Private train whimsy - why not?

[Meerkat]

So there are a lot of EMUs about with life in them, and conversions to bi-mode on offer.....
How ludicrously impractical would a private train be for the seriously rich? Luxurious lounge interior in the non-engine carriages, kitchen, maybe staff bunks/rest area.
There are a surprising amount of toy hungry mega rich people - private jets, yachts, and super cars are flourishing, but if not them then maybe market at luxury, go anywhere, private/corporate charters.
What would the ballpark capital cost be? Would no loco hire make running costs vaguely feasible?
Even if the cost was not preposterous would you be able to get it around the congested network (pathing, route availability, speed)?
I was obviously triggered by the 769 concept but some will be lottery dreaming about a short form HST!!

 

[pdeaves]

Buying it: easy
Doing it up: easy
Getting suitable paths on the network without stuffing up everyone else: difficult (but not impossible, talk to the charter operators)

 

[GusB]

There will be a load of Pacers needing to find homes. How about refurbishing them as limousine-style vehicles (think stretched Hummer), and use them for hen/stag parties?


I'll fetch my coat.

 

[Cowley]

I reckon that the preposterously high price tag of something like this would almost be a selling point for some of the rich yet eternally short of intelligence that frequent our planet these days...
It’s whether they’d be happy to spend six hours parked in Millerhill Yard due to lack of paths though?

Actually thinking about it, I suppose that as long as there were a couple of TV crews there to film them talking about their hairstyles and lifestyle for the 6 hours, which could then be live streamed to a dribbling and vacuous audience then yes.
This could quite possibly work.

The train would have to be seriously bling though.
You couldn’t just give a WCRC class 47 a Vajazzle.

 

[gingerheid]

How would you crew it?

 

[Mag_seven]

How would you crew it?

Just contract it out to a FOC.

 

[Indigo Soup]

How ludicrously impractical would a private train be for the seriously rich? Luxurious lounge interior in the non-engine carriages, kitchen, maybe staff bunks/rest area.

Well, there's one running on the network already:

Is that model applicable to wealthy private individuals? Probably not, for all the usual reasons of pathing. Now if we still had LHCS, fitting in private saloons wouldn't be nearly as difficult. And practically speaking, a private saloon would probably be adequate for most purposes.

 

[sprunt]

How does pathing work for charters? In my mind, the operator applies to whoever (Network Rail?) for a path, and then they just have to accept what they're given and that they may have to wait around to allow scheduled services to go where they need to go, and so it may take them considerably longer to get where they want to go. Is that roughly what happens?

 

[Clip]

Id certainly buy one and have luxurious party train/sleeper for overnight jaunts around the country

 

[Meerkat]

DB have still got a company train haven’t they?
Less personal luxury idea I had was that you have a 769 in plush charter layout that you can couple up behind the service train on scenic routes such as West Highland, Far North, HoW etc. No extra path or driver and guard needed (except for positioning moves) and a lower break even point for the trip. Or a half and half 769 that replaces the service unit, freeing one up for the TOC to use elsewhere, or boosting standard capacity.

Anyway, back to the real world....

 

[Pigeon]

How about the povvo version? Take one of those rail budgie things that you can pedal up and down the Churnet Valley on sometimes (I think), fit it with a bike engine and some kind of cowling to keep the wind and rain off you, launch it at a handy level crossing during the Christmas shutdown, and career about the country on it seeing how much mileage you can rack up.

 

[6Gman]

How does pathing work for charters? In my mind, the operator applies to whoever (Network Rail?) for a path, and then they just have to accept what they're given and that they may have to wait around to allow scheduled services to go where they need to go, and so it may take them considerably longer to get where they want to go. Is that roughly what happens?

Basically, yes. (Or at least, it was when I used to plan them.)

 

[JayDee]

I believe Mister Hosking had a private birthday train a few years ago using his stuff.So it's perfectly possible in theory.

 

[Trainfan344]

So if I were to work with a charter company, I could use a 153, fit it out with some luxury seating, a small bar with selling real ale, and make it suitable for 125 running? How much would we be looking at? More or less than £5 million?

 

[theageofthetra]

So if I were to work with a charter company, I could use a 153, fit it out with some luxury seating, a small bar with selling real ale, and make it suitable for 125 running? How much would we be looking at? More or less than £5 million?

This is basically what quite a few of the scenic route trains are in Japan. They use what is very much their equivalent of a 153 and have the interior done out to a very high spec, often with beautiful hand crafted details done by artists from the region they operate in. Cannot recommend using these services highly enough though you may need to use a UK based Japanese agent to book seats.