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Steam Dreams 2023

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Sam 60103, Nov 16, 2022.

  1. Sam 60103

    Sam 60103 Member

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    60007 hauling the four-day Edinburgh tour which:
    1. Is both ways via the ECML.
    2. Has no Fife Circles in it on the days in Edinburgh (so far).
     
  2. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    The 16 March Bath trip is not showing on the SD web site - has it been cancelled, did it never exist or is it just fully-booked, I wonder?
     
  3. TheModster

    TheModster Member

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    It's a strike day.
     
  4. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

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    Right, thanks - so cancelled? Some run on strike days depending on who's striking.
     
  5. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    Such as station staff -Pick-up and destination stations need to be open. VT Lickey trips cannot run because Worcester Shrub Hill will be closed.
     
  6. NathanP

    NathanP Member

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    News just breaking now that all RMT strikes have been cancelled. I assume the strikes by TOC staff are still on though.
     
  7. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

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    Only NR strike cancelled according to BBC, so stations still likely shut. Funny I always thought 18/3 was only ever a TOC strike day but very difficult to keep up now.
     
  8. joe_issitt

    joe_issitt New Member

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    Thursday 16th was both TOC and NWR, the 18th was just TOC.
     
  9. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Just spotted the SD trip on the S&C in May from Euston with steam for part of the journey from Crewe to Carlisle only. I know that the journey will be in pretty coaches with free drinks but the standard fare is £165. And the day starts at 6 am returning at 11 pm.

    Contrast that with the RTC trip from Euston this Saturday with steam from Carnforth to Carlisle and back over the S&C to Preston. Standard is £115.

    Why would anyone shell out that kind of money for the SD trip? Just asking.
     
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  10. Sam 60103

    Sam 60103 Member

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    I share your concerns. If this trip had been organised Pre-Covid would there have been such a disparity in prices?
     
  11. 30567

    30567 Part of the furniture Friend

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    But the first class fare is the same at £185. Saphos/SD aren't really in the standard class market are they?
     
  12. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Fair point. The high end price for SD is also massive - £350 - matching Belmond.

    As you say, Standard seems not to be the market. I wonder how Marcus Robertson feels about his old company that seems to have jettisoned the people who actually got his company on the road?

    A sign of the times but I do wonder if this is a bubble that may burst.
     
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  13. guycarr360

    guycarr360 Part of the furniture

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    Deltic Kings x to York, both ways.
     
  14. 6026 King John

    6026 King John Well-Known Member

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    I think it was going that way even when Marcus was running it - it was on his watch that they introduced the tablecloths and free drinks etc.. and it became Premium Standard rather than just Standard.
     
  15. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Yes, it did start to go that way under Marcus.
    At first the premium standard was impressive but unfortunately after a number of trips we noticed that things were starting to go downhill a bit. There was no consistency with the promised "free teas or coffees". On some trips we were served several times, on others we had one throughout the whole day.
    The final trip (and final straw) for us with SD was a run to the Bluebell with 34046 in 2014 IIRC. On the return run the lights blew up in our carriage and we had to spend most of the journey back sitting in the dark. The batteries in the emergency lights we were given all went flat pretty quickly and the SD stewards suddenly disappeared at this point for the rest of the trip never to be seen again! After sitting in the pitch black carriage held outside Aldershot for ages and no information to tell us what was going on we decided enough was enough at the prices they were charging.

    Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk
     
  16. 6026 King John

    6026 King John Well-Known Member

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    One thing that isn't clear is what coaching stock are they planning to use for Steam Dreams tours this year? Are they trying to share the Saphos set as far as possible, or is it the Statesman set or the dreaded Inter-City set?
     
  17. sgthompson

    sgthompson Part of the furniture Friend

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    Still no times on RTT yet for the Settle & Carlisle tour this Saturday with 46100 assuming it’s still running that is ?
     
  18. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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  19. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

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  20. sgthompson

    sgthompson Part of the furniture Friend

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