It’s full steam ahead for a trip on the historic Mayflower locomotive
COMMUTERS of the capital will be used to seeing the colourful sites of South West Trains or feeling the tiring city hustle and bustle on the London Underground.
You will be lucky to get a seat while travelling on modern convoys in rush hour, and sometimes the views outside can be as dreary looking as the person standing with their face uncomfortably close to your head, but a historic train is coming to the capital and it is a sight for sore eyes.
The old locomotive will stop and travel through London.
Travelling from Southend East to the famous Bluebell Railway, the 71-year-old steam train will stop at Upminister, Barking and Stratford. The journey will take place on Saturday March 23 – just in time for Spring.
So, why see the historical Mayflower?
The classic 61306 Mayflower was built in 1948 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow.
It has two cylinders, six driving wheels, a firebox grate area of 30 square feet and can operate at 75mph.
The train is one of the last surviving B1 engines which were engineered to haul express passenger trains and also freight traffic.
“She was first allocated to Hull Botanic Gardens Depot followed by a spell at Hull Dairycotes Depot, before being finally transferred to Low Moor Depot, Bradford.
“She was the last B1 in service and her final trip was hauling the ‘Yorkshire Pullman’ from Leeds in September 1967,” says the Steam Dream website.
The exciting trip will be diesel hauled from west London to Southend on the return journey.
Due to a lack of turning facilities at the Bluebell Railway, it will reverse south of London and the diesel engine will haul the train between south London and Kingscote on the outward journey.
Fares for this tour start from £119 in Premium Standard, £169 in First Class, £219 in Premier Dining and £279 in Pullman Style Dining.