Railtour Management. Isn't it time we had some?

Have come to this thread rather late after a period in a country where there is no railway never mind steam locomotives! That gap does rather help puts things in perspective and the main contributors have 'nailed' the issues so well I wouldn't presume to add too much. So, in answer to the question asked by the thread title I have three observations:

1. NR does what it is required to do and that is demonstrably difficult at times. If a cost/benefit analysis were to be carried out on the hours taken by them to 'service' one steam trip, I suspect the stats would look pretty depressing. No wonder they seem sometimes reluctant to be flexible.
2.Everyone else in the steam market is out for as big a slice of business as they can get as that is the name of the game.
3. Loco owners (excluding those with engines with reliability issues) find themselves variously in demand for trips to changing destinations on changing dates and, once the timings are available, to a working pattern that only volunteers would stomach.

I don't therefore think that the railtour system can be managed or manage itself any better than each company can achieve currently. Each will survive, or not, through its own record and the market will decide.

All I hope is that all loco owners continue to try and insulate themselves from the worst excesses of what is sometimes asked of them. The most professsional do so. They plan well (and in advance) when their loco(s) will be available, and to whom. They don't regularly accept requests for 'silly o'clock' days out. They are careful to ensure that "quality first" maintenance is the norm and that there is time to attend to the loco(s) between trips.

The recent switch of SD from DBS to WCR is an interesting one. The jury is definitely out as to whether this will ultimately be better for the paying passenger. Time, as they say, will tell.