Steam Dreams new PREMIUM STANDARD CLASS DEBUTS, review

3rd may clan line to EXETER, ALSO NEW PREMIUM STANDARD CLASS DEBUTS

great day out and clan line really stretched her legs,
whizzed through andover and sparkling performances all day...well done to all.

i have to SAY that the new SD premium standard class is really very very nice...its wins hands down!

clean mk1 coaches, crisp white table cloths, vase of flowers,
nice new white mugs of tea and GOOD coffee free all day,
hot bacon rolls and cakes/beers/pops served to your seat (you pay for those)
you do not have to go to the buffet, it was very efficient and nice attentive friendly staff.
considering this was the first day/trip of the new product it was pretty seamless.

this new premium approach to standard class makes you feel like 'special' you feel you are in first class...
excellent steam dreams, cannot fault it and for the few pounds extra...
the cost is insignificant to the extras and nice ambiance you get...
remember the extra costs involve laundry/crockery /flowers, Extra staff and free tea/coffee...its good coffee too.
you are not paying much more for this kind of better experience.

it is a especially nice idea for the ladies (wives and train widows of the chaps who have to endure a long day out lol)

this new premium standard really does impress the ladies and makes them feel special and much
more comfortable and highly recommended...try it

 

Oh yes! A bunch of flowers will make my railtouring experience complete!

I'll be trying it next weekend on the Shrewsbury run.

 

Do you work for Steam Dreams by any chance?

 

Not convinced, myself. As a single free-agent without anybody in tow, I prefer the cameraderie and cheapness of 'Scum', sorry, Standard Class; the extra £15 goes a long way in my wallet when I'm on tour, and I'd rather not waste it to pay for a vase, a few posies and a table cloth which'll probably get beer and coffee/tea-stained during the journey. However, I will concede that I probably will use SD at some point, but only if I really like a specific trip on offer, which is not really on the cards this year as things stand.

 

Doubt i'll ever use SD as they don't believe in life north of Watford, however im interested in how this concept is recieved incase other promoters get ideas.

 

As RYTC are one of the only steam Touring company that have trains through manchester, I doubt I will ever use Steam dreams along with Pathfinders and UKRT.
Wont get the chance to see how nice the table cloth looks!
Matt

 

Must admit that is my concern. To put into context £99 gets you standard class seat, Full English and a 3 course cooked dinner with SRPS, along with an A4 over the Highland mainline. I know which I will prefer and think is better value. Im sure my wife will be just as happy!

 

Presume the extra £15's go towards the cost of 600 miles of ECS per train at the moment. Boness really is in the wrong place!

 

no i do not.

i DO use all the main railtour companies RTC pathfinder ukrailtours torbay express A1 Trust etc etc and i travel in IN ALL CLASSES

i have given a fair balanced review of a new railtour product that many people on this forum over the past few weeks have doubted, criticized and aired concerns over SD price increase plus the whys and wherefores...now you have that info.

all i am saying is that its is a good product, a good idea, and has been reviewed very fairly so that the posters who may have been put off
by their concerns have some balanced info.
there is definitely NO loss of camaraderie, in fact just the opposite as many people
became more chatty and social than i have noticed in standard class for a long time etc
table cloths and crockery were changed on the return leg but clean crockery at any time was offered...
the attentiveness to service was impressive.

if you want a mk1 stripped down to the bare wood and metal with a beer tap, plastic beakers and a few old plastic picnic chairs to fight over which is all then hosed down after you get off then fine, sorry but not my cup of tea lol (it would still cost you nearly as much anyway)

and to add to the thread drift:
many of you mention about 'not enough or no tours' up north... well if ask railtour companies to provide for your areas to be included then
if there a demand to run charters competitively priced then you will get them.

SD among others have been and are offering tours from outside the London and SE catchment area so have a look around and you might
see something you like. for example:
A1 Trust tour, the Elizabethan
Wednesday 25th July, Deltic D9009 Alycidon will set out from London King's Cross station and head north to Edinburgh, pausing to collect passengers at Peterborough, York and Darlington. Tornado 60163 will then haul the return back to KX all from £99! not bad eh.

 

hey bulleid pacific...your money would have been well spent on Thursday and you would have had a smile from ear to ear.
shame you could not be with us with clan line if you are a Bulleid fan? a great day out with a superb southern engine running
for most of the day on her true home...
pity you missed it
there is another with clan line in July to weymouth, why not come along?

 

Looks like it may be full in Standard Class already : (

 

I am surprised it has filled up so soon, I was planning on going on that one. Looks like quite few people on Thursdays trip took advantage of the 10 % discount off a future trip if booked on the day.

 

I'm afraid I can't afford it for as well as being a Bulleid afficionado, I'm also a track-basher, and there are other trips I need to do before my railcard expires for the last time next year. On my current wage, I'm slowly being priced out of being able to do these, as it's always a long schlep to wherever the tours start, being from West Wales. This is why the extra £15 means a lot to me, as it can go towards accommodation near the start point, train travel to London/Huddersfield/York/Crewe etc. (I don't like driving long distances, and what's the point of having a car in London?). In any event, I've had a fine run behind 35028 up Upton Scudamore Bank from a standing start at Westbury with 12 on in November 2009, which takes quite a lot of beating in the noise department.

 

We were also planning on going on the 9th July run. I rang up SD on Friday to see if they had any seats left as on the train on Thursday the info leaflet said the seat numbers were limited for the 9th July. The guy in the office I spoke to on Friday said they had sold the last 11 seats in PS on the Exeter run. Only reason we hadn't booked yet was that we were waiting to see if a friend was coming. Annoyingly he sent me a text when it was too late to book to say he couldn't go on it anyway!!!! DOH! . We have been put on the waiting list in case there is a cancellation. I was also told on Friday that the load is limited for the 9th July run so they can't add any more carriages on like they did on the Exeter run last Thursday.

 

You may be right - I think last year's train was 10 coaches. Another consideration is how big a load can be hauled up the bank from Weymouth.

I wonder will they be able to get a decent path out of Waterloo on a weekday though. Last year we left at 0755 on a Saturday and we had a fantastic non-stop run to Southampton. Not so easy on a weekday though with the rail network clogged up with nasty commuter trains getting in the way of the serious business of running steam specials.

 

Approximate departure time according to Steam Dreams Website is 09.55am. I though 11 coaches was usually the maximum load to Weymouth.

 

yes the load is limited due to the weymouth end i am afraid, both platform and the bank up to upwey (not the London end)

sorry to hear bulleid pacific money is v tight, i totally understand in these testing times and that you live a far old way from accessing many trains.
i live down in Dorset now and not central London so fully empathize with that.

its is great though that trains seem to be filling up well this year despite tight times for many.
the only thing is with this ghastly spring cold snap we are having with no sign of a let up (yes we need the rain but its so bloody cold) that many people will
start to look at last minute hols abroad for some sunshine and warmth and defer spending in the UK.
just a thought...

 

quote
Originally Posted by 6026 King John
You may be right - I think last year's train was 10 coaches. Another consideration is how big a load can be hauled up the bank from Weymouth.

I wonder will they be able to get a decent path out of Waterloo on a weekday though. Last year we left at 0755 on a Saturday and we had a fantastic non-stop run to Southampton. Not so easy on a weekday though with the rail network clogged up with nasty commuter trains getting in the way of the serious business of running steam specials.
unquote

if that was the anniversary special 6026KJ then i believe that about 40 service trains were re-timed with NRail cooperation so that we could have that non-stop fast line run to S'ton...Tangmere was it? i was on and yes it was a brilliant run and she was let off her lead!