Vintage Trains 2025

An opportunity to savour steam on the main line at a discounted price. <BJ>

30% Off Pullman and Tourist Tickets on 6th April Shakespeare Express
Promo Code SE0604

The first Shakespeare Express of 2025 departs this Sunday and you can save 30% on your tickets by using the special promo code above.

Why not join us for a delightful Sunday trip through the pretty Worcestershire and Warwickshire countryside to Stratford-upon-Avon - complete with a famous express steam locomotive from the golden age of train travel.

Departing From Worcester Shrub Hill picking-up at

Droitwich Spa | Stourbridge Junction | Birmingham Snow Hill* | Tyseley*
Pullman Dining - Full English Breakfast & Afternoon | *Tourist tickets only

Departing From Stratford-upon-Avon
Pullman Dining - Two-Course Sunday Lunch

Pullman (Dining)

Seating in one of our original Pullman Cars, with your meal all served at your seat. Guaranteed tables of two can be booked for a supplement, subject to availability.

Available from Worcester, Droitwich, Stourbridge & Stratford-upon-Avon.

Tourist (Non-Dining)

Seating arranged at tables of 4 in one of our Tourist coaches.

A buffet is available for the purchase of hot drinks, soft drinks, light refreshments and alcoholic drinks.

Available from all departure stations.

To join us on The Shakespeare Express this Sunday, the 6th April, click the button below to book your tickets.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard!

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Pullman from Stratford-upon-Avon

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Tourist from
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Well Peter, I think that I'll stop short of attempting to form a model of the effects of 10 vs 11 coaches and as for the effects of a crosswind it's far too complex. David Pawson published an article giving a means of calculating the effects; it was complex enough in itself, you needed the wind speed and the angle at which it struck the train. This, IMHO, would, for practical purposes, make the calculation impossible as the train rounds curves, travels up on exposed embankments and then into the shelter of cuttings.

What I have done is calculate the average edhp figures for the runs: on 02 Sep 2006, 45690 + 9 (from Mike Notley's log); 13 Jul 2019 45690 + 11 (from my own records) and 29 Mar 2025, 45596 + 10 (from Graham's log see post #198 - thanks). I have carried out the calculations for both Grayrigg (MP13 to MP26) and Shap (MP31.5 to MP 37.25). (All were calculated using the RPS calculator. Because of the uncertainties involved the calculator rounds the answer to the nearest 25 but cautions that 50 or even 100 might be more realistic).

02 Sep 2006 45690 Leander + 9

Grayrigg: Average speed = 52.3mph, average edhp = 1175hp

Shap: Average speed = 55.1mph, average edhp = 1375hp

13 July 2019 45690 Leander + 11

Grayrigg: Average speed = 53.1mph, average edhp = 1375hp

Shap: Average speed = 47.8mph, average edhp = 1350hp

29 Mar 2025 45596 Bahamas + 10

Grayrigg: Average speed = 47.9mph, average edhp = 1225hp

Shap: Average speed = 56.3mph, average edhp = 1450hp

It is tempting to say that Bahamas on Shap was the best climb but given the level of uncertainty involved suffice it to say they were all superlative runs. Perhaps we can conclude that, for a Jubilee, a more moderate effort on Grayrigg can yield dividends on the climb of Shap.

 

Thank you David, a very interesting analysis.

If I may add the equivalent figures for 5043 on the 2009 Castle Over Shap trip, we have:

20 June 2009 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe + 10

Grayrigg: Average speed = 56mph, average edhp = 1360hp

Shap: Average speed = 57.3mph, average edhp = 1490hp (maximum of 1560 for the final 1 1/2 miles)

These figures are taken from Mike Notley's article in '5043 The Return Of A Legend'.

I think Bahamas did very well indeed on Shap to get so close to 5043's performance, given the difference in tractive effort / power classification.

Nick M.

 

Thanks Nick, always informative to see how different locos compare. I think that Grayrigg is often underrated as a challenge for steam locomotives, it requires the effort for a much longer period than some of the shorter climbs. Shap offers a shorter, steeper challenge but some of its difficulty is that it follows so quickly after Grayrigg.

The edhps for the Jubilees runs are very similar to those measured when Rooke was thrashed on the test runs in the 1930s. If, and it’s a big IF, the edhp figure for 45596 on Shap was accurate it may be amongst the highest recorded for a Jubilee, albeit for a relatively short period.

 

Kirkby Stephen Station in full view from the Signal Box, a phone on each platform with a direct link to the Signalman yet this idiot who dropped a lens cover from the bridge goes and jumps onto the track to retrieve it instead of using some common sense and ringing the box for advice, the signalman sees the man on the track and shouts loudly to get off the line consequently the next two arrivals are signal checked, note the Network Rail man in attendance when the Steam Charter arrives and crawls through the Station.

 

I never thought I’d see it again Nige!

I’ve cursed that bloke so much this week. Running normally we’d have had that in Sun!

 

You won’t have been the only one Harry.

 

Shame there isn't a 'Dislike' button on here, what a Kn*b...
Hopefully someone knows him and a visit from the BTP will ensue, only way these people will learn.
Clearly done it before as he didn't think twice, totally blatant!

 

Is it any wonder that out hobby could be forbidden by the likes of this thoughtless knobhead

 

All rail safety is OTT, better than being the other way but don’t blame the signalman. If he hadn’t applied the rules and some eagle eyed oik from NR or the ORR had seen what happened or viewed Nige’s video he/she would have been disciplined.

 

How could he see nothing was coming the other way?

1) The Signaller could quite easily have had a down train approaching, but not been able to pull his section signal off? So one could quite easily have been approaching.

2) Tangmere was literally minutes round the corner. My video from the platform timed it as Tangmere passing 3 minutes and 1 second after he jumped on the line.

The blokes actions meant both a Northern Rail service and a Charter Train were checked down and the Northern lost time due to it. I was actually very surprised the signaller didn’t put the road back on Tangmere as he had every right to do that.

 

Input the return timings. Not as comprehensive due to the weather and non-challenging down grade running.

 

Considering there is a telephone on the platform linked to the signalman to whom the situation could be explained and the way forward agreed this could be sorted, as for your lame excuse for his action surely beggars belief

 

An utter fool, who should be ashamed of himself for his lens cap, the linespeed through there is 60mph and he's rather lucky a freight wasn't barrelling down on him!

 

Yeah delayed the Northern too.

As I said earlier I was incredibly surprised Tangmere got through.

 

I’m sure I’m right in saying the correct procedure that applies to railway workers would be to contact the signalman and ask for a temporary block on the down line while he accessed the track.

 

Madness. Had I done that my first thought would have been 'oh well, there's a lens cap gone'. Even if I dropped my wallet or car keys I wouldn't be straight down and jumping on the line like that to get them.
I have dropped a lens cap off the platform on to the track before at Bewdley. After the trains had left I asked one of the helpful station staff it could be retrieved and he produced one of those grabber tools, clearly on hand for such incidents!