The Great Western — Saphos Trains

Saphos Trains, a luxury steam-train operator based in St Erth, Cornwall, sells The Great Western as a return day tour from Milton Keynes Central to Plymouth. The operator presents it as a recreation of one of the classic holiday trains of the golden age of railway travel, with a steam journey hauled by two GWR locomotives through Somerset and around the English Riviera coast.

The tour boards at Milton Keynes Central, Leighton Buzzard, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction, Slough, Maidenhead, Reading and Newbury. The operator says the train is steam hauled from Taunton, and the route takes in the Blackdown hills and the Exe Valley, the Exe estuary and the sea wall at Dawlish with its red-rock cuttings and beaches. At Newton Abbot the train joins the steeply graded main line over the Devon banks, where gradients reach 1 in 36 over Dainton, Rattery and Hemerdon.

In Plymouth the operator allows an afternoon break, and suggests the Hoe, Smeaton's Tower, the Barbican and the National Marine Aquarium. The train returns in the late afternoon by the same route and over the Devon banks, with the sea wall at Dawlish again.

Two or three classes are sold, depending on the tour. Pullman Dining is a seated meal service at tables dressed with linen and crockery: the operator lists bucks fizz and a full English breakfast, tea or coffee with pastries, then champagne with canapés and a five-course dinner on the return. First Class is non-dining, with complimentary tea or coffee and light snacks at the seat, the option of bringing a picnic, and a traditional Afternoon Tea available as a supplement.

The operator names the two locomotives it plans to use, the King Class 6024 King Edward I and the Castle Class 5029 Nunney Castle, and adds "subject to availability". Its booking terms say every effort is made to run the advertised locomotive but that, in times of difficulty such as high fire risk or locomotive failure, it reserves the right to substitute locomotives, including replacing a steam locomotive with a diesel as a last resort, with no refund or compensation.

A very long day out: an early-morning departure from Milton Keynes Central, an afternoon break in Plymouth and a late-night return (timings are approximate). Pullman Dining carries a smart-casual minimum for dress, and there is no set dress code in Standard or First Class. Children are welcome in First and Standard Class; Pullman Dining is reserved for adults and children aged 12 and over. The operator says the tour is not suitable for guests who need a wheelchair or have severe mobility issues.

Boards at Milton Keynes Central station, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, with pick-ups at Leighton Buzzard, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction, Slough, Maidenhead, Reading and Newbury. All trips are return and the return journey is included; the operator never sells a one-way service. Passengers who want to join further up the line can ask when booking, and the same fare applies wherever they join. The heritage carriages do not allow wheelchair boarding and the operator asks guests with mobility needs to contact it before booking. Lavatories are at each end of every carriage. Own food and drink may be brought in Standard and First Class but not in Pullman Dining. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and pescatarian meals are catered for in Pullman Dining as standard and must be requested at least 7 days before travel. Travel documents and boarding cards are emailed no later than 7 days before the tour.