‘TIME flies by when I’m the driver of a train’ goes the song from my childhood: being just too young to remember steam train travel, I had only this and a couple of childhood trips on very short restored heritage lines on summer holidays to go on when it came to steam-hauled train travel. Because the Hogwarts Express, the Railway Children and Brief Encounter are all works of fiction and film fantasy.

But they are all based on reality, one that turned out to be much more enchanting and engaging than I expected. As we waited on the platform at Salisbury for our Steam Dreams train to arrive from London, there was a curious air of anticipation and the excitement I felt as the Mayflower hove into sight round a curve in the track was unexpected.

As the crew drew breath for a water stop there was time to join the throng admiring the engine before finding out which of the charmingly-named carriages was ours, boarding and sitting down to a beautifully laid table. We’d not even left the station before waiters were pouring us a welcoming glass of bubbly, offering crisp pastries and assuring that breakfast would be along very soon.

Brunch, at that time of day, was beautifully hot and tasty, some of the best scrambled eggs I’ve had recently out of a commercial kitchen, served with bacon, black pudding, mushrooms and so on. And lots of good coffee.

I was intrigued to find that sitting inside the carriage you can really hear the ‘chuff chuff’ of the steam and feel the effort the engine makes as it builds up speed, until soon we were running along the Wylye Valley. Which is where I got another surprise – there were train enthusiasts everywhere.

On a station platform or nearby bridge I’d expected, but Some of the 100,000 trainspotters from across the UK, armed with giant tripods and enormous lenses, had clearly staked their place very early in the corner of fields carefully chosen for the backdrop as Mayflower passed. Every road crossing or station had people smiling, waving, pointing out the train to children, delighted if you waved back. If this is what being a celebrity is like, bring it on.

Train travel of any sort gives you a different perspective on a landscape, even a familiar one, and the views through west Wiltshire and the Limpley Stoke valley were lovely. Once in Bristol we admired the engine once more and then, conscious of the fact that a delay earlier in the trip on another line meant our time in the city was tight, leapt aboard a bus and headed for the Museum. Some of our fellow passengers were planning to visit the SS Great Britain, hit the shops or try the Aquarium, but we felt the need for more culture.A pleasant meander through the centuries of art later (no need for lunch, we’d eaten so well)it was back to the platform.

Again, it was the crowd reaction that impressed: even jaded commuters who had just started to throng Temple Meads smiled and suddenly became chatty when they spotted the plume of steam approaching.

Back on board it was time for some more fine dining. This time the pressure really was on the staff, as they had to serve a two-course meal to those of us getting off in Salisbury and three courses to everyone else.

I scored here, as the starter featured goats cheese which my husband hates so I got double with my roast beetroot and caramelised walnut salad. No such luck with the main, a beautifully cooked fillet of British beef with braised baby veg and fondant potato. I am sure the chocolate brownie and raspberry crushed meringue pudding was of equal standard.

Steam Dreams run trips all over the British Isles, offering day excursions with many South West destinations having stops in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. If you start your journey in London you can even head up to the famous Settle-Carlisle line.They also organise holidays with steam rail travel, and the engines which haul the trains include the Flying Scotsman.

They’re a real treat, whether you remember steam or not, and many of our fellow travellers were on repeat excursions, with lots of others, like us, trying the company for the first time. Some were using gift packages bought for special birthdays or anniversaries by friends or family.

If you want to imitate Lord Belborough and ‘ride on the footplate there and back again’ you will have to join their staff, but many of the stewards are volunteers who remember the days of steam.

We had a wonderful day out, and have been on the website since researching other trips.

The Steam Dreams Rail Co www.steamdreams.org 01483 209 888 from 9am- 5.30pm weekdays Disabled access possible Parking available at all stations Food: 9/10 Décor: 10/10 Service: 9/10 TripAdvisor rating: 4.5 Prices start at £49 and go to around £119 per adult, with various dining packages adding extra.