We Need More Baubles!!
With The Duke out on the mainline, Saphos Trains agreed that the Trust could offer onboard sales to their passengers, giving us an excellent opportunity to raise our profile and, importantly, generate revenue.
Simon Davies has shared his experiences on the art of selling on board a train.
My introduction came on November’s ‘Royal Scot’, assisting Steve Wakeland on the return from Carlisle. Sales had been high on the outbound run, but we remained so busy that Penrith, Shap and the Lune Gorge passed unnoticed! I’d originally planned to wear a sweatshirt, but thankfully none were in stock, as even with just a ‘Duke’ T-shirt, I was soon ‘glowing hot’, which I put down to the very effective heating… and numerous runs back to the staff coach for more stock. Thankfully, the Lancaster water stop allowed us time to catch our breath before wrapping up by Preston.
A small team was put together for the six December 2025 Christmas Market specials, consisting of Steve Wakeland, Richard Maxwell, Nigel Strudwick, David Wainwright & myself. We developed an action plan along with a roster whilst identifying several key challenges, for example:
Our geographical spread meant we could only cover trips where it was practical to get to either a pickup point or to Southall, but as an example, for one of the team, it meant being on the road at 04:00 to make Dorridge in time for a 06:00 departure.
Initially, we were advised that for safety reasons we couldn’t join at Southall, but, thankfully, Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) were able to arrange for us to board the support coach on the non-public platform before backing down to Hanwell to meet the main train.
Although we had two large lockable travel bags stored in the staff coach, we still had to address the logistical issue of restocking after each run.
Ultimately, we only covered two runs due to non-availability for a couple, then following the AWS issue, we stood down as LSL indicated the loco wouldn’t be available for the remainder. When it was rostered for the final Oxford trip, it was too late to get the team and stock in place. The actual trips were covered by Nigel and myself (4th), Richard and Steve (6th), but unfortunately, David missed out due to the expected non-availability of the loco.
Thanks must go to the Saphos Trains’ onboard crew who made us very welcome and, despite being on duty for up to 16 hours, were always on hand with a cuppa when most needed. Most coaches were for Pullman Dining, and the Saphos team are constantly in the aisles, so we were mindful not to interfere with their service, and timing was crucial for our ‘selling’. On both trips, we were left with 2 or 3 coaches not visited by Bath, and although the Saphos service on the return trip took longer, we did complete the train.
We had strict instructions to promote the Christmas ‘Duke’ baubles, but needn’t have worried. By the second coach we’d sold out, quickly followed by fridge magnets & beanies. Frantic messages on our WhatsApp Group alerted Steve Wakeland that “We need more baubles!” By the third coach, our sales patter had changed to “Apart from Baubles, beanies & magnets we have everything in stock” only to be met with “Got any baubles?” Ultimately, we could have sold out 3 times over!
This is clearly the luxury end of the steam excursion market and a very different passenger profile to those oriented to enthusiasts, so we will need to consider adding ranges that cater to that market. It’s noticeable that whilst a steam engine is a key draw, it is less relevant which one is at the head of the train, so a very enjoyable part of the day was engaging with passengers over the merits of The Duke, but that didn’t stop one gentleman from enquiring, “Got any Braunton souvenirs?”
By the time The Duke hauls his next charter in Spring 2026 we will have addressed some of our learning points, but we do need to add to our volunteer base and ideally gain a wider geographical spread. I can’t deny the long hours are tiring, and you certainly get your steps in, but it really is good fun. We are a great team and best of all, you get a run behind The Duke, so if this has whetted your appetite, please contact me, Simon Davies by email at Simon.Davies@TheDuke.UK.com.