Christmas is the favourite time of year for Londoners

Santa must be a steam fan and he must have a place in the capital as every christmas the amount of steam activity around the capital ramps up.

last year we had 5043 / 35028 / 34067 on one day.. and this years fun starts on Nov 28th..

34067 Swanage - Paddington & Return
60019 Paddington - Cheltenham & Return
60007 Newcastle - Kings Cross one way

and if your a fan of 60019 it's going for the mileage...

Sat 28th Paddington - Cheltenham & Return
Tues 1st London - Bath & Return
Thus 3rd KX - Lincoln & Return
Sat 5th London - Cardiff & Return
Tues 8th KX - Ely & Return


On the 12th of December, there is another 3 steam in capital with

6024 Bristol - Paddington & Return
34067 Victoria - Chichester & return
35028 Victoria - Guildford & return (VSOE)


Tornado arrives in the capital on 7th November, runs to York and back twice on the 26th & 27th Nov , but sits out the rest of the month until Dec 21st... has no one asked Santa for a Tornado this Christmas ?

 

I know it's a few months off, but at the moment isn't Bittern out of action with valve/cylinder liner issues? Not what I would call a 5 minute job. Whether it will be ready or not I don't know. Maybe someone at the MHR can give more info.

 

Is it not in steam for this weekends gala ?

 

60019 was working on the MHR last weekend and is expected to take part in this week's gala - according to various other threads around here.

There must be something mystical about 28th Nov. UKsteam.info lists 6 tours on that day:

THE St NICHOLAS STEAM EXPRESS
45690: Carnforth-Hellifield-Keighley-Leeds-York and return

THE CITY OF CHESTER
5043: Tyseley-Walsall-Wolverhampton-Crewe -Chester-Wrexham-Shrewsbury-Tyseley

THE CATHEDRALS EXPRESS
60019: London-Cheltenham-Worcester and return

THE LONDON CHRISTMAS EXPRESS
60007: Newcastle-Kings Cross

Sat 28-Nov THE CAPITAL CHRISTMAS EXPRESS
34067: Swanage-Winchester-Reading-Paddington and return

Sat 28-Nov THE LUDLOW CHRISTMAS MARKET (01/09)
6024: Birmingham International-Ludlow-Hereford

There's four on 12th Dec, too. Aren't we lucky?!

 

I might be wrong but after it's two tender Brighton Belle trip I am sure it had issues with scored liners. There was a quite heated discussion about it on here, talking about the various materials used. It almost turned into a science class. Some of these threads might of been lost when the forum changed.

 

I understand repairs completed and loco back in service.

 

You mean 60007 Newcastle-KX?

 

http://www.railwaytouring.co.uk/index.php/the-london-christmas-steam-express---281109.html

 

Whoops ! Ive corrected it.