MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL SENDING LOVE AND HAPPINESS IN A DIFFICULT YEAR

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas for this year, I hope you enjoying a break from work and get to spend time with friends and family. Spare a thought for those still working as they are doing an awesome job. It's also been a very difficult year for many with the lockdowns, Coronavirus and lack of entertainment for most of the time. So I also send out a lot of love to all with thoughts for anyone missing this year, think of them, raise a glass and salute their memory remember to "Eat, Drink and be Merry" and then let's go play trains!! 😊 

Missing you so much Dad.

You always fulfilled my wishes, giving me whatever I wanted. Your presence in my life I had taken for granted. After your death my whole world has gone into a frightening void. When I had you, I had it all, now everything is destroyed. This is my repentance, my regret, I know you cannot hear me, but I still want to say, Dad I miss you and I'm sorry ... We had so much still to do together and despite the years that have passed I find it so hard to carry on without your love and influence. 💔

I always think that this time is a moment for reflection and while I hope it's been wonderful for you it may well be that together we have lost a lot of friends and legends so it's time to remember and never forget. Let us also move forwards to the new year, life is only as good as you make it and you have to let yourself live too, although this is something I don't allow myself and it is now time to do more, stop making excuses and make some changes for the better this year. 

Miss you Dad, miss you Mum xx

INTER-CITY "ROYAL SCOT" RAILTOUR [EUSTON - GLASGOW - CARLISLE] - 12th DECEMBER 2020

INTER CITY CLASS 90 'ROYAL SCOT'
Inter City rail tour from London Euston to Glasgow, scenic return via Carlisle.

Saturday 12th December 2020

Departing From: London Euston, Milton Keynes, Rugby, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston

Travel from London to Glasgow in First Class comfort on refurbished air conditioned inter-city train, hauled by celebrity Class 90 electric locomotive 90001 ‘Royal Scot’ as it whisks us north for a journey up the West Coast Main line, over the Cumbrian fells with magnificent views of the Lakeland Mountains and across the border, thence through the Scottish Lowlands and the stunning climb to Beattock Summit.

The tour is due to arrive in Glasgow Central around 12.30 for a 30 minute leg stretch, owing to the restrictions in place north of the border the tour will only have a short stop here before running to Carlisle.  At 13.00 we will depart for the journey south returning over Beattock Summit in daylight to Carlisle with an arrival around 14.15 and the opportunity to discover the border city in an afternoon sightseeing break.

In Carlisle expect to have at least 2 hours available for some pre-Christmas retail therapy or perhaps visit the Castle and Cathedral, prior to a departure around 17.00 for our homeward journey south over Shap Summit and a fast run through historic Lancaster.

The whole tour has been planned out with meticulous detail to the current Covid-19 guidelines and details of seat allocation, social distancing and more can be found here. https://inter-city.co.uk/covid-19/ 

Royal Scot (Inter-City)

90001 London Euston (pu) - Milton Keynes (pu) - Rugby (pu) - Nuneaton (pu) - Crewe (pu) - Preston (pu) - Glasgow Central (short-break) - Carlisle

90001 Carlisle - Shap - Preston - Crewe - Rugby - London Euston

INTER CITY CLASS 90 'ROYAL SCOT'The origins of the Class 90 can be traced back to various schemes performed by British Rail during the 1970s and 1980s. Several events, including the electrification of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and the cancelled procurement of the Advanced Passenger Train (APT), which was at one point intended for the APT to be the next major intercity express train, had led to a significant nationwide shortage of electric traction. 

Following withdrawal by Greater Anglia in 2020, 90001 and 90002 were acquired by Locomotive Services Limited to operate their excursion trains. Their use varies between working electrically operated excursions along the West Coast Main Line between London and Glasgow, using an identically painted set of coaches or working part of a tour which would be operated by modern traction before being worked by a steam locomotive. After purchase by LSL, the two locomotives were repainted into their original InterCity Swallow livery; 90001 was named Royal Scot.

STEAM RAILTOUR - SOUTHEND TO OXFORD AT CHRISTMAS - Thursday 10th December 2020

TRIP:
SOUTHEND TO OXFORD AT CHRISTMAS

DEPARTS:
THURSDAY 10TH DECEMBER 2020

FROM:
SOUTHEND EAST , UPMINSTER , BARKING

*UPDATE - Unfortunately, the train company have emailed that due to continuing uncertainty, we have no choice but to postpone our trip from Southend East to Oxford on Thursday 10 December* Sad another good tour has been denied.

This trip will start out, steam hauled, from Southend and head along the Thames Estuary towards London, picking up passengers at Upminster and Barking on the way. We skirt the Capital and join the Great Western Main Line, crossing the Thames several times before reaching Didcot. From here we join the Cherwell Valley Line to Oxford. On the return journey, this trip will be be diesel-hauled between West London and Southend East. The carriages stay the same.

OXFORD AT CHRISTMAS

Although the Oxford Christmas Market has been cancelled this year, the city is still welcoming guests and many of the attractions, including Oxford Castle, The Ashmolean Museum, Bodelian Library and Oxford Walking Tours have taken the necessary steps to welcome visitors back safely.

TRAVELLING SAFELY

We fully expect to operate this trip with our usual level of service. Please rest assured we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment on board, whilst adhering to Public Health regulations. We will be in touch with all customers prior to your trip, with further information about what to expect on board and what to bring with you.

LOCOMOTIVE [61306 Mayflower]

Built for the London & North Eastern Railway, 61306 Mayflower is one of two surviving B1 Class locomotives.

The B1's were designed as mixed traffic locomotives capable of hauling express passenger trains as well as freight traffic. As powerful, go anywhere engines, the B1's worked across most of the UK rail network from East Anglia to Scotland.

Mayflower was built in 1948 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow but was delivered post-nationalisation and acquired the number 61306 by British Railways. She was first allocated to Hull Botanic Gardens Depot followed by a spell at Hull Dairycotes Depot before being finally transferred to Low Moor Depot, Bradford. She was the last B1 in service, her final trip was hauling the 'Yorkshire Pullman' from Leeds in September 1967.

Mayflower was immediately purchased for preservation and was initially based at Steamtown in Carnforth. She was fully restored for mainline operation and worked a number of rail tours in the 1970's. Acquired by Steam Dreams owner David Buck in 2014, she returned to the mainline in 2015 before being withdrawn for an extensive overhaul. Resplendent in the early British Railways apple green livery as she was originally given when delivered in 1948 she returned to full mainline operation in early 2019.

Estimated Timings Outward     Return

Southend East         0905             2150

Upminster                 0940             2100

Barking                 1000             2045

Oxford                 1440             1700