Vintage Trains 2025

Not a new route at all, i did this last year. Think it was 40 quid return iirc, but its gone up to 70 this year so will be giving it a miss!

 

Stratford-Birmingham-Stratford trips announced. At very reasonable prices!
https://vintagetrains.co.uk/train-rides/shakespeare-express-stratford-to-birmingham/

 

But still a day out on the main line with reasonable start and stop times for a young family, or for a couple of oldies like my wife and I, compared with most other preservation TOCs?

 

I've not seen this advertised before. D1015 Western Champion unassisted over the Devon banks to Plymouth. Saturday, 10th May. <BJ>

The South Devon Explorer | Vintage Trains

''The train will depart from Birmingham New Street, via the Chilterns and the Great Western Mainline into Bristol Temple Meads. From here D1015 will be unassisted by another locomotive for the run down to Plymouth and back over the South Devon Banks and the seawall at Dawlish.
After a few hours in Plymouth, the train then returns to Bristol, stopping at Totnes for a return trip through the scenic Dart Valley of the South Devon Railway to Buckfastleigh, which is possibly the first time a ‘Western’ will have ever been seen on this branch line''.

 

Interesting that even for a diesel tour unassisted is some sort of USP these days.

 

No mention of Paddington in that description and states an Oxford pickup, so presumably going between Chiltern and GWML via the Cherwell Valley.
Therefore probably D1015 on the front all the way from Birmingham and the 47 on the back as far as Bristol.
The 47 can then drop off and follow the train light loco to/from Plymouth before re-attaching to the rear at Bristol for the journey home.
I'm sure Michael will be about to give us the full details in due course.

 

It's only last year that the owners announced that it would not run without one of the Fifty Fund's locos on the rear - so this is notable.

 

I don't understand mention of the Chilterns. It picks up at Oxford. It will hardly run round there to go via Bicester, so it must surely be going via Didcot West Curve, missing not merely the Chiltern line but all of the Chilterns.

 

I think it just means is that will take the Chiltern Trains route from Birmingham through Widney Manor ( pu), Aynho Jct., Oxford (pu) then, as you say, via Didcot West Curve to Bristol. Not literally through the Chilterns ( the Hills) though, maybe an 's' out of place?

 

I believe they're referring to the section between Birmingham and Banbury, through Warwick and Leamington

 

That must be the explanation but I can't say I approve.

 

But think of the name given to 34002! Mr Bulleid thought that Salisbury was in the West Country so it must be!

 

I suppose Looe would have been a bit provocative.

It's a curious list really. Some small places like 34043 in the first batch and yet 34091 and 34105 in the last twenty.