His ambition to evoke the era of luxury steam travel was realised on Thursday, 16th December 1999, when over 150 passengers boarded a train at Waterloo station for a day out to Salisbury. Since its inception in that year, Steam Dreams Rail Co has gone from strength to strength and now welcomes over 20,000 passengers on board each year on over 40 day trips. In addition to the popular day trips, Steam Dreams also offers a number of UK Holidays by steam including journeys to Edinburgh, Wales, The Lake District and Cornwall. In the past the company have also offered holidays to Ireland, Scotland and Mainland Europe.
In December 2018, The Steam Dreams Rail Co. was acquired by locomotive owner David Buck. With a passion for steam travel and as the owner of one of the UK’s most recognisable locomotives, David bought a new energy to the business along with exciting plans including regular summer itineraries. These new summer steam train itineraries, under their ‘Steam Express’ brand, were launched in 2019 with one-way trips to Windsor and evening dining trains from London.
In June 2022, The Steam Dreams Rail Co. was acquired by Locomotive Services Group (LSG). LSG have been involved in the railway industry for many years and bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge as well as a large stable of locomotives, drivers and beautifully-appointed carriages. Sample the new Steam Dreams experience by taking a look at our new on board video below.