Priced off railtours

■ 0-6-0ST Lord Phil, mentioned in Steam News June issue, is not Hunslet No. 3883/1943, but No. 2868/1943 rebuilt as No. 3883/1963.

Tony Martin, Cheadle

■ PAGE 10 in the June issue has

No. 33012 as being named Stan Symes, whereas it should be Lt Jenny Lewis RN. It was previously Stan Symes [a Bournemouth and Swanage driver who had achieved 60 years on the footplate] but was renamed in 2014.

Tony Kemp, by email Andrew Royle, by email

Peter Hollis, Lincoln

AS someone with a group of friends that have had many a trip with West Coast and Northern Belle over the years, I was very interested to read Chris Milner’s comments on Britain’s Railtours scene (June issue).

We have always gone with the full dining option, but possibly we have had our last trip. The main reason: cost. For my wife and I it now costs in excess of £600 for a day trip, and with that amount we can have a week’s self-catering holiday and probably a week’s bed and breakfast.

Over the years we have had many excellent trips to places such as Winchester and Holyhead, but the pathing arrangements now have got worse, and less time is spent at the destinations. As an example, a recent Statesman trip from Hull (one we were not on) left Hull before 6am and did not arrive at its Windsor destination until just before 2pm after being sent down probably the most unattractive route from Yorkshire – the ECML – and wherever it could be looped it was.

Maybe though this will be good for the preserved lines? We recently had an excellent trip on the NYMR on its ‘Moorlander’ dining trip. An excellent day and meal with the ‘9F’ at the front and all for less than 25% of the cost of a railtour. Eddie Parker

Beverley

I LOVED your article on the Railway Children sequel (June issue), filmed up here in glorious West Yorkshire.

It was tinged with sadness that, as mentioned, the film is missing another link from the original – Bernard Cribbins’ character Albert Perks, which I always think was performed with great Yorkshire abrasiveness mixed in with tear-inducing humility, which made the good original film great.

I wish the new film all the success of the old, and hope the KWVR benefits greatly with the link up to Hollywood, not to mention through your magazine my best wishes to the legend Mr Cribbins.

Ben Marshall

Liversedge WHILST I look forward to the release of The Railway Children Return, it is worth pointing out that this is in fact the third such film, not the second, and all have starred Jenny Agutter.

The second [a remake of the first story] was made in 2000 and filmed on the Bluebell Railway, albeit still set in Yorkshire! The cast included Richard Attenborough as the Old Gentleman. Andrew Millward Lichfield