Alan Payling looks at what’s on offer at the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company, which operates open top buses, steam trains, sea and river cruisers, ferries and paddle steamers in South Devon
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There’s been a lot written about time travel over the years, but there’s one way of coming close to experiencing the phenomena – by spending a day being looked after by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company. I would probably go further in saying that spending a day on the steam trains and river cruisers the company runs is like being on a film set but with the glorious scenery that is provided by Torbay and the Dart valley as very picturesque backdrops.
I’m surprised that Disney hasn’t made a film here based loosely on the novels of Enid Blyton; ‘The Famous Five on the Round Robin’ say, the Round Robin being the circular journey that is the showcase for the many scenic and period delights offered by the company.
There are variations on the theme, but to experience the full journey back in time to somewhere between 1920 and 1965, the Round Robin is the trip to take. This starts by boarding the steam train at Paignton terminating at Kingswear for the foot ferry across the River Dart. The pontoon where the foot ferry drops passengers is the place to hop on the river cruiser up the Dart to Totnes where one of the company’s double deckers – some open top – takes everyone back to Paignton, and to the reality of the 21st century.
Options for operators
The first question for operators planning on including a jaunt around Devon on one of the the company’s vessels, trains or buses will be: ‘What’s on offer?’ Well, operators will be spoilt for choice, as there are plenty of options to choose from in the Devon triangle the company operates in. One thing’s for sure, whichever option is chosen, either South Devon’s coastline, the river Dart or the county’s rolling, rusty hills will be always be in the background.
The best place to start is by having a look at the company’s website, where a camera mounted on a drone gives the curious operator a cinematic insight into the company’s operation. The site then lists the various journeys that operators can include in a tour based at a hotel in South or East Devon.
Operators could include the Round Robin mentioned above, which is one of the company’s most popular trips given that it offers such variety. The advantage for operators here is that when a coach is parked up for the day due to drivers’ hours, a full day at the railway can still be offered due to the comprehensive range of services the company provides. For the organised group, this can be a godsend in offering them a great day out which includes the chance to explore and enjoy lunch in Dartmouth.
Given the company’s extensive range of services, it might be an idea for an operator to approach their selected outing like everyone used to approach the Pick ‘n’ Mix in Woolworths – because there is probably always something different for them to offer their passengers. To take one very varied example, passengers could be taken to Torquay Harbour to meet the Sea Train which first sails across Tor Bay to Brixham. It then sails around the coast to Dartmouth, hopefully spotting a dolphin or two en route. After spending a pleasant couple of hours in Dartmouth, passengers travel back to Torquay on the steam train. Here, they would go across the Dart on the company’s foot ferry to Kingswear station for the steam train back to Paignton and a service bus back into Torquay. Or, the Sea Train can be enjoyed by taking the steam train to Kingswear/Dartmouth first then the boat back to Torquay.
There is a lot of choice subject of course to the time of year and with the Sea Train, the weather. Passengers will not be bored by what is on offer given that they can spend time in Dartmouth, a delight at any time of year.
Keeping everyone happy
One of the benefits of the Dartmouth Steam Railway is the options it offers operators to cater for a wide variety of groups and possibly to tailor bespoke tours and excursions for niche and general markets. Steam railway enthusiasts come to mind not just because of the railway itself, but because of another gem of the later steam age operated by the company – their steam operated paddle steamer, the Kingswear Castle.
Built on the Dart in 1924, the steamer was bestowed with the Engineering Heritage Award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers recently. Other recipients of this award have been Concorde 101, Tower Bridge and the Jaguar E-Type. For certain groups of potential passengers, the Kingswear Castle really is a very big deal.
The advantage here is of course that this coal fired vessel is not sat in a museum; it’s living history and people pay good money to travel back in time to savour that sort of experience. As this is the only coal fired paddle steamer operating in the UK, and only runs on selected dates, the appeal is potentially very wide and sold as part of an included Round Robin must be able to put bums on coach seats.
Visitors to Agatha Christie’s former home overlooking the river Dart, now managed by the National Trust, can take advantage of the railway to access the crime queen’s estate. Full size coaches can’t access Greenway, so arriving by steam train at Greenway Halt is another way of making the best of a day by utilising the company’s service.
Of course, I’ve focused above on the tours market, but there are possibilities for operators within a day’s drive to include some aspect of the company’s operations in a day excursion. Come Christmas time, that could include offering day trips that appeal to a younger market – and their parents – by organising outings that take in the company’s Santa Express.
Appealing to a younger market is not just a seasonal option either, as events like the easter egg hunt, treasure hunt, and Superhero Spotting will all broaden the appeal of what the company has to offer. There are no age limits on the Dartmouth Steam Railway – there are options to include on tours and excursions that will appeal to all ages. And sometimes, the older you get, the greater the appeal.
Access
To be sure that any itinerary can be enjoyed by all passengers, operators should check what level of mobility is required to enjoy a day out on the railway by visiting the section marked ‘Access’ on the company’s website for full details. Generally speaking, where a passenger can at least walk a few steps, even with assistance, then access overall is good to the company’s trains, boats and buses. There are however exceptions (in particular, for electric wheelchairs on the boats) but for the full picture, see their website or speak to the company’s Days Out Advisors.
Options for drivers
The first thing to note is that the Dartmouth Steam Railway just loves coach drivers. So much so, they have a mobile sales representative floating around Torquay and Paignton to provide driver-orientated information about what the company offers and help when drivers want to make bookings.
Many will already have received valuable assistance from Sereny Houghton, the company’s long-serving Coach Rep, who has been with the company for some 26 years. So valued by the company is Sereny that they even named a railway carriage after her.
If the itinerary of a tour based in one of Torbay’s hotels doesn’t include a trip with the railway, then there is plenty of scope for drivers to offer their passengers a trip back in time. The favourite option for tours with Dartmouth as an included excursion is for the driver to pull into Steamer Quay in Totnes where the company’s river cruisers will be waiting to take their passengers downstream to the mouth of the Dart.
This option means that those passengers that want to enjoy the trip down river can hop off the coach and meet up with their driver on the Embankment in Dartmouth. Any passengers not wanting to go on the boat can stay on the coach and everyone’s happy – including the driver, who will be ‘looked after’ by the company for the tickets they’ve sold.
Another popular option for drivers is to organise tickets for passengers on their free day. This can be arranged for passengers based at any of Torbay’s hotels but is probably easier for groups staying in the central Belgrave Road area of Torquay or in Paignton itself. This option usually involves a return trip on the steam train from Paignton to Kingswear and then a quick hop on the company’s foot ferry across to Dartmouth itself. However, some passengers may want to do the full monty of the Round Robin to fill out the day, so it would be wise to ensure passengers are aware of all the available options. And, of course, even ticket sales valid on a driver’s day off will accrue the same commission.
When I say that the Dartmouth Steam Railway loves drivers – and tour managers – that affection even applies when they’re not on duty. When a driver is wondering what to do when they’re having a day off in resort, then all they have to do is give Sereny a call and she will arrange for a complimentary ticket for any of the company’s services to await them at Paignton station for example. If a driver should ever be taking a personal holiday with their family then, again, a complimentary ticket for their immediate family awaits them.
Where drivers have gone to Dartmouth via Totnes and put at least 20 passengers on the boat, the company will help them take the short cut home via the higher ferry across the Dart. Here they will receive a 50% discount voucher to reduce the cost of the ferry of £21.60.
Drivers should note however that tri-axle coaches are not allowed on the higher ferry – don’t even think about the lower ferry – and even with a two-axle coach, a dodgy ferry lift and a low tide can catch drivers out. Finally, for regular drivers, the company’s Season Loyalty Card offers drivers an additional 10p for all passengers carried during the year.
Getting behind the regulator
If a driver has sent lots of passengers the company’s way, they might like to consider using some of that commission to see what it’s really like in one of their hot seats. For the driver who has looked at one of the Dartmouth steam engines like Braveheart and thought to themselves something along the lines of ‘I could do that,’ then, in part, they could.
Like many steam railways, Dartmouth is no exception in allowing members of the public to get behind the regulator to see what it’s like on the footplate of a steam engine. This really is only a taster, it must be said, of what life is like driving a steam engine. But, for the driver keen to add bragging rights to their bow, at £89.00 it’s not a terribly expensive option and if some of it is covered by earned commission then it further reduces the cost.
For an idea of what it’s like, there are as ever videos on YouTube. One that caught my eye was entitled ‘Laura’s Steam Train Ride,’ which shows Laura experiencing the footplate. It just goes to show that they’re not just big boys toys. And I would dearly love to see the expression on the faces of a group of coach passengers if they rolled up to find their tour driver standing grinning at them from the footplate. What would they say to her?
So drivers, the above must surely prove that the Dartmouth Steam Railway really does treasure their relationship with coach drivers and will sail and steam the extra mile to accommodate them and their very welcome passengers.
A personal recommendation
The railway does come with a personal recommendation, as I recently reminded myself what is on offer by travelling on the Round Robin. The heatwave helped, particularly going up river. But what was most impressive was – despite this being a big operation – the helpful attitude of the company’s staff and the co-ordination of their services.
Whether it was the friendly staff in the coffee shop in Paignton station or the concern of the staff at Steamer Quay at Totnes that we would be able to get their 1700hrs bus back to Paignton, operators can rest assured that their passengers will receive the very best care and attention when they let them loose on their own on the company’s network. Given their all too common frailty and capacity, that must be reassuring.
Waves of happiness
Just one final observation. As mentioned above, I travelled on the Round Robin recently during the summer’s heatwave doing the full monty and I noticed an odd aspect of the public’s behaviour – and mine, as it happens. Whether we were on the steam train, the river cruiser or the open topper (but particularly on the train) people waved; so we waved back. Lovely. Wave after wave of waves, all along Goodrington Sands in particular. It was like entering a charming parallel universe; what I imagine England would be like if we’d won the World Cup – well, we were doing well at the time.
Having completed a delightful journey, we then went into the bus station in Paignton to get a Stagecoach number 12 back to Torquay. As the bus pulled out, and still full of the day’s sunny euphoria, we waved at the people sitting on the next bus on the stand. Guess what? Yes, that’s right, they looked at us like we were a pair of nutters, old nutters at that. The response was, in part, I will admit, pity. But can anyone explain that? Why do such similar modes of transport either generate smiles of joy or looks that could kill?
Whatever the reason, it is further evidence that your passengers will enjoy themselves in the fun world that is the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company. The only problem is, coming back down to earth might be a bit bumpy. But, hey, if your passengers will be getting back on your coach so you can take them back to their hotel, the magical day will last that little bit longer, won’t it? Well, at least until the bingo starts!
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