Saphos adds more Pacific power with Duchess heading the ‘Coronation Scot’
LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 6233 Duchess of Sutherland will be hauling the Saphos Trains September 24-26 ‘Coronation Scot’tour rather than motive power from the Locomotive Services Limited pool.
Inaugurated in 1937, the ‘Coronation Scot’ was the premier train of the LMS and the tour follows the majority of its route.
The tour, which will use the Saphos carmine and cream rake of carriages, departs Euston on Saturday, September 24 at 7am behind a Class 40 diesel, picking up en route to Crewe. The Duchess then takes over for a run over Shap and Beattock to Glasgow, arriving at about 7pm.
Sunday is a free day to explore the area, with Monday’s return over Beattock and the Settle and Carlisle route to Crewe, where locomotives are changed for a return to Euston at 9.30pm.
No overnight accommodation is included, giving choice to the passengers. The Saphos office has a list of recommended hotels and staff are happy to help.
On June 8, the Saphos ‘Welsh Marches Whistler’ started at Preston behind diesel power and BR Standard Class 7 Pacific No. 70000 Britannia took over for the run from Crewe to Bristol, routed through Shrewsbury. Timekeeping was generally good, with a seven-minute late arrival at Preston.
The ‘English Riviera Express’ season started on June 11 with a fully-booked train to Kingswear via the Dartmouth Steam Railway. This train was due to start from Solihull but was switched to Dorridge two stations to the south because of cable theft, leaving 34 minutes late.
At Fairwater Yard outside Taunton the diesel was exchanged for Britannia, leaving six minutes late; again, time fluctuated but even after steady running, arrival at Kingswear was 17 minutes down. The return trip was a different matter, being only minutes late throughout and just five down on return at Solihull.
The rest of the season, the ‘Riviera’ follows a similar pattern of diesel haulage to Taunton where steam takes over.
Britannia is kept at Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Railway, where it was joined on June 17 by Bulleid West Country light Pacific No. 34046 Braunton to share the duties.
As previously reported, the WSR has agreed to provide stabling facilities for Britannia and its support coach at Bishops Lydeard until September 13. The WSR will also provide conductordriver services for the section between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren Junction, where No. 70000 will be turned on the triangle at the beginning of each trip.
LSL managing director Tony Bush said: “We are very grateful to the WSR for its hospitality during our 2022 West Country operations and we look forward to building a lasting relationship with the team there.”
WSR chairman Jon Jones- Pratt said: “We are confident that we can provide this strategic operating benefit to the national network for Train Operating Companies looking to operate both steam and diesel to the West Country.
“This innovation is all part of our continued business recovery and development plan, and for us it is another milestone to celebrate.”
‘Riviera’ departures will be from various stations to widen the market: July 2 from Poole; limited places are available on July 9 from High Wycombe; July 16, Cardiff, July 30, Kettering; August 6, Wolverhampton; August 20, Ely; September 3 from the home base at Crewe; and September 10, Shrewsbury.
On June 15, the ‘Fellsman’ ran from Crewe to Chester behind a diesel; 34046 Braunton took over for a run over the Settle to Carlisle line. The return run was the same as the outward, with very minor delays. A repeat will take place on July 20 and August 24.
After LSL’s takeover of Steam Dreams, as reported last issue, LMS 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot filled in running between Hellifield and Edinburgh on the ‘Capital Express’, which originated from King’s Cross on June 16.
The following day, June 17, two Fife and Forth circle tours ran Edinburgh Dunfermline-Edinburgh with the Scot. The tour returned to the Cross on Sunday, June 19, departing Edinburgh a minute late at 9.17am, running down the East Coast Main Line to at York six minutes early at 3.32pm. A diesel took the train onward to King’s Cross, arriving on time at 8.35pm. After an overnight stop at York,
No. 46100 returned to Crewe the following day.
The ‘Golden Hind’ starts at Slough, diesel-hauled to Taunton, on July 13, where double-headed steam takes on the South Devon banks beyond Newton Abbott to Plymouth. Motive power was expected to be Braunton and Britannia. The ‘William Shakespeare ‘on August 3 heads to Stratford-upon-Avon from Carnforth, exchanging its diesel for steam at Crewe. Following the recent acquisition of B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower from David Buck, along with Steam Dreams, the locomotive has gone straight into works to have an air pump fitted as it was only vacuum brake fitted. The work was likely to take 12 weeks.