WELSH MARCHES EXPRESS RAILTOUR - MONDAY 14th FEBRUARY 2022

WELSH MARCHES EXPRESS RAILTOUR
MONDAY 14th FEBRUARY 2022

DEPARTING FROM;  NOTTINGHAM,  LONG EATON,  DERBY,  TUTBURY AND HATTON,  UTTOXETER,  STOKE-ON-TRENT,  KIDSGROVE,  ALSAGER,  CREWE.

Traversing the breath-taking beauty of the Welsh Marches route our steam hauled train offers a totally unique day out as we travel through the rolling hills of the pretty Shropshire countryside dividing England and Wales for a visit to the capital city of Cardiff.

We cross the Cheshire Plain and through historic Shrewsbury to join the Welsh Marches line and at Church Stretton there are outstanding views of the Long Mynd, known in Victorian times as ‘Little Switzerland’ – continuing along the Marches we pass magnificent Stokesay Castle and the historic towns of Ludlow and Hereford. Entering South Wales and the county of Monmouthshire there are superb views of the Brecon Beacons as the black mountains tower over the train. 

Crossing the River Usk

At Newport we cross the River Usk, joining the Great Western main line to Cardiff for an afternoon break. Arrival into Cardiff Central is expected around 12:40 and you are directly in the heart of the Welsh Capital with plenty of shopping, sightseeing opportunities. 

Not forgetting that it's Valentines Day for all you loved up couples. 

The capital city of Wales offers spectacular shopping, museums, dining, and entertainment. Easy to explore on foot and close to the station you can visit the free Welsh National Museum and spectacular Cardiff Castle all within the city centre. Top class entertainment is on offer at Cardiff Bay with its restaurants, waterside views and Wales Millennium Centre and there is plenty to see and do in the three hours whilst our train is prepared for the return journey.

The train is steam hauled from Crewe by one of our immaculately restored pool of engines including: the world famous LMS Royal Scot Class, No.46100 ‘Royal Scot’ – West Country Class, No. 34046 ‘Braunton’ – Britannia Pacific Class, No 70000 ‘Britannia’ (pictured below).

Steam hauled from Crewe by one of the train operators preserved locomotives;

West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34046 Braunton
History
built at Brighton Works in November 1946 in original streamlined form and upon completion was allocated to Exmouth Junction. Further allocations included Salisbury, Brighton and Bournemouth. In 1949 the engine was re-numbered to 34046 once owned by British Railways.
Withdrawal and preservation
34046 was withdrawn from service in October 1965 and moved to the Woodham Brothers' scrapyard at Barry Island, this was to be the engine's home for the next 23 years until it was moved in 1988 to Brighton in a bid to be restored. In 1996 it was purchased by the West Somerset Railway but later sold on to a private individual. The engine was moved to Williton on the WSR where a long term restoration to running order was to be undertaken. 34046 returned to steam in July 2007 for the first time in the 42 years since its withdrawal from service. The engine's debut return to passenger service was in 2008 with plans to have the engine certified for use on the mainline hauling excursion trains. Since 2018 it was based in Crewe and owned by Jeremy Hosking. 34046 is operational on the mainline hauling excursion trains.

46100 'Royal Scot'
One of our immaculately restored locomotives; LMS Royal Scot Class, No.46100 ‘Royal Scot’ is on the roster to be available for this tour. 

History / Preservation Notes
The original 6100 was the first of its class, built in 1927 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. It was named Royal Scot after the Royal Scots.  In 1933, 6152 The King's Dragoon Guardsman and 6100 swapped identities permanently. 6152 had been built at Derby Works in 1930. The new Royal Scot was sent to the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933 and toured Canada and the United States with a train of typical LMS carriages.  46100 was bought by Billy Butlin of Butlins holiday camps after withdrawal and after cosmetic restoration into LMS crimson lake at Crewe Works, although this was the original livery received, the locomotive did not carry it after being rebuilt (only one rebuilt Royal Scot ever carried LMS crimson lake livery and that was 6170 British Legion). It was then towed from Crewe Works to Nottingham by Black 5 No. 45038 and then from Nottingham to Boston by B1 No. 61177 on 12 June 1963.  Royal Scot arrived at Butlins on 18 July 1963 piped in by pipers from the 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots. This made 6100 one of two preserved rebuilt Royal Scots, the other being 6115 Scots Guardsman. It was set on a plinth at Skegness and was to remain there till the 1970s. On 16 March 1971 6100 departed from Skegness for the Bressingham Steam Museum and was returned to steam in 1972. It ran until 1978 when it once more became a static exhibit, it was eventually sold from Butlins to Bressingham in May 1989.

THE WHITE ROSE - CHRISTMAS RAILTOUR - SATURDAY 18th DECEMBER 2021

The Christmas White Rose
 - Saturday 18th December 2021
Kings Cross - York behind 6233 Duchess of Sutherland

Enjoy a classic day out by steam train, combining exciting main line running, varied landscape and the special atmosphere of historic York. Our train will be steam hauled from London to York by Princess Coronation class locomotive No. 6233 Duchess of Sutherland.

Due to depart from London King’s Cross at around 07:20 behind Duchess of Sutherland and follow the route of famous old trains like the Flying Scotsman. We storm up the gradient through Gasworks Tunnel and Finsbury Park and head northwards, calling at Stevenage, Huntingdon and Peterborough to pick up more passengers.

Our steam locomotive then tackles the 15-mile climb up the famous Stoke Bank. Here on 3rd July 1938, “Mallard”, an A4 class ‘Pacific’, achieved a world record speed of 126 mph when travelling in the opposite direction. Once over the summit we should have a good, fast run down the 20 mile descent to the Trent Valley and on through Grantham, Newark and Retford. We steam onwards through Doncaster before arriving into York.

There will be plenty of time for passengers to enjoy the city and all it has to offer. York has some major tourist attractions including the National Railway Museum, the largest museum of its type in Britain; the Castle; the Shambles; the splendid Gothic York Minster, one of the largest of its kind in northern Europe; and the city walls. There are a number of other interesting museums, quaint alleyways, and a good variety of shops. The York Christmas Market will also be in full swing with its vast number of stalls offering local yuletide crafts, along with seasonal food and drink.

Our train leaves York at around 16:30, diesel hauled, along the East Coast Main Line towards Peterborough. We continue, stopping to set down passengers at the same stations as on the northbound journey, arriving back at King’s Cross at around 22:00.

Background - No. 6233 Duchess of Sutherland
LMS Princess Coronation Class 46233 Duchess of Sutherland is a steam locomotive built in 1938 for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) at Crewe Works to a design by William Stanier. It is a 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive built as part of the LMS Coronation Class for its express passenger services, including the Royal Scot service from London to Glasgow.

Withdrawn by British Railways in 1964, the locomotive was originally sold to Butlins holiday camp in Scotland. In 1996, the locomotive was acquired by The Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust with the intention of restoration to mainline condition. In 2001, 46233 was restored to operating condition and since then has been a regular performer on the national network.

In Preservation
Following withdrawal from service, 46233 was acquired by Butlins Heads-of-Ayr holiday camp, Scotland, in October 1964. It was later purchased by Bressingham Steam Museum. In 1996, 6233 was acquired by the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust (PRCLT) arriving at the PRCLT's West Shed, at Swanwick Junction on the Midland Railway - Butterley, on 3 February 1996. In 2001, No. 6233 returned to the national network after an overhaul assisted by the heritage lottery fund and match funded by the PRCLT.

To allow it to run on the main line in preservation, 6233 was fitted with Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) and on-train monitoring recorder (OTMR) equipment, alongside the BR fitted Automatic Warning System (AWS). On 6 March 2010, 6233 was rolled out in LMS lined black livery, which was retained during 2010, before a major overhaul, taking 6233 out of service for the 2011 season. On 3 March 2012, now renumbered 46233 was rolled out in "authentic (Brunswick) green" livery, as used by British Railways during the early 1950s.

To mark the locomotive's 80th birthday in September 2018, the engine regained its original number "6233" and LMS "Crimson Lake" livery.

SOUTHEND TO OXFORD CHRISTMAS MARKET - THURSDAY 9th DECEMBER 2021

SOUTHEND TO OXFORD CHRISTMAS MARKET
Thursday 9th December 2021

SOUTHEND EAST - UPMINSTER - OXFORD

The City of Dreaming Spires is a must-see destination with its world-famous universities and museums. Add to this the beautiful River Thames winding through the city and lovely parks & gardens and the main problem will be deciding how to spend your time. Add to that a Steam hauled special service and what a lovely way to cross the South of England from Essex to Oxfordshire. 

The service should depart from Southend East at 9:05, additional stop at Upminster at 9:40 then due to arrive into Oxford around 14:20. 

The trip is steam hauled by Black Five locomotive 44871 (pictured left) which should prove to be a rare sight on the opening leg of the journey from Southend and Upminster.

OXFORD CHRISTMAS MARKET

We will be travelling to Oxford on the first day of the Christmas Market. Held in the heart of the city on beautiful and historic Broad Street, the market will feature many local artists, designer-makers and selected guests. With the sound of choirs singing Christmas carols, market traders offering unusual and handmade gifts, colourful decorations brightening wooden stalls and the aroma of mulled wine and cinnamon drifting in the air - a visit to the Oxford Christmas Market is a truly magical Christmas experience.

CAROL SERVICE
We are pleased to say that we are also organising a Carol Service in one of the oldest churches in Oxford, located in the city centre, around the corner from the Christmas Market.

LMS 'Black Five' LOCOMOTIVE
Black Fives were known as 'do-anything and go-anywhere' locomotives. The London Midland and Scottish Railway Stanier Class 5 4-6-0, commonly known as the Black Five, is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives. Several members of the class survived to the last day of steam on British Railways in 1968, and eighteen are preserved, with several examples still working on the mainline railway.

The first Class 5 locomotive was built for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway in 1934 to the design of Sir William Stanier. The new locomotives when built left the railway works in the standard mixed traffic black livery which soon earned them the nickname "Black Fives" for which they are still affectionately referred to today. The locomotives were capable of handling both express passenger and freight trains and were spread far and wide across the UK railway system. By the time the last Black Five was built in 1951, the class numbered 842 locomotives; one of the most numerous classes of British steam locomotives ever built.

MELTON MOWBRAY VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS FAYRE - SUNDAY 5th DECEMBER 2021

Melton Mowbray Victorian Christmas Fayre

Sunday 5th December 2021

Vintage Trains returns to Melton Mowbray for the annual Victorian Christmas Fayre, a slice of Dickensian Britain with Victorian stalls, street urchins, Santa’s Grotto, street theatre, brass bands and much more – in fact something for everyone. Passengers will have approximately five hours to explore the town before we return to Tyseley.

This tour boards at Tyseley, Coleshill Parkway and Nuneaton on its way to Melton Mowbray. Two steam locomotives will be used here with 7029 Clun Castle (page top) and 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (pictured below) booked to provide the motive power.

In another Vintage Train’s tradition, while passengers visit the Melton Mowbray Victorian Christmas Fayre, others can take the lunchtime journey out to Corby and back which takes us twice across the famous Harringworth Viaduct with its spectacular views across the valley. Also known as the Welland Viaduct as it crosses the river of the same name, this is the longest masonry viaduct across a valley in the UK. 30 million bricks were used in its construction, the now Grade II listed structure opening in 1878. At its peak, 3500 people and 1200 horses were working on the site.

Clun Castle - 7029

The locomotive which started it all. Clun Castle is a relative newcomer having been built in 1950 by British Railways to the famous Great Western Railway Castle class design. She was modified towards the end of her career and fitted with a four row superheater and double chimney, enabling her to compete with new diesels being introduced on fast trains. And compete she did, taking the record for the shortest timed point to point journey from Plymouth to Bristol in 1964 from the previous record holder, City of Truro. This epic run by the last of her class in every day service ensured 7029’s preservation and she came to Tyseley to begin a distinguished second career in preservation. She powered the last express steam train on the GWR’s northern route to Birkenhead, the last steam train out of both Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street stations, so making a trilogy of lasts as she was also the last steam locomotive to run out of Paddington, hauling the last steam train on the Western Region. Not content with that, 7029 hauled the first ‘Return to Steam’ celebration run ending the infamous BR steam ban and was the first steam locomotive to return to Cornwall, a highlight of the 150th anniversary of the GWR. In 1988 she was driven part way to Tyseley by HRH The Prince of Wales in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the London & Birmingham Railway.

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe - 5043

The second member of the Castle class on the roster built in 1936 and so an authentic GWR locomotive, named after one of the Directors of the GWR. She was also fitted with the same modifications as 7029 and ran some of the Western Region’s top expresses including The Bristolian, being shedded at London’s Old Oak Common depot. When withdrawn, she was consigned to Barry scrapyard but found too good to destroy. Tyseley Locomotive Works rebuilt 5043 to exacting standards and she has run far and wide for Vintage Trains, including unfamiliar territory such as Stirling and Edinburgh in Scotland. 5043 has recorded some remarkable performances in preservation, including several non-stop runs, recreating The Bristolian, The Cheltenham Spa Express and The Inter City.  More recently, she ran on the Plymouth to Bristol route and shaved a few minutes off 7029’s own record. So now we have two record breakers in the collection. Returns to action in the second half of 2021 after a 10 year boiler overhaul.