Saphos Trains 2026

steam_mad · 16 дек 2025 в 09:02

Fred Kerr сказал(а): ↑

Perhaps the marketing was poorly thought out. As one prepared to book at the last minute due to domestic arrangements I had already arranged accommodation for the week (fortunately with relatives) to photograph the Fife Circle and travel to Aberdeen. I wonder how many others were leaving it until the last minute before booking and whether gearing it to the Edinburgh Festival market was the right market to target.
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Do you really think Railtour organisers are going to rely on people who suggest they’re “prepared to book at the last minute” in their decision as to whether a Railtour is viable? Wake up…

Sidmouth · 16 дек 2025 в 09:34

Fred Kerr сказал(а): ↑

Perhaps the marketing was poorly thought out. As one prepared to book at the last minute due to domestic arrangements I had already arranged accommodation for the week (fortunately with relatives) to photograph the Fife Circle and travel to Aberdeen. I wonder how many others were leaving it until the last minute before booking and whether gearing it to the Edinburgh Festival market was the right market to target.
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sorry Fred but that is a poor comment . Railtour companies need tickets sold and bums on seats . Decisions have to be made before large losses get incurred and relying on the lottery of last minutes bookings is an absolute recipe for disaster

John Petley · 16 дек 2025 в 10:32

Sidmouth сказал(а): ↑

sorry Fred but that is a poor comment . Railtour companies need tickets sold and bums on seats . Decisions have to be made before large losses get incurred and relying on the lottery of last minutes bookings is an absolute recipe for disaster
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I think that if Saphos offers a few more trains like this (or 71000's recent unassisted run to Carlisle), last-minute bookings aren't going to be an issue. Sadly I live rather too far south to contemplate one of these trips, but I'm just hoping that someone will point out to the powers-that-be in LSL/Saphos that 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of 60532's somewhat less-than-successful encounter with Honiton Bank. I for one would not wait to the last minute to book a seat on an unassisted run over the L&SWR West of England line behind this loco.

LittleRedTrain · 16 дек 2025 в 23:19

Sidmouth сказал(а): ↑

sorry Fred but that is a poor comment . Railtour companies need tickets sold and bums on seats . Decisions have to be made before large losses get incurred and relying on the lottery of last minutes bookings is an absolute recipe for disaster
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It would be a real help if the Tour operators, charter TOCs and Network Rail could get their act together on providing confirmed timings for a tour months/weeks instead of days in advance. Sometimes it's been as little as one day before, in the case of the recent VT trips).

It doesn't encourage people to book early if you don't know if a tour is going to be doable in a day from home, or is going to need extra spending on hotels before/after, (especially if you rely on public transport or a long drive to reach a pickup location).
At least officially, there's no recourse for passengers if the actual timings turn out to be wildly difficult to what was originally proposed, so it's no wonder some of us have to leave booking until the last minute.

I have, however, booked the Blue Peter run in Feb, along with accommodation.
Offer an attractive option at a reasonable price and people will make the effort!

Big Al · 16 дек 2025 в 21:24

LittleRedTrain сказал(а): ↑

It would be a real help if the Tour operators, charter TOCs and Network Rail could get their act together on providing confirmed timings for a tour months/weeks instead of days in advance. Sometimes it's been as little as one day before, in the case of the recent VT trips).
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Network Rail has a standard timetable for bids to be put to them to run charters. It's down to each TOC to do that and there is plenty of time, as I understand it. I think you will find that the 'confirmed' timings depend on how good the proposed times are that are submitted by the TOC. The nightmare for NR will be when they come to look at the timings to allocate the paths (and I don't imagine that this is at the top of their agenda) they then find that it is a poor 'fit' leading to them to have to make last minutes changes...that also may not be at the top of their agenda.

So what I'm saying is that the simplicity that some folk hope for is not in practice, simple at all!

RalphW · 16 дек 2025 в 21:33

Then imagine the complexity of say the Great Britain, 10 days if you include movements the day before and day after.

No.7 · 17 дек 2025 в 07:15

MellishR сказал(а): ↑

I hadn't realised that Saphos have that policy. It makes VT's policy, where a solo passenger cannot book a place at a table for two, seem ever stranger.
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This is not the case (on the two the "Shap Trials II" tours), £165 for a solo seat on a table for two.

No.7 · 17 дек 2025 в 07:32

Julian Jones сказал(а): ↑

I have asked Saphos whether these two trips are planned to be unassisted steam on the steam legs and they have responded:

“We have requested that there will not be a diesel on the back of the train”.

Julian
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I think the statement could be super caution, the plan is no diesel. I think the "requested" maybe because even in March/April 2025 we were looking at fire risk issues. The entire concept of these tours is built on the success of the 71000 tour so no diesel in the plan.

NathanP · 17 дек 2025 в 07:42

No.7 сказал(а): ↑

This is not the case (on the two the "Shap Trials II" tours), £165 for a solo seat on a table for two.
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Which tours are those? They're not on the VT website.

No.7 · 17 дек 2025 в 08:31

NathanP сказал(а): ↑

Which tours are those? They're not on the VT website.
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Saphos, not VT.

RalphW · 17 дек 2025 в 14:47

Decisions, decisions do I book for Blue Peter, (Get down Shep!) or Sir Nigel.
I know I'll use some money that the government have given me and do both, mind you the £10 Christmas bonus won't get me very far.

Andy2857 · 17 дек 2025 в 20:56

Booked on for the Blue Peter trip. Noted that standard is already sold out, which I suppose is unsurprising if it is only one coach and given the interest in the trip. Looking forward to my first trip behind the A2, and with Saphos.

guycarr360 · 18 дек 2025 в 11:11

So for all of us who support 60007, still no mainline run based out of the North East, as promised when it went to Crewe.
Realise ECML north of Newcastle is now almost impossible, might be time to move my monthly DD to another LNER pacific, if it runs out from home base....

Big Al · 18 дек 2025 в 11:25

Andy2857 сказал(а): ↑

Booked on for the Blue Peter trip. Noted that standard is already sold out, which I suppose is unsurprising if it is only one coach and given the interest in the trip. Looking forward to my first trip behind the A2, and with Saphos.
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I plan to be on Blue Peter as well having never seen it 'in the flesh' so to speak.

As for Saphos, I was on one of their first trains back in 2018 with the properly restored rolling stock and lovely touches such as the antimacassars on the seats from the company of this website's founder. At the time it struck me that Saphos was on the side of the enthusiast despite some of the (jealous?) comments about the owner and where the wealth had come from. And with DB Cargo crews leading the way until their own team evolved I felt that the hearts of the footplate folk were in the right place when it came to steam performance and the role of diesels. My trip had a diesel on the back but Pete Sheridan up front made certain it remained quiet even as we struggled to get away from Telford.

Since then I have stood back from Saphos for all the obvious reasons and watched as slowly it established its market position and expanded into wider traction trips, other than with steam. I hoped that the enthusiast element had not been dismissed and now it seems as though there is increasing recognition that in small parcels, targeted enthusiast style trips have a place. The DOG run is an example and now we have Blue Peter and SNG at a 'stripped down' price with the same comfort but without the silver service and its attendant price hike for the food and the staff.

Let's see whether the February and March trips run as suggested. If they do, and I, for one, will be grateful for that, I really think that there should be little reason to snipe at the set-up. They are now trying to be all things to all people at a good standard and that's good. What they are also learning is that the main line is an unforgiving place in all respects, including the operational elements, as LSL is occasionally discovering.

RalphW · 18 дек 2025 в 11:30

Big Al сказал(а): ↑

I plan to be on Blue Peter as well having never seen it 'in the flesh' so to speak.
The DOG run is an example and now we have Blue Peter and SNG at a 'stripped down' price with the same comfort but without the silver service and its attendant price hike for the food and the staff.

Let's see whether the February and March trips run as suggested. If they do, and I, for one, will be grateful for that, I really think that there should be little reason to snipe at the set-up. They are now trying to be all things to all people at a good standard and that's good. What they are also learning is that the main line is an unforgiving place in all respects, including the operational elements, as LSL is occasionally discovering.
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So the first thing is to add an extra standard class coach.

Big Al · 18 дек 2025 в 11:39

RalphW сказал(а): ↑

So the first thing is to add an extra standard class coach.
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I imagine it will be the same train set as with DoG - i.e. 8 plus POB plus generator car.

2857Harry · 18 дек 2025 в 11:48

https://www.sirnigelgresley.org.uk/mob-news.shtml

60007 Summer Schedule now online for those interested. Looks like it’s got another healthy season which is great to see.

neildimmer · 18 дек 2025 в 12:24

Treated myself to 1st class single seat on both plus hotel in Crewe for after each trip, i got snookered with the DoG trip as my train from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly was late and missed my connection to Huddersfield didn't get home till nearly mid night

1020 Shireman · 18 дек 2025 в 13:31

Big Al сказал(а): ↑

I plan to be on Blue Peter as well having never seen it 'in the flesh' so to speak.

As for Saphos, I was on one of their first trains back in 2018 with the properly restored rolling stock and lovely touches such as the antimacassars on the seats from the company of this website's founder. At the time it struck me that Saphos was on the side of the enthusiast despite some of the (jealous?) comments about the owner and where the wealth had come from. And with DB Cargo crews leading the way until their own team evolved I felt that the hearts of the footplate folk were in the right place when it came to steam performance and the role of diesels. My trip had a diesel on the back but Pete Sheridan up front made certain it remained quiet even as we struggled to get away from Telford.

Since then I have stood back from Saphos for all the obvious reasons and watched as slowly it established its market position and expanded into wider traction trips, other than with steam. I hoped that the enthusiast element had not been dismissed and now it seems as though there is increasing recognition that in small parcels, targeted enthusiast style trips have a place. The DOG run is an example and now we have Blue Peter and SNG at a 'stripped down' price with the same comfort but without the silver service and its attendant price hike for the food and the staff.

Let's see whether the February and March trips run as suggested. If they do, and I, for one, will be grateful for that, I really think that there should be little reason to snipe at the set-up. They are now trying to be all things to all people at a good standard and that's good. What they are also learning is that the main line is an unforgiving place in all respects, including the operational elements, as LSL is occasionally discovering.
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SNG's Members Area states the 11th March will be unassisted. Taking the November 6th run with the Duke and these 2, Saphos have recreated Mel Chamberlain's Sept/Oct 1995 Shap Trials - over 30 years later and with 2 of the same locomotives; 60007 and 71000. This time we have 60532 as no Duchess is available. I hope both trains are the same as 71000's so we can do direct comparisons as we did in 1995. Kudos to Saphos for recreating the trains in the right way unlike Vintage Trains who 'recreation' of 7029's Farewell to Steam Railtour had a Class 37 on the rear that assisted unnecessarily on the only section we could do, the Billiard Table that is the Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads route.

Matt37401 · 18 дек 2025 в 13:53

Why is it I get the feeling someone’s still slightly bitter about a post from a certain someone based in the Midlands regarding coal…

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