Tours Getting Cancelled

Now that's fighting talk. I will be informing my second.

 

The Southern mob are very OCD-ish about that, E before I or your not getting on!

 

Good grief no. Horrible things. Burgers in batter is the nearest we do.

 

Good news re the hot food you mention. I did experience the hot bacon baps on "The Shropshire Monarch" (Pathfinder), in November 2010, and they were very good, so pleased to hear this is a regular feature. I did travel on SD's CE of 9 July recently but had to board at Salisbury so didn't get the chance to try the hot food service they offer in standard.

It would be nice to see this service developed further however. VT have been quite imaginative recently I see, and have started offering hot rolls in the morning, and jacket potatoes with a choice of fillings to pre-order for the return.

I appreciate there is a lot more choice offered now than in the past, there is no room for complacency in my view, and promoters should always be looking at ways of keeping things fresh and offering something new. I remember the Shap Time Trials of 1995, the first time there'd been the chance to experience steam on a large section of the WCML including Shap for decades. All the trains filled naturally but now it's a fairly regular occurence by comparison so doesn't have the "pull" it used to. Steam has probably now covered all the routes it reasonably can. so new features will have to be developed to keep things fresh and maintain interest in the future in my view. This is never going to be easy as the promoters have very little "hands on" control of their own. They could however work to influence change. To keep saying it's a tried and tested formula and people come back is a very short term outlook in my view.

There is nothing wrong with demanding high standards by the way. There's a tendency in this country to "put up AND shut up" when it comes to standards that are less than ideal, which must be "music to the ears" of some of the tour promoters.

If wanting the route, loco and something resembling the provisional timings that were advertised, i.e. "the offer" made by the seller, (tour promoter in this case), to which "acceptance" as a customer is made is wanting "so much", then I guess I have to plead guilty. These are not unreasonable requests and having made promises in their advertising, promoters need to be serious about delivering on them. If they can't they shouldn't "over promise" but then again that's down to the unregulated "free for all" we have now to which I've referred "ad nauseum" in previous threads.

Pleased to read your comments about welcoming young families on board, this is really good to hear as it's very important we stoke any interest in steam among the young in an effort to create the next "steam generation." Too many youngsters, (my own nephews included) are brought up to think an interest in steam trains, (in fact trains of all kinds) is something "unhealthy", and to be ashamed of / laughed at, so when we do get children coming on steam tours I think its most important they are not only welcomed but made to feel special, as this will be remembered by the parents and ensure their day out by steam stands out above any other activity they may have taken part in.

 

The Railways Illustrated that came out today had a forthright editorial on this subject - operators who advertise impractical tours and then leave customers with the hassle of getting their money back or not getting it back at all give everyone a bad name.

 

Careful - you can get a "reputation" for writing that sort of thing!