Railtours

  • DRS ‘37s’ take on Three Peaks Challenge

    DRS ‘37s’ take on Three Peaks Challenge

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    The annual rail industry ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ – raising money for the Railway Children charity – was once again supported by Direct Rail Services on June 13-15.

  • Railtours remembered: The Metropolitan Special

    Railtours remembered: The Metropolitan Special

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    In the first of an occasional new series, Andrew Royle looks back to a forgotten railtour over London Transport’s Metropolitan line in 1954.

  • VIDEO: A short footplate ride on Urie S15 No. 506

    VIDEO: A short footplate ride on Urie S15 No. 506

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    If you’ve watched our clip of the recent relaunch intro traffic of Urie S15 No. 506 at the Mid-Hants Railway, you may be interested to see what life is like on the 4-6-0’s footplate, as shown in this video.

  • West Coast launches regular Stratford steam

    West Coast launches regular Stratford steam

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    Stratford-upon-Avon will gain its second regular steam operation later this month when West Coast Railways launches its ‘Merchant of Avon’ trains on July 28.  Five summer Sunday trains are planned initially, starting from Burton-on-Trent and calling at Tamworth, Coleshill Parkway, Henley-in-Arden, Tyseley, Dorridge and Stratford on July 28, August 11/25 and September 8/22.  During its…

  • Luxury dining trains’ brief encounter in Kent

    Luxury dining trains’ brief encounter in Kent

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    THERE was brief chance to see two of Britain’s luxury dining trains together on May 11, writes David Staines.  ‘Black Five’ No. 44871 was recessed at Lenham Loop with the 12.50 Maidstone East-Folkestone West ‘Heart of Kent Hospice Circular’ to allow LSL’s Nos. 47810 and 47853 to overtake with a ‘Statesman’ special to Canterbury.  No. 44871 and the…

  • Mayflower in the Highlands

    Mayflower in the Highlands

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    ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower crosses the Beauly Firth at Invershin while working a day tour from Inverness to Dunrobin Castle during Steam Dreams’ mammoth ‘Highlands and Islands’ tour of Scotland on May 9-17.  The previous day, the Thompson 4-6-0 worked with No. 60103 Flying Scotsman over the Highland Main Line from Edinburgh.  ‘Scotsman’ worked north from King’s…

  • UK Railtours ventures through Butterley

    UK Railtours ventures through Butterley

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    GB RAILFREIGHT No. 66753 EMD Roberts Road edges into Butterley loop with UK Railtours’ ‘Amber Valley Venturer’ tour from Euston on May 4, making for an unusual sight among the preserved DMUs and coaching stock at the Midland Railway-Butterley (MRB). No. 66719 METRO-LAND is out of view at the other end of the train. Resident ‘Generator’ No. 47401…

  • Bahamas becomes part of Vintage Trains roster

    Bahamas becomes part of Vintage Trains roster

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    ‘JUBILEE’ No. 45596 Bahamas will return to Tyseley for the works open days on June 22-23. This comes only a few months after the completion of its overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works and two very successful comeback runs over the Settle to Carlisle Line. The Stanier ‘5XP’ is also booked to haul six Vintage Trains tours…

  • Type 4s deputise after Torbay steam failures

    Type 4s deputise after Torbay steam failures

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    Steam Dreams’ ‘Cathedral Express’ trip from Slough to Kingswear was powered by two West Coast Railways Class 47s on May 4 after the booked steam locomotives suffered failures.  The original plan was for a WCRC ‘47’ to work the train as far as Taunton, where David Buck’s ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower would take over for the…

  • ‘Lizzie’ back on main line after repairs at Carnforth

    ‘Lizzie’ back on main line after repairs at Carnforth

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    STANIER Pacific No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth made its main line charter comeback on April 30 with a West Coast Railways ‘Dalesman’ outing over the Settle to Carlisle (S&C) line .  Out of action since November 2016, the LMS 4-6-2 made two test runs from Carnforth to Hellifield on March 14 and 28, the latter being…

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