payments???

[rejrob]

Hi to all modellers(railway variety) and real loco lovers.Recently I was able, with wife ,daughter and partner, to visit the bluebell to witness the Flying Scotsman loco, and although in mt spotting days at kings cross I saw several A2/3 locos ,not this one.On arrival to the ticket office for 4 platform tickets, and a slight surprise ,£80.as the scotty was there.I appreciate that there are costs with hiring the loco ,due to upkeep fuel and transport but surely that is recouped in ticket sales for travelling on the train pulled by the loco I did pay the charge for the platform tickets but I would question the thinking behind the charge as to whether its*Lets make as much dough as possible and sxd the punters.I hope not.This coming Friday my daughter has purchased2 tickets for me and the memsab to travel the bluebell either way as a 81st birthday pressi.I am looking forward to this visit but I will enquire as to the price of the platform ticket on the day?? My profession made me a bit cynical as to peoples motifs for doing certain things.I hope I am wrong Anyone had experiences of a Simi;ar nature??Ron Robinson

[Mountain]

Way over the top! Actually surprised they even offered platform tickets because they are normally only issued on behalf of the railways insurance if one is spending the day without boarding the trains, which is a small fraction of the price compared to going on them, so it the platform ticket is £80, to travel on the railway could cost thousands!
The mind boggles! A week's income to stand on the platform! One can buy a really nice previously loved model of it for less than that and if lucky, a few coaches as well!
Think there must have been someone standing there who had nothing to do with the railway and was just pocketing the money under false pretenses? You sure it was a platform ticket issued by mistake and that the ticket wasn't for travel on the train? As £80 is what I would expect is the upper amount one would pay to travel on a longer steam line, and that is rather excessive!

I used to live near a motor racing circuit and tickets to watch those cars were £25 which was way over the top. Used to watch them from the hill I lived on for free. Never did go into the racing car circuit despite living nearby as it was simply too expensive.
Other local places offered far greater value and were just as nice or exciting. Henllan Railway offers an all day ticket for what is less than £10 per person (Can't remember exact price. Is much less than that. Is a lovely line! Even with inflation I doubt it is more than £10).

[Bufferstop]

People were paying for the privilege of riding behind the Scotsman. Do you begrudge the folks who hired it 80p for getting a close up view. I'm all in favour of bringing back platform tickets for any station where there's a gateline. I would even subscribe to the idea of registering for a pass that would ease my way through the gates when I wasn't going to travel.
I broke the rules at Bristol Parkway when a train from Paddington had stopped there rather than Temple Meads. A blind passenger being met by a family member had arrived there before them. He'd successfully found the lift but at bridge level had no indication of which way to turn,. Two gatekeepers were shouting instructions at him but what chance did he have against screaming Vallentas. Seeing he was getting distressed I jumped the barrier and ran to help him, I guided him back to the gateline and told him where he needed his ticket. One of the minders went to say something and I just said loudly "You should have gone to his aid", cheers from bystanders. Meanwhile his daughter was still trying to talk her way through to meet him. Oh for a platform ticket.

[Mountain]

Bufferstop. It is £80 for a platform ticket just to have a glimpse of the loco!
Is not 80p. (£80 for four people to stand on the platform. Just re-read it Thought it was for one person. Still is a lot for standing and looking!)

[Bigmet]

The Bluebell is a private operation and entitled to charge whatever is considered appropriate. I would suggest the platform ticket price was intended as a deterrent to prevent the platform becoming so overcrowded as to reduce passenger enjoyment, and potentially unsafe.

[Bufferstop]

Excuse the runny eyes, I'm peering through a grade 1 stinking cold. £80 sounds like they don't want the trouble of checking. When were there Sheffield Park was total utter chaos. I can't blame them for wanting to keep non travelers off the platforms. Combining the Scotsman specials with a service that's open ticket was a nightmare. we got the last two reserved seats on the train we caught. When they'd sold out every other seat and space there were two "companion" spaces available in the "accessible" coach" so we got a couple of free standing armchairs and our own space at one window. No argument over who would face which way. One thing they were to be congratulated on was getting it running on time. Its previous record was from 90mins late for it's inaugural NRM run down to only 30 minutes late on the K&WVR this summer.

[Mountain]

The Bluebell is a private operation and entitled to charge whatever is considered appropriate. I would suggest the platform ticket price was intended as a deterrent to prevent the platform becoming so overcrowded as to reduce passenger enjoyment, and potentially unsafe.

Probably, but the way to do this is to only allow fayre paying passengers onto the platform.

There are many places with lineside views one can watch the train from, so is a bit puzzling.

Is rather odd. As I live near a town where steam locos are the norm. So when I see or hear one I don't rush to see it. Oddly I do if I see a diesel as it is unusual.

[Flashbang]

Detail of a higher price (not the actual price for special days) is shown on the Bluebell web site here https://www.bluebell-railway.com/fares/ Just above the picture.

[stuartp]

The purpose of hiring in FS is to bring in punters to raise revenue for the railway ie to make as much dough as possible. The platform tickets are £20 each because people are prepared to pay that to see FS. If you don't want pay that then go on another day when they're a quid each or find somewhere outside the fence to watch. Steam railways are phenomenally expensive to operate.

[Bigmet]

...Steam railways are phenomenally expensive to operate.

Or even, any railway preservation is expensive.

A significant problem is a large subset of 'enthusiasts' that believe they have an absolute right to zero cost access. My late parents lived on the doorstep of Oxenhope station K&WVR, and on occasions couldn't use the car or bus to go shopping because of the associated misbehaviour that went with exercise of this 'right'; for which the railway management were most apologetic.