Do railtour operations need a unified voice ?

Hear Hear! Well done Ben.

 

Well if it's a she then she can help with the cleaning. :behindsofa:

 

I take your point, you can but this one doesn't seem like it's made up to me, seems genuine but that's just an instinct !

 

Maybe yes, maybe no but in the end it matters not a jot.

 

No, it doesn't matter, and quite frankly I would welcome some female input. Having worked closely with colleagues of both sexes in an HR environment, I can confirm how valuable a woman's perspective on things can be when dealing with controversy

 

Just answered that via Ralph's point in the same vein.

 

Well you live & learn! Having just looked at the profile myself. I assume there are no males using that name.

 

Possibly, such is the perceived "emasculation" of the male of the species in recent years

 

Well as spamcan81 rightly says, (and I don't expect to say that too often), you can type anything into that field. My thought though was that if you intended to deceive, you would be a bit more inventive with the name you gave yourself.

The person in question clearly thinks others put their real names here as he / she used them when addressing myself and TbirdFrank in one of his / her 4 posts !

 

I'm pretty sure NU was employing his Northern sense of humour there, which can be misinterpreted by those in the south that often don't have one !

 

Tromba

I have done my lifetime in the industry and the movement, and I write from that perspective. I don't need to do it again. Please do not ascribe motives that do not exist. There is one, and one only - the better delivery of a more reliable product.

If the industry steadfastly refuses to take that on board, then they cannot complain about a market that declines.

 

Tromba,

I picked up this post of yours at which to direct my reply, as it should serve as a reminder to other members of your appalling and abusive attitude ! Do you operate a sideline trolling on Twitter by any chance ?

None of your attempts to distract attention from the serious issues raised, and the part Tour Promoters have played in it will alter the course that has been set.

Like Frank, and some others on here, I have the long term interests of Main Line Steam at heart, which is probably why we've attracted so much derision.

Something to do with it not being compatible with certain vested interests perhaps ? Discuss !



Regards,


Hamish

 

Did think this thread needed lightening a bit.

 

Thanks for this. Best laugh I've had all morning.

 

There are definitely a few people on here that need a sense of humor injection.

I didn’t realise that you are supposed to put in a few “light” posts before actually saying something. Should I put a few “Oh you are so right Frank” or “I didn’t realise that – thank you” on some other threads before getting down too it. Sorry if I offended the etiquette police.

As for my gender, what difference does it make if I stand up or sit down other than not wetting the floor (according to Vintage Trains)? And someone had better have more than a couch to hide behind with comments like that! Lol

All I am doing is trying to inject a sense of what is actually achievable by this forum. Open Access and Network Rail’s monopoly are not things that we could make a dent in.

The condition of the coaches and the reality of the tours offered ARE things that we could effect. If VT are going to address the toilet issue then we have effected a change for the better.

Why not continue to address these things we can influence?

Obviously VT are on here and watching; I think I noticed a post from Pathfinder a few weeks ago. WCR (in the form of J. Shuttleworth) are on here. I don’t know about Steam Dreams or RTC? Maybe more direct form of communication to these companies might be more appropriate?

Rather than voting on “Do Railtour Operations need a unified voice” why not make this forum a (sensible) unified voice? The forum’s image in the industry will need to be upgraded from “The Kiddy Web” to something that is taken a little more seriously though.

Some people on here do seem to be over pushing their own agenda’s (RTC bashing over a troubled trip to Cuba a few years back – honestly – who expects anything to go to plan in CUBA!)

I am sure this will bring down the wrath of a few on here, even put such vital topics as my gender up for discussion. I don’t mind being the lightning-rod for a while.

 

Enjoyed reading the above post. Regarding this thread, and one or two others, it is one thing to have open and lively debate about the rail tour industry but another matter entirely to pursue a personal vendetta against a single operator. The latter will achieve nothing positive.

P.S. I agree about Cuba. Even the most meticulous planning can be thwarted in an instant once you set foot on the island.

 

Whether or not they are watching is open to debate. If they are, they will either be laughing their heads off or shaking them in disbelief. This is the same old rubbish trotted out by (in the main) the same old protagonists. It is gentlemen, a stuck record.

As you are all so knowledgable on the matter, rather than organising pathetic petitions that no-one in any position of authority is going to look at, let alone take notice of; the thing to do is for all of you to get together, form a company, acquire some rolling stock, raise a million or two to overhaul the stock to the standard you desire, convince one or two of the better locomotive owners that you are THE people to deal with, raise a few more million to float a licenced operating company (plus several more million for operating capital to see you through until the business is strong enough to pay its own way), and then launch your own railtour company.

Only when Pundit Rail is trading successfully, will the rest of us be able to judge whether you really do know what you are talking about, or whether the plaintiffs on here are just a band of armchair pundits who haven't really got the first idea of what it takes to run steam hauled charter trains. It would, I suggest, be far more productive than organising a petition which has so far attracted 63 votes out of the tens of thousands of passengers who use charter services every year.

This has gone on for so long now it really is time for those who think that they know best to put up or shut up so - Go for it guys.

 

Most if not all Uk railtour promoters do have a presence on this forum, though most are not as open about it as Ben at Vintage Trains. They are hopefully too canny to be either laughing or disbelieving at what is said. Many a suggestion have been good ones. The question of what constitutes rubbish must always be a matter of opinion (does anyone want to buy my old working timetables ?), but the fact that people give time & thought to a discussion suggests that is far from the view of us all.

There can be no doubt that a specialized forum such as this must by defintion encompass a wealth of knowledge and experience in the railway industry and indeed I am not aware of any existing promoter whose business has not grown out of an enthusiasm for trains. What you suggest has in fact already happened, resulting in companies being formed, rolling stock acquired, money raised and railtours run. There is every reason to expect that this will continue in the future with some existing forum members likely to be the protagonists behind the next generation of providers.

I do agree with your point that petitions are not usually successful and that those in authority are most unlikely to look at them seriously. The idea of a unified body is an attractive one in some ways but in these days of privatisation & fragmentation it is a practical non-starter. Those already making a success in the industry would have little to gain & those failing would have little interest.

Like you I hope that new entrants will "Go for it guys". RTC, Pathfinder, Compass et al all had to start somewhere.

I also just love the name "Pundit Railtours"