XL railtours

There is a (provisional) tour with double headed steam up the Lickey next 9 May 2009.
http://www.uksteam.info/tours/trs09.htm

David

 

Re: Lack of steam tours on Lickey Incline

XL railtours? http://s247081353.e-shop.info/shop/page/1?shop_param=

 

Re: Lack of steam tours on Lickey Incline

The question is, do Steam Dreams know a photo of one of their tours is being used?

 

Re: Lack of steam tours on Lickey Incline

this is fantastic news, i believe XL Railtours have 3 great trips lined up and i am hoping people will go on these 3 tours they have lined up. i wonder what locomotives they will use?, hopefully gwr halls?

2 of these trips are are booked to go up the lickey incline both using the line via droitwich and worcester which i believe have been used by steam trains this past year or so.

cant wait and i am actually hoping to be on these 2 tours.

has anyone heard of XL railtours?

 

Re: Lack of steam tours on Lickey Incline

If its on the website with the permission of the photographer, i dont see what the issue is. I have to say, im a little worried by this new charter company - now would hardly seem the best time to start one?

Chris

 

Re: Lack of steam tours on Lickey Incline

Good luck to them but the names a little unfortunate, joe public might think they are associated the travel company of the same name that went bump.

 

Re: Lack of steam tours on Lickey Incline

Quote from their site on the About Us page....XL Railtours comprises of a team of people who together have many years of experience in the train charter and travel business. Our aim, as suggested by our company name, is to run a series of special - 'limited' - railtours using several steam locomotives on each of our tours.
Now we can all have a guessing game. Who are the team of people?
Also found this on Companies House site.X L RAILTOURS LIMITED
35 WILKINSON STREET
SHEFFIELD
UNITED KINGDOM
S10 2GB
Company No. 06598966
And they were incorporated in May this year.

 

I notice that there is a 'new' mainline tour operator advertising railtours......anybody know of any details about them?

I notice that on their website, if you click on their 'return policy' tab, there is no policy?

And they seem to have their 'knickers in a twist' over VAT?...I thought it was exempt?

 

First thought was the Airline, rememer them?

When you click on their "Return Policy" it is Blank... Must be the rebranded Kingfisher!

 

All rail travel is zero rated for VAT purposes - they can issue a receipt but it would have to show Nil for the VAT element! At seat catering and steam loco hire does attract VAT at the standard rate, which is chargeable to the promoter. Most promoters however operate under the TOMs scheme (Tour Operators Margin scheme). But if VAT was chargeable in most cases it would not be possible to claim the VAT as it would be classed as entertaining if our passengers were registered for VAT.

However, I will wish them well with this venture!

 

Some one mentioned this company on the Lickey thread and I posted some details from Companies House in a reply.
Could one of the mods please transfer that post to this thread?

 

Et voila...

 

The guy who seems to be in charge is Business Development Manager at Wirksworth, Neil Ferguson-Lee...

 

And ive heard that a certain Mell Chamberlain is involved, remember ''Days Out'', disapeared owing thousands of pounds, or an I wrong?

 

Wow you've heard, thats an expert opinion right up there with analysis of 5043's spark arrestor ](*,)

Is this some sort of record ?, panicking about a tour promoter without any facts whatsoever when they have yet to run a train!, i can understand caution with a new player on the scene but badmouthing them without any hard fact is a bit below the belt.

 

There has to be Russian involvement.... :-k
Sorry! I've been watching Sparks again... (whoops I mean Spooks!)... 8-[

 

I'd like to clarify the reason for my post. There were people on here who were questioning where this new player had come from and a poster commented on the business address. The name on the website suggests somebody with a reasonable background in the heritage rail market. I can find no reference to Mel, and the Days Out failure was no different to Steamy Affairs or any other - It doesnt have to happen again!

Having said that - I dont think I would be rushing to break into the charter business these days. I notice that Flamboyant Trains is going for another attempt after the fiasco surrounding their Pride Express. They would probably be more sensible to give up now!

 

I think you are thinking of Prestige Rail Services. Flamboyant Trains were one of the companies involved in the Doncaster PSB charter earlier this year. I seem to recall XL railtours advertising a charter fairly recently that did not run.

 

Your absolutly right... I am indeed Wrong... And sit corrected... Flamboyant Trains do have a pretty pink website tho (there he goes sterotyping all those queens... And RJ)

 

Let's give XL a chance to show what they are made of. It sounds like a pretty sensible approach to me - promote three tours with interesting motive power (more than one loco on each) over interesting routes, starting and finishing at reasonable times of the day from a part of the country not especially well-served by other operators (at least, compared with London/SE, Manchester/NW). Best of luck to them, especially if they're going run double-headed up the Lickey Incline!