Steam Dreams 2013 & 2014 Archive

Is it possible that somebody has taken copies of your pictures and sent them in as their own work? Perhaps I am being a bit paranoid but there are people out there who would stoop to such things.

 

To add to the mystery there's one of my pics on the website used without permission but the one they did ask to use isn't on there. Strange.

 

Given they are charging a minimum of £115 for a trip identical to RTC's WCME service on the 28th August I sincerely hope the rolling stock is up to scratch!

 

Never mind, there's still the crisp white tablecloths and bottomless cups of tea and coffee to make up for it

 

And £2 chocolate brownies which will still cost £2 10 miles from the terminating point at the end of the day. Who the hell is going to eat stale chocolate brownies thereafter? Better to sell them all at cut price and recoup the cost of making them (which is probably negligible, unless the caterers are having a laugh). Having experienced 'Premium Standard' for myself during the Cath-Ex to Scotland last year, whilst some of the extras do make the experience seem slightly more civilised (although due credit must really go to the SRPS for their outstanding rake of Mk. Is), it seems there's still an attempt to extort as much money off you as humanly possible.

 

All the railtour companies are a business making money out of a hobby.

it's not a hobby pretending to be a business, thats all the rest of us.

exploiting that is how they make money.

 

I think the point being made is that they're not so much exploiting a business opportunity as exploiting their customers which is never a good business decision.

 

Catering is usually an outside company rather than the tour promoter, Vintage is the exception.

 

Agreed, although the feeling of unfair business practice that BP describes is more likely to be attributed to SD than the catering company, especially by those passengers less informed than ourselves.

 

I don't know who does the catering for Steam Dream now, but when it was Too Many Cooks they did sell the remaining tray bakes and sandwiches at a reduced price. I heard that sales were down since they changed catering company. It is usually the caterers that take the proceeds rather than the Tour Promoter.

 

From what I can understand from talking to the catering staff on SD, they say that catering has been brought in house.

 

Well Marcus Robertson in his letter accompanying the new brochure did refer to "our new Chef" though I realise that doesn't have to mean their catering has moved in house. Maybe the fact they now own their own catering vehicle is a clue ?

 

In which case it may still be early days for the operations, and some politely-worded constructive criticism from recent passengers might make a significant difference.

 

The printed brochure has the same map as the online version, making it look as if Day 5 of the Explorer, Inverness to Fort William, goes nowhere near Glasgow. Did someone think it can get to Crianlarich via Callander?

Anyone know whether the 13th April trip, Paddington to Stratford, will turn right at Old Oak or go via West Ealing and Greenford?

 

Happens all the time on fleabay etc. A friend called me yesterday about something I sold 2 years ago. He had seen it for sale on Craigslist this week.
My item, my photo in my garden and we moved last year!

 

I see the May 1 trip no longer runs along with the already mentioned April 27 but the June 12 survives.

 

That's fair enough, but there can be no complaints if passengers use a business head too and book with other promoters with lower or more value for money, apart from VSOE and dining trains, is SD the most expensive promotor now ?.

Can't say I've ever used SD, but that's more to do location than anything else, I'm hardly going to go to London to get a train to somewhere 20 miles away like Stratford.

 

I've used them in the past, but not so much now for the same reason. I did travel on the Anniversary Southern tour with Clan Line on 09/07/2012, but that was only possible by joining at Salisbury and travelling home on the last train from London, not something I'd want to do regularly.

 

Not necessarily. You need to factor in what you would spend on drinks to compare the various promoters price since while Steam Dreams Premium Standard includes teas and coffees starts from £ 99.00 Based on this year’s prices Uk Railtours price for Standard starts from £ 95.00.Pathfinder when they run steam trips start at £ 99.00 for Standard. RTC one offs from the South East typically start from £ 89.00 for Standard (there are a few below). All based on trips starting from South East ( South West in the case of Pathfinder) Also RTC run about 100 trips a year compared to Steam Dreams 50, and the former almost certainly have a lower overhead.