From The Front Coach
The photo op of 90-year-old Margaret Keenan, remember the name as she’ll be an answer on The Chase in ten years’ time, having the first vaccination against COVID-19 (surely) brought joy to everybody. At last, there was some light at the end of the tunnel after the nightmare that was 2020. Some hope, some optimism and some belief that 2021 might be the year we transition from the ‘new normal’ back to the eminently preferable ‘old normal’. All being well, come the spring, we could be back visiting football stadiums, music concerts, shows…. And, of course, travelling on charter trains!
And looking through the programmes of the ‘big two’ self-contained charter promoters, West Coast Railways and Locomotive Services, and promoter the Railway Touring Company, it seems others share this optimism. All three have near full programmes advertised for 2021. Pathfinder and UK Railtours are also looking to run trains from the spring and to be starting to claw back a year’s worth of disruption.
It would be naive to assume everything will be back to normal by April, and it’s a logistical challenge to get everyone vaccinated, twice for the initial vaccine. Also, no doubt many readers will (like me!) be in the ninth, tenth or last priority category to get their two jabs. But so long as there are no more lockdowns and the Tiers are slowly reduced, then some normality will be possible before the vaccine programme has been concluded.
With that in mind, LSL has announced a full series of steam trains through its Saphos programme (as detailed last month) while one of its main customers, Statesman Rail, has now detailed a full programme of diesel-hauled trains, including some weekend landcruises to Scotland, for 2021. Likewise, the Midland Pullman has a full series of trains using the newly repainted HST set (more on this later).
WCR has also announced most of its selfpromoted trains for 2021. The Spirit of the Lakes programme, day trips using its Class 47/57s, has so far got just two trains in the plan, but that is likely to grow. However, the Jacobite, Scarborough Spa Express, Dalesman and a series of day excursions that are steam-hauled for parts of the day, are now on its website.
For Statesman, the trips advertised so far are Hereford to Carlisle (January 9),
Birmingham International to Carlisle (January 23), Bangor to Carlisle (February 20), Stoke to Carlisle (March 13) and Doncaster to Portsmouth Harbour (March 31). Its first of four landcruises will be on March 20-22 from Milton Keynes to Fort William on the Saturday, Fort William to Mallaig and return on the Sunday and back to Milton Keynes on the Monday. A similar trip will run from Stevenage on April 10-12. September 25-27 will see an Ely to Kyle of Lochalsh three-day landcruise, which is repeated on October 9-11 from Leicester. Again, it’s travel north on the Saturday, this time to Inverness, then a day trip to Kyle on the Sunday and then back south on the Monday.
After those first two landcruises it will be back to a plethora of day trips and they will start on April 17 with a trip from Scarborough to Carlisle. That’s followed by trips from Ely to Llandudno (May 1), Worcester to Carlisle (May 8), Hull to Blaenau Ffestiniog (May 19), Hertford to Carlisle (May 22) and Newcastle to Carlisle (May 29). Into June and there’s a longdistance run from Wolverhampton to Penzance (June 2), then Cardiff to Carlisle (June 5) and Wolverhampton to Paignton (June 30).
Statesman will head back to Penzance on July 3 from Derby and again four days later from Shrewsbury. These will be its last 2021 Cornish trips. On July 10 it plans a train from St Albans to Scarborough and a week later it will be back to the same North Yorkshire resort with a train starting at Potters Bar. On July 28 there should be a Hereford to Ravenglass special and three days later a Chester to Weymouth jolly.
Four trains are planned for August. They are Ely to Weymouth (August 7), Chesterfield to Eastbourne (August 14), Crewe to Berwick-upon-Tweed (August 25) and High Wycombe to Dartmouth (August 28). Just two one-day excursion trains are proposed for September: Milton Keynes to Carlisle on September 18 and Wolverhampton to Edinburgh four days later. On October 2 Statesman plans a Uttoxeter to Carlisle trip and the border city will also be the destination on October 16 with a charter from High Wycombe. A week later, on October 23, there should be a Leicester to Edinburgh train. There is just one trip scheduled for November – a Chesterfield to Bath trip on the 27th – and there are two pre-Christmas trains planned for December – Hull to Edinburgh on December 4 and Ely to Edinburgh a week later.
Traction is most likely to be Class 47s, with Classes 86/87/90s possible for those lengthy sections under the 25kV AC wires. Class 37s will be used as required, either due to unavailability of 47s or to route restrictions. And, of course, LSL also has access to Class 20s, a 40 and, soon, a Class 55 within its fleet!
Plenty of steam from WCR
West Coast Railways has a massive steam-hauled programme planned for 2021 including its repeat itinerary ‘Jacobite’, ‘Dalesman’ and ‘Scarborough Spas Express’ trips as well steam on some legs of its day excursions. The ‘Dalesman’ trips will start on May 20. These will run from York or Chester and will be diesel hauled to Hellifield and back from Carnforth, with steam in between. They will run via the S&C and, after a break in Carlisle, return along the WCML via Shap. If previous years are anything to go by the diesel legs may well be of interest to modern traction fans as pairs of WCR’s 37s, as well as Classes 47/57s, may appear as required. The days for trains starting at York are May 20, June 3/17, July 1/22, August 12 and September 2/23, while those from Chester will run on June 1/22, July 13, August 3/24 and September 14.
The ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ will also run every Thursday throughout the summer, starting at Carnforth, and running either via Skipton or Preston and Wakefield. Again, WCR has often used 37s and other ‘exotic’ power on the diesel legs as far as Holgate Sidings, just south of York, where steam takes over to Scarborough. The trains running via Hellifield, Skipton, Keighley, Shipley and Woodlesford are set for May 27, June 24, July 15, August 5/26 and September 16, while those running via Lancaster, Preston, Blackburn, Hebden Bridge, Brighouse and Wakefield Kirkgate will be on June 10, July 8/29, August 19 and September 9.
So far WCR has only advertised two one-day trips under its ‘Spirit of the Lakes’ banner; they are Cleethorpes to Edinburgh on March 9 and Peterborough to Edinburgh two days later. Both will be Pullman trains hauled by diesel traction. On March 6, WCR is using LNER A3 60103 Flying Scotsman on a Liverpool to Carlisle trip, which will run via the S&C and back along the WCML, changing to a diesel at Carnforth. March 31 will see a repeat of this trip, albeit starting at Manchester Victoria.
The ‘Pendle Dalesman’ will be another repeat itinerary for the summer from Lancaster, Preston, Blackburn, Clitheroe, Long Preston to Carlisle and will be steamhauled throughout, including a run along the S&C. It will run on most Tuesdays in the summer starting on May 18 and then on May 25, June 8/15/29, July 6/20/27, August 10/17/31 and September 7/21.
The dates for the ‘Jacobite’ from Fort William to Mallaig are April 2 to October 29 for the morning train, which will run seven days a week. The additional afternoon train is due to run from April 26 to October 1, again seven days a week.
Class 50s for Belmond Pullman charter
The Class 50 Alliance’s 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance will be used on a Belmond British Pullman charter on July 3. The locos will work the train from Victoria to Worcester and back, running via Reading, Oxford and Evesham, a popular former Class 50 route. Each seat on the DB Cargo-operated trip is £425 per person and bookings can be made via www.belmond.com. The trip includes full dining – of course!
A busy year looms for RTC
All being well, the Railway Touring Company is looking forward to a bumper 2021 and has announced an intensive programme of 69 charter trains for the year, all featuring steam haulage for the bulk of the day. There are some repeat itinerary trains. They will be operated by West Coast Railways using its stock and a mix of locos and third-party locos such as 60103 Flying Scotsman, 60163 Tornado and 46233 Duchess of Sutherland.
The season kicks off on Saturday January 30 with the ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ – the first of many ‘CMEs’ to run during the year. This train will start at Manchester Victoria and run via the WCML in the northbound direction and, after a break at Carlisle, will return via Dent. A WCR pool loco from 35018 British India Line, 45690 Leander, 45699 Galatea, 46115 Scots Guardsman or 48151 will be used. A week later on February 6 the same train will run again, but from Euston with a Class 86 working as far as Carnforth and back from Farington Junction. The Euston to Carlisle ‘CME’ is also set for February 27.
The ‘Valentine’s Bath & Bristol Steam Express’ is planned for February 13 from Victoria to Bath and Bristol Temple Meads. This train will run via Salisbury and Westbury in both directions, although it returns to Waterloo. The ‘Cotswold Venturer’ will run on February 20 from Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill behind 60163 and will travel via the Golden Valley line through Stroud. This train will be repeated on June 12 and August 21. The ‘Cotton Mill Express’ will run on February 27 from Lancaster and head for the Pennines, running a circular route via Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Brighouse, and the steep climb to Copy Pit Summit and on to Blackburn. It will then continue via Chorley to Bolton and back to Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield for a second circuit of the Pennines to Brighouse. It will then return via Todmorden and Rochdale to Manchester Victoria and thence to Lancaster. A WCR pool loco is expected for this turn.
The ‘Yorkshireman’ on March 6 is from Ealing Broadway to York with 60163. The northbound run will be
via the Midland Main Line, then Corby, Loughborough and the Erewash Valley to Chesterfield and Doncaster. The return will be behind a WCR diesel. This train will be repeated on October 16. A week later, on March 13, the ‘Cumbrian Coast Express’ will start at Euston with a Class 86 to Carlisle, then steam will return the train to Carnforth via Sellafield, before the 86 powers it back to Euston. This trip will be repeated on September 25.
The ‘Edinburgh Flyer’ is set for March 20 and is a York to Edinburgh out and back hauled by 60163 throughout. Meanwhile, running the same day is the ‘Cheshireman’, steam-hauled throughout from Euston to Chester and back by Princess Coronation 46233 Duchess of Sutherland. There are two RTC trains set for March 27. First is the ‘Wensleydale Railway’, which will start at Carnforth and run first to Hellifield and then via Skipton, Leeds and York to Northallerton to join the 22-mile long Wensleydale Railway to Redmire. This train will be double-headed by two WCR locos, which will top-and-tail on the branch. Also this day the ‘Mancunian’ will be using 46233 throughout from Euston to Manchester, and this is bound to prove popular. The ‘Stratford Flyer’, planned for
Saturday April 10, will be from Manchester to Stratford-upon-Avon, hauled by 60103.
RTC will then have a small break until May 8 when the ‘Pennine Limited’ from Norwich to Carlisle will have a diesel working to and from Hellifield and steam forward. The ‘Jolly Fisherman’ is scheduled for a week later, on May 15. It will leave King’s Cross behind 60103 for a trip to Skegness via Spalding and a run round at Sleaford. The return will be via Grantham.
May 22, June 26, August 7/28 and October 9 will also feature ‘CME’ trips with an 86 to Carlisle, steam back to Preston and the 86 south again. In between the same trip will run from Crewe on July 17, with a 47 instead of the 86 for the nonsteam legs. In this instance, the steam will work back to Liverpool for the 47 to return to Crewe.
The ‘South Devon Explorer’ is set for May 29 and is booked to start at Woking and proceed via Reading behind a diesel to Bristol where 60163 will take over for a run to Plymouth and back to Taunton. There, the Class 47 will take charge again. The ‘Buxton Spa Express’ is planned for June 5 and will start at Ealing Broadway and swap to 60163 at Leicester, prior to travelling to Buxton via the MML and Hope Valley lines. On the return 60163 will be replaced by a 47 at Barrow Hill. The same day the ‘Scarborough Flyer’ will run from Manchester Victoria to Scarborough behind a WCR loco.
The ‘Tynesider’ is due on June 12 from Cleethorpes with a WCR steam loco working to Newcastle and then on via the Blyth and Tyne route to Morpeth. A diesel will take over at York on the return. The plan for the ‘White Rose’ on June 19 is to use 60103 from King’s Cross to York before returning behind a diesel.
On July 3 the ‘Bournemouth Express’ will set off from Waterloo behind an appropriate ex-SR loco (35018) for a trip to Bournemouth, and then a few days later, on Friday July 9, the ‘End of Southern Steam’ will run from Waterloo to Yeovil Junction, again behind 35018. There a diesel will take the train to Weymouth for the steam back to London.
There will be no let-up in the programme after that, as two days later, on July 11, the ‘Waverley’ will begin at York behind 60103 and run to Carlisle via the S&C. This train is also scheduled for August 1/15/21 and September 5, with an unspecified WCR steam loco. Also on July 11 will be the ‘Royal Duchy’, which is due to start at Slough with a diesel, giving way to steam at Taunton for an ongoing trip to Par and back. This trip will be repeated on August 1/29 and September 12. The ‘Cheshireman’ on July 17 will be steamhauled throughout and another job for 60163, starting at Euston and heading to Chester. The ‘North Wales Coast Express’ is running on the following day and will start at Liverpool Lime Street behind a WCR steam loco to Holyhead. Staying in Wales, Blaenau Ffestiniog will be the destination for the ‘Welsh Mountaineer’ just two days later, and this train will start at Preston.
The ‘Dorset Coast Express’ is set for July 22 and will begin from Victoria behind 46233 bound for Weymouth. The return will be behind U Class 31806 as far as Southampton where the train will reverses and 46233 will be reattached for the return to Victoria via Andover. This trip will be repeated on August 19 and
September 2. Duchess of Sutherland will be out again for RTC on July 24 to power the ‘West Somerset Steam Express’ from Paddington to Bishops Lydeard, where a West Somerset Railway steam loco will take over for the run to Minehead and back. This train will run again on August 14.
Also on July 24 the ‘Hadrian’ will commence from Derby with a diesel as far as Doncaster where 60103 will take over for a run to Carlisle. It will return to Darlington from where the Class 47 will take the train back to Derby. The ‘Kentish Belle’ on August 5 will be from Victoria to Faversham, while another ‘Cheshireman’ is set for September 4 that will start at Norwich behind 46233, destination Chester. It will be diesel-hauled on the return from Peterborough. The ‘Swanage Belle’ is planned for September 9, starting at Victoria with 46233 and running to… Swanage! A diesel will power the return leg as far as Southampton from where 46233 will take over to run via Romsey. Two days later the ‘Coast to Coast Express’ will depart Liverpool for Scarborough hauled by a WCR pool loco. A diesel will be used on the return leg from Milford.
A Class 86 will haul the ‘Pennine Blackpool Express’ on September 18 from Euston to Blackpool but from there a WCR pool loco will continue via Preston and the Ribble Valley to Hellifield and Carnforth for the 86 back to London. 60163 will be the main attraction on the ‘Easterling’ trip of October 2. The A1 will be in charge from King’s Cross via Hitchin, Cambridge and Norwich. From there it will continue to Lowestoft before returning via Beccles to Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and back to King’s Cross.
The ‘Tin Bath’ on October 24 is due to commence at Preston with a WCR pool loco and proceed to Manchester Victoria and then the Hope Valley line to Sheffield. It will then route via Barnsley and Penistone and on to Huddersfield. The return will be via the Calder Valley through Hebden Bridge and the Copy Pit line back to Manchester and Preston. The next ‘Cheshireman’ on November 13 will travel from Bristol Temple Meads to Chester via the Welsh Marches route, hauled throughout by 60163. This train will be repeated the following Saturday, although this time it will begin at Euston – but also with 60163 throughout.
The ‘Christmas Sussex Belle’ on Thursday November 25 will be a trip behind LMS ‘Black 5’ 44871 that will set off from Victoria and run south to Haywards Heath, on to Lewes and into Eastbourne. A diesel will haul the short leg to Hastings where the steam loco will return the train to London via Tunbridge Wells. Two days later the ‘York Yuletide Express’ is planned as an Ealing Broadway to York day trip, with 60163 handling the outward leg and 46233 the return. The same LMS loco will be used on December 2 for the ‘Worcester Christmas Fayre’ from Norwich to Worcester and back to Peterborough.
A different ‘York Yuletide Express’ is set for December 4, running from Liverpool to York and back, steam hauled via the Hope Valley in both directions. The same day, the ‘Lincoln Christmas Express’ is due to start at King’s Cross with 46233, running via Spalding on the outward and returning via Grantham. The ‘Bath and Bristol Christmas Express’ on December 7 is also due to be 46233-hauled from Victoria to Bristol Temple Meads and back, via Salisbury.
Another train for the Christmas markets will be on December 11, the ‘Birmingham and Shrewsbury Christmas Express’ from Paddington with 46233 in use again. Also that day will be the ‘Edinburgh Christmas Market’ using 60163 from York to Edinburgh and back. Five days later, 60163 will work the return leg of the ‘Christmas White Rose’ from York to Peterborough. The train will have arrived from Cambridge behind 46233 via Spalding. The two locos will then work the same train in reverse order two days later but running from King’s Cross.
Great Britain 14 details revealed
As well as a hectic 2021 programme, the RTC has revealed the details of its ‘The Great Britain XIV’ multi-day steam tour, set for April 16-24. The nine-day trip will commence at King’s Cross behind 60163 Tornado and will head to York where it will give way to 6201 Princess Elizabeth for the journey northwards to Edinburgh and an overnight stay. The next day it will move on to Inverness via Ladybank behind 35018 British India Line for the next overnighter. On the Sunday (April 18) 35018 will haul the train south to Perth for a two-night stay in Stirling. Monday will be a free day but there will also be the option of a circular trip behind 6201 to Edinburgh via Cumbernauld, Motherwell and Slateford and back via Cardenden, Dunfermline and Alloa. On Tuesday (April 20) the GB14 will head to Grange-over Sands via the Cumbrian Coast with 6201 to Carlisle and 45690 Leander forward via Sellafield. The overnight stay will be in Bowness-on-Windermere.
The Wednesday will feature a trip from Grange-over-Sands to Cardiff, steam hauled by 46115 Scots Guardsman. This will run via Chester, Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Craven Arms and Hereford. The April 22 run will be Cardiff to Penzance behind 46233 Duchess of Sutherland. There will be two nights in Penzance, with a free day planned for the Friday. The final day will be a trip from Penzance to Victoria with 46233 via Plymouth, Westbury and Reading, with the final leg via Ascot. The cost for this mammoth ‘holiday’, which is always a sell-out trip, is Premier Class at £3,495 or First Class at £2,695.