80 plus Windsor steam trains this summer
STEAM Dreams is set to run more than 80 trains from London Victoria to Windsor on Tuesdays and selected Saturdays during the summer.
The programme includes the evening ‘Sunset’diner which, as last year, will run over the circular Surrey Hills route.
Extended Windsor season
Since last month’s report, the programme of Windsor trains has been extended – the first departures commencing on May 22, rather than June 2. The final trains in the series are due to run on Tuesday, September 8, as was originally planned.
A new development this year is that visitors to Windsor can travel back to London by Steam Dreams’ 9.35am and 12.35pm departures from Riverside.
This facility is not available on the afternoon train, which returns empty to south west sidings to prepare for its evening diner trip.
The majority of the Windsor trains will be worked by B1 No. 61306 Mayflower, with the standby engine, possibly ‘Black Five’ No. 44871 – which has been hired from Ian Riley for the season and to ensure continuity when the 4-6-0 is stopped for routine maintenance.
Popular Scotsman Trips
Elsewhere, all three Steam Dreams trips with A3 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman have virtually sold out.
Trains from Victoria to Salisbury on Thursday, May 28 and from Paddington to Oxford, on Sunday, May 31 had only a small number of standard class seats available as we closed for press. In both cases, the locally-run cream tea specials are sold out. Steam Dreams’four-day break in Edinburgh on July 2-5 is also proving popular, with only standard class seats remaining available.
➜ See pages 46-51 for a ‘Face to Face’ interview with Steam Dreams chairman David Buck.