Full steam ahead

THE 50th anniversary of the end of British Railways steam passenger services will be commemorated by The Railway Touring Company this summer. On Saturday, August 11, the day that the legendary ‘15 Guinea Special’ ran for the last time, in 1968, two steam specials will run on the Settle & Carlisle Line once more.

‘Thousands, sad to see the end of steam, gathered along the Settle & Carlisle route to watch the passage of the BR “15 Guinea Special”,’ says Nigel Dobbing, MD of The Railway Touring Company, describing the last ride 50 years ago.

‘Fortunately, a number of fine steam locomotives were saved from the scrapyard and it’s wonderful to see these magnificent feats of British engineering still at work on our railways hauling steam specials.’

The Cumbrian Mountain Express will depart from London Euston for a speedy journey north, via Milton Keynes, Rugby, Nuneaton, Crewe and Preston, to Carnforth, where a historic steam locomotive will take over for the dramatic Cumbrian Fells crossing to Carlisle, followed by the steep climbs and long hillside tunnels of the Settle & Carlisle Line. Passengers will be able to enjoy views of the Three Peaks and the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct. The second train that day will set out from York by steam, stopping at Leeds, Shipley, Keighley and Skipton, before crossing the Settle & Carlisle Line.

Advance booking is required; call 01553 661500 or visit www.railwaytouring.net. The Railway Touring Company is also running a programme involving some 65 steam trains and 10 preserved steam locomotives this year, including the No 60103 Flying Scotsman.