Jonathan's Gen
Railtours, Preserved Railway Events, Ferries and Service Trains Gen List
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- Last updated: Sat 26 Sep 2020
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The Easterling?? Saturday 2nd October 2021 Join us on a journey by steam train to rural Norfolk and Suffolk, a scenic area of undulating farmland, market towns, picturesque villages and waterways. The Easterling recalls the days of an express train that ran from London to Yarmouth and Lowestoft, taking Londoners to the Norfolk Broads and the famous East Anglian seaside resorts. The train will be hauled by A1 Class Pacific 60163 Tornado. ??? Our steam train will depart from London King?s Cross station at around 08:00 and immediately begins climbing through tunnels and cuttings as it makes its way up the East Coast Main Line (ECML). There are stops at Potters Bar and Stevenage for more passengers to join the train. At Hitchin, we leave the ECML and head for Cambridge, our final stop for passengers. We continue north to Ely and then take the Breckland Line through Thetford to Norwich. The Breckland area is of considerable interest for its unusual flora and fauna, and is characterised by gorse-covered sandy heath land and Scots Pine trees. We arrive at Norwich around mid-day and our steam locomotive ?runs round? our train as we change direction of travel here. We continue our steam hauled journey taking one of the ?Wherry Lines? from Norwich to Lowestoft. The Norfolk Wherry is a type of boat that was widely used in the area. Lowestoft is the most easterly town in the UK and terminus for the East Suffolk Line (ESL). Our train stops here for well over an hour giving passengers time to explore the town and harbour, once a bustling fishing port. Our return journey is along the 49 mile-long scenic ESL through Beccles, Saxmundham and Woodbridge, famous for having the only working Tide Mill in the UK, dating from 1793. Westerfield Junction is where the branch line from Felixstowe joins the ESL; the branch is heavily used by freight trains to and from Felixstowe Docks. Approaching Ipswich, we take the newly built ?Bacon Factory Chord? to join the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) going northwards from London Liverpool Street to Norwich. We continue northwards to Stowmarket and leave the GEML at Haughley Junction. We pass through Bury St. Edmunds station, with its distinctive pair of towers. At Snailwell Junction we take the line for Newmarket and Cambridge, where we stop to set down passengers. We make further stops to set down passengers at Stevenage and Potters Bar before journeys end at London King?s Cross.
The Cumbrian Mountain Express Saturday 9th October 2021 The Cumbrian Mountain Express provides a wonderful opportunity to get out and about during the spring, summer and autumn months, with the added bonus of steam haulage over the Northern Fells, including the spectacular Settle & Carlisle Railway. We have a high speed journey down the West Coast Main Line to Carnforth, hauled by a blue class 86 electric locomotive. We then enjoy a circular steam tour outwards via Shap to Carlisle and back via the Settle and Carlisle line.?? We return from Preston to London behind our blue electric locomotive.??? We leave London Euston at around 07:10 with electric traction, and speed north along the West Coast Main Line (WCML). We stop to pick up passengers at Milton Keynes (where passengers from Watford Junction join by service train), Rugby (where passengers from Northampton join by service train), Nuneaton and Crewe. We continue north along the WCML to Preston, our final stop to pick up passengers.?? We pass through Lancaster and along the edge of Morecambe Bay before we arrive at Carnforth. Here, we will change over our electric locomotive for today?s steam locomotive, taken from the Carnforth pool. Leaving Carnforth, we pass the Brief Encounter caf? and commence the climb of our first severe gradient up to Grayrigg. We then travel through the beautiful Lune Gorge to Tebay, gaining speed for the ascent to Shap. This well-known section of the WCML has a gradient of 1 in 75 and in the former days of steam locomotives banking engines from Tebay were often used to assist trains. After crossing the Cumbrian Fells we descend to Penrith, and then head for Carlisle. There will be time available in Carlisle to explore this ancient city with its cathedral and castle, plus an assortment of shops and cafes.?? We leave Carlisle and join the Settle & Carlisle Railway, one of the most well known and best loved stretches of railway line in Britain. We soon begin climbing, and then at Appleby, we stop for our steam locomotive to take on water. The climbing continues through scenic Kirkby Stephen towards the highest railway summit in England at Ais Gill, 1169 feet above sea level. We pass over high viaducts, including the famous one at Ribblehead, and through many tunnels. There are magnificent views across the Fells and to the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. We should have a fast run out of the hills, through Settle, until we stop again for our locomotive to take on water.?? Our journey continues through Hellifield, Clitheroe to Preston where we say goodbye to our steam locomotive. We pass though Wigan and Warrington en route to Crewe hauled by our blue class 86 electric locomotive with a fast run following to London. We stop at the same stations as on the outward journey to set down passengers. * Passengers from Watford Junction will travel to Milton Keynes by service train to join our train.?? **Passengers from Northampton will travel to and from Rugby by service train to join our train.
The Yorkshireman Saturday 16th October 2021 Join us for a main line steam run from west London Ealing Broadway station to York. The city of York is world famous for its variety of visitor attractions and home to the National Railway Museum. We travel north via the Midland Main Line stopping at stations to pick up further passengers. Our train will be hauled between London and York by Princess Coronation class steam locomotive No.46233 Duchess of Sutherland. Our train leaves London Ealing Broadway at around 06:25 hauled by Duchess of Sutherland and travels around West London through Acton Wells and and Neasden South Junction. At Dudding Hill Junction we take the Brent curve and join the Midland Main Line (MML) near Cricklewood. We head north and stop at St. Albans, Luton, Bedford and Kettering, to pick up further passengers. We leave the MML after Kettering and take the former Midland Railway Nottingham direct line. We pass through Corby Station, opened in 2009 to replace the original which was closed in 1966. We climb to the famous Harringworth Viaduct, the longest masonry viaduct in Britain. From the end of the viaduct there is a long, stiff climb up to Wing Tunnel and then it is downhill to Manton Junction, and through Rutland?s county town of Oakham. We stop to pick up passengers at Melton Mowbray before we continue to Syston Junction and take the sharp right curve to join the MML from Leicester. We pass through Loughborough and join the Erewash Valley Line at Trent Junction. Our final boarding point for passengers is at Alfreton. After Chesterfield we take the ?old road? to Rotherham and continue through Conisbrough to Doncaster. Here we join the East Coast Main Line and can expect a fast run to York, where we arrive in the early afternoon. York is well known for its Minster, Castle and city walls. The Snickelways, famous medieval alleys and narrow streets, and The Shambles, are well worth exploring. The National Railway Museum, the many shops and museums, ensure that there is something on offer for everybody. Our train leaves York at around 17:15 and returns to London Ealing Broadway diesel hauled. We stop at the same stations as on the outward journey, to set down passengers.