Full steam ahead! Champagne, sumptuous seats, delicious food – this is English rail travel at its finest
Normally I’d focus on the menu in a restaurant, but on this occasion it’s the tableside picture window which grabs my attention.
I instantly slide it open. Why? Because this is the fine dining carriage of a 1946 steam locomotive and, according to a waiter, windows should be opened to let in the smut. ‘It flavours the food!’
There’s growing nostalgia for the golden age of train travel, something rail enthusiast Marcus Robertson has tapped into. Some 25 years ago he set about restoring engines and carriages from the 1920s onwards and created Steam Dreams Rail Co, offering day trips on heritage trains across Britain.
I’m on a five-hour Garden of England lunchtime tour, hauled by an elegant 80-year-old engine named Braunton. As the whistle blows and we pull away from London Victoria, clouds of smoke and smut puff into the carriage. Close your eyes and the aroma transports you back to a bygone era.
Carriages are wider and glossier than on today’s trains. Wood-panelling is highly polished and seating is in sumptuous armchairs plumped with cushions. Fresh flowers sit on crisp, white tablecloths next to an array of glasses.
Jo Kessel (pictured) takes a five-hour lunchtime tour from London to the South Coast on a heritage train hauled by an elegant 80-year-old engine named Braunton
Champagne is served first followed by wine and canapes and there’s time to explore before lunch. This is called Pullman-style Dining and includes a gourmet three-course meal. First Class offers sparkling wine and a snack box; Premium Standard serves tea and coffee.
Whatever the class, everyone’s treated like a VIP and all carriages are equally plush — the only difference is the pattern of upholstery.
Despite its age, Braunton is sprightly, rolling along at 75mph. This makes walking through the carriages wobbly work, especially after some vino. The gentleman in front of me is in search of the WC when he teeters dangerously.
‘Whatever the class, everyone’s treated like a VIP and all carriages are equally plush — the only difference is the pattern of upholstery,’ says Jo
There’s a romance about train rides that focus on the journey as opposed to the destination, Jo reveals
‘Think I’ve drunk too much,’ he says as I lend a steadying arm. The loos, incidentally, are delightful — more Ritz than National Rail.
Our trip follows a circular route via the North Downs, across the Medway towards the South Coast, and the seasonal menu features produce from the passing fields.
No idea how, but chef Nicholas Allen prepares dishes for 200 passengers in a galley the size of a large SUV. There’s no electricity or microwave, just two gas ovens.
On board the train, Jo enjoys ‘Pullman-style Dining’ – Champagne and canapes, followed by a gourmet three-course meal
One of the fish dishes served on one of Steam Dreams Rail Co’s day trips across Britain
‘Despite its age, Braunton (above) is sprightly, rolling along at 75mph,’ says Jo
The poached trout and crayfish starter and South Downs lamb for mains taste delicious as we rattle past the Isle of Sheppey then Rochester Cathedral. There’s a 20-minute stop in Canterbury and passengers and train enthusiasts alike gather to admire this vintage beauty.
It’s hot outside, but it’s even hotter when I’m allowed onto the footplate to help shovel coal. I’m asked if I’d like to pull the whistle. Yes, please. The trumpeting woo-woo is a real thrill.
Minutes later I’m tucking into apple tart as we steam past the white cliffs of Dover and the English Channel. On a good day I’m told that you can see France.
There’s a romance about train rides which focus on the journey as opposed to the destination. The experience feels very Orient Express, with nothing but time and the open rails ahead. You might end up feeling a bit smutty, but it’s a fabulous way to let off some steam.
TRAVEL FACTS
The circular five-hour Garden of England lunchtime tour leaves from London Victoria (steamdreams.co.uk, 01483 209 888) and costs from £79pp. Departures are weekly until the end of August. A sunset Surrey tour costs from £69pp.
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