On Sunday 22nd March 2020, choose from either a trip travelling from London Paddington to historic Winchester from £79pp* or a Hampshire Coast Cream Tea Tour from £49pp**, taking in the beautiful views of the South Coast. With allocated seating in vintage carriages, the trains are pulled by magnificent steam locomotives such as the iconic Mayflower, one of only two surviving B1 Class engines, built in 1948.

During the London to Winchester trip, dining passengers will enjoy a Champagne breakfast and a two-course meal with a special gift for ladies. After steaming into Winchester, enjoy a day exploring its magnificent Cathedral, legendary Castle and boutique shops or join an optional excursion (supplement applies) to the stunning Mottisfont.

Alternatively, celebrate Mother's Day departing from Winchester and travel by steam locomotive to Littlehampton past Portchester Castle, the Spinnaker Tower and the Solent whilst indulging in a delicious Champagne afternoon tea, not forgetting an extra treat for the ladies travelling.

The Steam Dreams Rail Co., also offers the option of gift vouchers starting at £50 with a choice of over 40 evocative days out by steam train throughout the year travelling to cathedral cities, coastal towns, beautiful gardens and historic sites across the UK. Delivered as a gift voucher, either by post or email, these trips will delight anyone with a love of history, nostalgia or unique experiences.

To purchase a Mother's Day Special steam train trip or gift voucher please call the Steam Dream Rail Co., Booking Office on 01483 209888

9am – 5.30pm on weekdays or purchase online at

www.steamdreams.co.uk  

-ENDS-

For further information contact WixHill PR:

Tim Fordham-Moss / Pippa Evans

tim@wixhill.co.uk / pippa@wixhill.co.uk

+44 (0) 771 491788 / + 44 (0) 7545 522292

Editor's Notes:

Fares

*London Paddington to Windsor: fares from £79pp for Premium Standard, £175pp for Premier Style Dining and £225pp for Pullman Style Dining.

**Hampshire Coast Cream Tea Tour: fares from £49pp for Premium Standard, £125pp for Premier Style Dining and £149pp for Pullman Style Dining.

Gift Vouchers

Valid for a full year from date of purchase, gift voucher travel must be booked before the voucher expires but travel can take place after this date. Gift vouchers start at £50.

Gift tickets can also be purchased which summarize the trip itinerary purchased without prices and come in a special presentation wallet.

61306 Mayflower

Built for the London & North Eastern Railway in 1948, 61306 Mayflower is one of two surviving B1 Class locomotives. Designed as mixed traffic locomotives capable of hauling express passenger trains as well as freight traffic, the B1s are powerful, go anywhere engines and worked across most of the UK rail network from East Anglia to Scotland.

Mayflower was built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow but was delivered post-nationalisation and acquired the number 61306 by British Railways. She was first allocated to Hull Botanic Gardens Depot followed by a spell at Hull Dairycotes Depot before being finally transferred to Low Moor Depot, Bradford. She was the last B1 in service; her final trip was hauling the 'Yorkshire Pullman' from Leeds in September 1967.

Mayflower was immediately purchased for preservation and was initially based at Steamtown in Carnforth. She was fully restored for mainline operation and worked a number of rail tours in the 1970's. Acquired by Steam Dreams owner David Buck in 2014, she returned to the mainline in 2015 before being withdrawn for an extensive overhaul. Resplendent in the early British Railways apple green livery as she was originally given when delivered in 1948 she returned to full mainline operation in early 2019.

Mayflower has two cylinders, 6 driving wheels, a firebox grate area of 30 square feet and can operate at 75mph.

Carbon Offset

The Steam Dreams Rail Co. is the first rail charter to be carbon neutral. Every year the company makes a donation to carbon reduction projects, to offset the carbon emissions that steam engines produce.

This year, Steam Dreams Rail Co. is sponsoring a solar project based in India, supporting India in the transition to a low carbon economy through renewable energy generation and ask all their passengers to contribute a small £1 voluntary supplement towards this cause. www.eco-act.com.

About The Steam Dreams Rail Co.

• The first tour left London for Salisbury in December 1999 and was an immediate success
• Two decades later, the company is proud to be offering day trips to more than 35 different destinations and picking up passengers at over 100 stations across the UK every year
• The Steam Dreams Rail Co. is now delighted to offer a number of multi-day tours around the British Isles as well as overseas tours to Germany (2020) and New Zealand (2021).
• The company has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence every year since 2015, and was short-listed for Best Rail Holiday Provider in the inaugural Silver Travel Awards