Steam Dreams 2023

Yes, 'we' got wet going to the chippy in the rain at L Wells.

 

For Saturday's Winchester trip, is it fair to assume 61306 is heading it?

 

Braunton according to the website https://www.steamdreams.co.uk/page.php?pageid=12

Sent from my XQ-AS52 using Tapatalk

 

And to make it more interesting, Mayflower is now doing Wednesdays Chesterfield excursion instead of Braunton. Been a bit of a loco swap!

 

However, 61306 is shown as doing the Test Valley Scenic Tour on 22 April! Still unsure which part is the error. The SD page for the Test Valley trip has a picture of 70000 at the top, then claims in the blurb that 34046 will be used, while the timings page shows 61306 - brilliant! It also talks about the WCs being "so named after towns", etc, but doesn't actually refer to them as WCs, just as light pacifics...

 

34046 pausing at Basingstoke for water, before heading back to London via the GWML.

 

Nice shot. This always strikes me as one of the most 'public' watering locations used these days - more usually they are either at a deserted platform end or even off a platform altogether. Here it is in the thick of it all!

 

A personal record of 8 shots of 34046 yesterday, seen at Clapham Junction, Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Mottisfont & Dunbridge (x2), Micheldever, and back at Basingstoke for the water stop:

 

Reliably good footage as ever. At the very start, quite an amazingly sharp lurch across the points into p5 at CJ by 34046 - haven't noticed it being that bad before! I nearly went out for this but the weather put me off - however you caught some bright conditions further SW. Good picture quality - what camera are you using? I use a Canon R5 with 8K video, (and now, too, a Samsung S23 Ultra phone, also with 8K) but, of course, YT takes it down to 4K anyway!

 

Thanks as always Ian. I use a Panasonic HC-X1500E, doesn't quite do 8K and struggles a bit in low light / grim days such as yesterday, but it ticks off all my boxes. Never had an issue with it and many other railway videographers I know use the same one!

 

B1 now down for the Chesterfield /Barrow hill trip this Wed's .That's or -cording to the Steam Dreams site today.

 

For anyone out for this today, ECS currently an hour down and sat in the loop at West Ealing. No idea what's up yet but tfl was stating there was a "faulty train" in the Southall area.

UPDATE: Jammed brakes on one of the coaches!

 

Thanks ,I'll stand down ,as they say ,was just about to start of to Bletchley.

 

Same here.I'm getting on at Bletchley as well.Thanks for letting us know the situation

 

Todays service will now not depart from London Victoria. Passengers now moving to an anticipated Watford start.

Still developing…

 

Now Cancelled

 

Out of interest, does anyone know when/how the stock was moved away?

 

Having received an email from SD today about extra sets I guess this trip is selling well.
So with all that recent debate about dining trains on the SVR we have a tour that seems very popular, never gets further from London than Banbury, is diesel hauled Oxford to Banbury. Where Dining costs £259 and Standard where, they have added extra seats due to demand £109.
This says to me there are still many happy to pay for a day out, although 9 hours in Oxford, if the website timings are to be believed seems excessive.

 

I read that completely the opposite to you. I don't think it's selling well at all, hence why they're plugging the cheaper seats to try and fill it up a bit. It's a very long day to not go very far, and getting back into London at gone 11pm on a Saturday isn't ideal. I can see why they try two tours in one day, but 08.30 - 23.13 is too long just for Oxford, especially only from Paddington. Dinner won't be started until 8.30pm, that's far too late for most people.

The afternoon trip to Dorridge and back appeals, especially for £69, but London to Oxford and back, similar mileage, for nearly twice that seems very excessive.