Main Line News
■ ‘ Jacobite’and Saphos Trains plan to operate with steam from July 15
■ New luxury trains operator for Settle and Carlisle this summer
■ David Buck to temporarily rename and renumber his LNER B1 Mayflower
BOTHWestCoastRailways ( WCR) and SaphosTrains haveannounced their intentiontoresumesteam- hauledtours onWednesday, July15.
However, social distancingandthe needtowear facemaskswhentravelling onall passenger trains remainkey challenges for rail touroperatorsand promotersuntil theGovernment relaxes its currentmandatory restrictionson public transport.
Giventhe ScottishGovernmentwas mindful tolift restrictionsonthe tourist industry in Scotland– andwould confirm itonJuly9– WCRwaspreparing to restart ‘ Jacobite’operations fromFortWilliam and Mallaig, initiallywith themorning train only. However, ticketdemandwas such thatbothmorningandafternoon departures will resume.
LMS‘ Black Five’ 4- 6- 0sNo. 45407 The LancashireFusilierandNo. 44871 will beaccompaniedbyNELPG’s2- 6- 0 K1 No. 62005. It is likelyall threelocomotives will stayfor the remainder of the season if allgoeswell in July.
SaphosTrains said itwashappyto runits‘ Fellsman’excursion fromCrewe toCarlisle, returningvia the Settleand Carlisle lineonJuly 15with reduced capacity. ThebookedlocomotiveisLMS 4- 6- 0No. 46100RoyalScot.
ASaphosspokesmantold Heritage Railway:“Wehavedoneahugeamount ofwork to keep our passengers safe. In the event that theGovernmenteases restrictionsonleisuretravel, weareready to operatewith reducedpassenger numbersfromJuly15.”
TheGovernmenteaseditstwo- metre social distancing restriction to‘ onemetre plus’onJune23, which it ishopedwill assist the tourism industryinparticular. However, thewearing of facemaskson trains to reducethespreadof infection remainsmandatory.
SteamDreams’chairmanDavid Buck saidthatwhileareduction in socialdistancingwould helpin accommodating passengers, albeit in smallernumbers, facemaskspreventany hopeof meals being servedindiningcars ontrains.
Nevertheless, having revised his expectations, David hasnowearmarked Friday, August 14 asapossible starting date forhis railtours.
Thefirst trip, departing fromLondon Victoriaandcalling at Eghamand Woking, heads forSouthampton behindB14- 6- 0No. 61306Mayflower, routedvia BasingstokeandWinchester to the formerSouthernRailway port’s Maritime Festival.
Thehighlightof thedaywillbethe unveilingof therenovatedMayflower memorial andaparade of sails featuring localboats, allpart of this year’s Mayflower 400 celebrations, markingthe anniversaryof thePilgrimFathers’voyage to theNewWorld.
Onarrival, the train will enablelocal residents toembarkonatwo- hour circular tour ofHampshirewhileenjoying achampagnecreamtea.
Christmas programme
David saidSteamDreamsis concentrating its thoughtsonanend- ofthe- year Christmas programme, when hopefully, trading conditions willbeback tosomeformof normality.
In themeantime, heiskeen to take hisB1plussupportcoach to the Didcot RailwayCentre to collectGWR4- 6- 0 No. 6023KingEdwardII’s former support coach, Mk. 1BSKNo. 35453, whichhe recentlybought.
As reportedinissue267, Davidintends tooperate it attached to his kitchencar RBRNo. 1666, which oncerefurbished, will allowkitchen staff to serve meals for morethan300 covers.
Part of the plan is to give Mayflower arunoutafter extendedwinter maintenance atSouthall, which included amongother tasks, fittinganewbrick archandareplacementstay.
PathfinderTourswas also hopingtoget atrain underwayinAugust with its‘ Blue
BoysMerrymixer’featuringnofewer thanfivedifferent types of DirectRail Services- ownedlocomotives.
Thetrain starts fromEastleighon Saturday the 15thandpicksupat all principle stationsenroutetoBirmingham viaReadingandDidcot.
If this resumption of business is successful, thetrip willbefollowedbyan excursion to Stranraer. TwoClass50s are booked toheadthe train fromThame Bridge ParkwayandBirminghamNew StreetonSaturday, August 22, via Crewe, WiganandCarlisle.
Pathfinder saidits officewouldbe closeduntil June 29, butemail will remain its preferredmethodof contact.
TheRailwayTouringCompany’s ( RTC) managing directorKellyOsbornealso saidshewaspreparing to runatrain in mid- to- lateAugust, tobeselectedfrom RTC’scurrent programme.
Therearetwolikely candidates: ‘ TheCotswoldVenturer’fromPaddington toWorcester, onSaturday, August 22, or alternatively, a‘ CumbrianMountain Express’fromCrewetoCarlisleon Saturday, August29.
In keeping with the majorityofother railtour promoters, RTC is maintaining areducedenquiryservice, takingcalls between10am- 2pmonMondays to Fridays.
However, themainnews fromKing’s Lynnis that thisyear’s‘ GreatBritain 2020’ nine- day tour hasbeenpostponeduntil nextyear, whenpresumably the running datesandtour programmewillbebased onthose alreadylaiddownfor this year.
Also in optimisticmood, TheA1 SteamLocomotiveTrust announced it intends to run trains withNo. 60163 Tornado in September. Thefirsttwoare ‘ TheAberdonian’, operating between Edinburghandthe Granite Cityon September3and10.
OnSaturday, September12, the‘ Queen of Scots’isplannedto run fromYork to EdinburghandStirling, whileonthe 19th, ‘ TakeaTicket toRide’seestheA1working fromDarlingtonto Liverpoolandreturn.
Thetrust said all safetyprecautionswill becarriedout forpassengers, including train staffwearing PPEequipment.
VintageTrains, whichrecently announcedithaddecidedtoabandon mainline running for thewhole of this year, hasbeenjoined byUKRailtours ( UKRT), which haswrittenoff plans to run trains.
Elizabeth FarrowreopenedUKRT’s officeonJune 22. Ithadbeenclosed followingthe recentdeathofher father andcompanyowner John.
Themajorityof tripsadvertised in UKRT’sbrochureare being postponed untilnext year, althoughif the current situation changes trainsmightbe reinstatedlater this year.
Theonly departureconfirmedis the ‘ West Highland& RoyalDeeside’four- day tour, starting onApril 12, 2021.
Revisedprogramme
New, revised tour datesweretobe published by early July, along with the hope thatone or twoofUKRT’spopular Christmas trainsmayrun. Telephone enquiries can bemadebetween 10am- 2pmMondays- Fridays, but not onWednesdays.
Network Rail saiditwas not responsible forpolicing the Government’scurrent instructions, but didissue the following statement: “Passengers shouldfollowadvice regardingthe use of publictransport ( this includes charter trains) by travelling only if necessary.
“Theydoneedtowear mandatory face coverings. Passengers arealsoadvised to avoidpeak times wherepossible, maintainthe twometredistance from othersandwash hands regularly.
“Thenewrulesabout facecoverings aretoprotect passengers, railwaystaff andmembers of thepublic.”
As this issueofHRwent to press, the wider Covid- 19situation remained fluid, sowould- be travellers areadvised to consult the operators directly to ascertain the latest situation.