an extra dimension. Not just sound and steam, but also in understanding what is going on up front.

 

Probably a bit too open for the UK!
https://www.rhb.ch/en/world-of-railway-experiences/railway-experiences/open-panoramic-cars

Cheers, Neil

 

Oh, come on - a sludgy mixture of smuts and rain; delicious! I remember standing at more or less the spot in the photo in deep snow in April several years back.

 

Can anyone confirm that 70000 is working the GOE and SSE today, please?