Steam Dreams Tours 2012

I think that is a good idea!

Booked ten seats in Super Standard this morning. Plus two more being held while I sort out the size of our Group. Virtually all 1960's timers or crew from those days, most were on the last down 2 hr express on July 8th 1967.

No idea what will happen on July 9th next year as so much is in the lap of the gods with steam these days. But Graeme Bunker certainly knows the importance and significance of that date, and he has a rather good track record of celebrating it in style! Just have to see what he, the rest of SD, and all the others involved can try and plan for next year.

 

Likewise. As much as I'd like to do Euston - Perth and return, £275 for 2 days on the train is a lot of money, especially when 3 nights accommodation has to be added on top of that. Add on the Aberdeen trip and it could easily get close to £600.

I can't see how Steam Dreams can justify their pricing for weekend tours. There are day trips that offer more mileage. If it is steam from Crewe to Perth as advertised, it's about 300 miles per day. That works out as nearly £140 per day, for less mileage than King's X to York and return.

 

It is steam from Euston to Perth , Loco not decided between Euston and Crewe according to Steam Railway.

 

I don't usually look at Steam Dreams tours as they don't usually start in an area close to us however I did today and I was surprised at the value they offer compared to others (excluding RTC). Well done Mr Bunker . . . how about a few Bristol/Cardiff starts?!

 

This is three days at £275 and the RTC West Highlander was £475 but four days and I think hotels included. No idea which has most mileage and so on but it looks like broadly comparable prices.

Does that therefore mean these trains are more expensive to run than a day trip?

 

The £275 is for Euston to Perth out on the Saturday 22nd and Perth to Euston returning on the following Tuesday 25th. Aberdeen is an extra £75 on the Sunday.

Hotels are extra and you find your own - so its Saturday £137.50 - Sunday £75 - Tuesday £137.50 plus three nights' hotel at extra cost - Not cheap!

 

Hence why I'd just go up for the day trip and maybe spend an extra day in Glasgow to see the new museum. Three nights in Glasgow plus the Aberdeen trip is a lot cheaper than doing the whole weekend tour. I sometimes wish some of the routes taken during these long weekend trips were done in their own right as a day trip.

 

I'm really thinking to do this trip, not least its a bit of a first time in my lifetime I've seen such a run,
I prefer the option to book my own hotels...

Who do I take.. My wife or my dad..?

 

Per person it isn't actually all *that* expensive London-Perth and return,especially as it is steam hauled throughout. Its when you add the extra cost of the addon trip and then the (to me) pointless extra day up there thay it becomes expensive. Then when you add the accomodation before and after the trip the costs do add up.

 

My only concern here is the headline act...

"something" plus 46233 and 60009 up the wcml...it's when it becomes a 47 from kings cross to Leeds then a black 5 to Glasgow and a class 86 back, which is what's holding me back. I may wait until 60009 has actually been reassembled.

 

It the latest Steam Railway Graeme Bunker is quoted " We hope but cannot confirm that 6201 will be on that trip" . This is dependant on an extension to the current boiler ticket.
On UK Steam Info it shows this trip as DBS rather than West Coast, which means 71000 could haul the Euston - Crewe legs.

 

According to UK Steam the London to Perth trip and the Glasgow to Aberdeen trip has been cancelled, with a note that
60009: Glasgow-Perth-Aberdeen and return [To be rescheduled in revised form in 2013]

 

Shame. I was planning on doing the Glasgow-Aberdeen run, but at least its been cancelled before any money has changed hands/hotels have been booked. Better luck next year (although rail travel to Glasgow would be prohibitively expensive for me, then). That means I will almost certainly try to do the SRPS trip to Inverness, just to get something a bit different.

 

In a recent email I received from Steam Dreams they announced that from May onwards both Standard and Super Standard class will be replaced with the so-called 'Premium Standard'. I took a look at their website and from what I can tell the new class gives you the benefits that you got in Super Standard without the guarantee that you'll be seated in the first coach for an extra £10. This means that 80-90% of their trips are now £99 for one adult. What do we all think of this change? Be interesting to hear opinions.

 

£99 for standard - you can tell these guys are London based!

 

It's the linen table cloth due for every table in the new, albeit expensive, peasant class that bothers me. I shall have to refrain from using it to clean my glasses, wipe up spills, blow my nose on etc etc.

Will the waitress service be provided by Bavarian Serving Wenches, I wonder? Suddenly makes the price very good!

 

It look's like they are trying to get rid of joe public.

 

I couldn't quite believe this when I looked at the PDF brochure from the email this evening. £99 for a fancy table cloth? They have most likely lost our custom from May as we can't afford those prices each time. We were going to book a few of their trips up but this is highly unlikely now. And there will only be ONE premium standard carriage on each train so for those still able to afford this price they will have to get in quick. Plus I imagine a few people will be rather p*ssed off if they pay this price and end up at the rear of the formation all day.
Perhaps this is their "strategy" to get rid of all the people who moan about Diesels on the back?!! Or perhaps they are under the illusion that all enthusiasts have the kind of funds that Jeremy Hosking's has?

 

Being positive about this why then don't they introduce an "enthusiasts" coach at the same time which is a standard class vehicle marshalled behind the support coach, with no food, drink or tablecloths and turned with the support coach wherever possible. I cannot understand why Steam Dreams seem to think that everyone who travels on their trains travels to eat rather than to simply experience the steam train journey. Maybe this is a step towards a future VSOE style operation. It does seem they want to deter the enthusiast.