Vintage Trains 2026

A teaser - we will be operating two LNER Pacific's in 2026 Q1. The first will soon be all over social media; there are 15 short journey trains plus three UNASSISTED Shakespeare Expresses. The second is the 'newbie' over Shap, returning via S&C, UNASSISTED, in March. Bookings open tomorrow

 

Flying Scotsman tours announced, and a run over Shap and S&C with 60163 in March.

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We are delighted to welcome the legendary to Tyseley next year and to offer two very special travel experiences for you to choose from.

On Valentine’s Day, will haul three Valentine’s Shakespeare Expresses from Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon and return, a two hour express train experience, with the option of either breakfast, afternoon tea or a three course evening dinner in our authentic luxury Pullman cars or seating in our Standard Class carriages with large picture windows by every seat.

️During Half Term, Wednesday 18th to Friday 20th, will haul five one hour train ride experiences daily, together with a unique opportunity for you and your family to take unforgettable selfies by the locomotive at Moor Street station before or after your journey.

️Tickets are strictly limited and are available on a ‘first come first served basis’ only by booking on our website vintagetrains.co.uk. Bookings open on vintagetrains.co.uk at 1pm 19th December 2025.

https://vintagetrains.co.uk/vintage...97h_KufyHWhjMcH6Mg_aem_a9pghsdqDhYBU4LwhYGmJA

This Spring we return to Carlisle, a 2000 year old city with plenty of history to discover. While the city is famous for Hadrian’s Wall, there is much more besides including the Cathedral, Castle and several museums and galleries all for you to explore.

The journey will see the train make a thunderous ascent of Shap to Carlisle, before returning via the stunning and world-famous Settle & Carlisle line. Both on the outward run via Shap and the return over the Settle & Carlisle, the train will be unassisted by diesel locomotive.

We are delighted to announce that this train will be steam hauled throughout, by special guest locomotive 60163 ‘Tornado’, courtesy of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. For enthusiasts we will once again be offering the Tourist Enthusiast ticket, allowing you to sit in the first passenger carriage behind the locomotive in at least one direction.

 

Re the Tornado trip, is your interpretation of that unassisted steam all the way or unassisted Carnforth--Carlisle--Hellifield? I've read it a few times and incline to the latter.

 

Yes that's my interpretation too

 

The VT website confirms that Tornado will be at the front of the train the entire time, with a diesel on the rear from Birmingham to Carnforth, and from Hellifield to Birmingham.

This is a step up from the similar tour last year with Bahamas, where steam came on at Carnforth and off at Hellifield. The fare seems very reasonable (£132.50 Standard Class, inc booking fee), with a modest supplement for Enthusiast Class.


BTW, is anyone else finding the NatPres website extremely slow to respond today?


Nick M.

 

Yes, been trying to get on for over an hour!

 

Been like it for a few weeks, on and off. Some days are better than others.

 

Should be a seriously good day out. Don't forget 60163's tender has 6200 gallons of water on board so has a vastly longer range than Bahamas. We did the 105 miles to Grantham from the Cross more than once with a speed of 73 at Stoke Summit. Ir's a shame the diesel can't run across to Blackburn and attach there so we could enjoy an unassisted climb of Wilpshire Bank. Still, 60163 has done superb climbs of Wilpshire Bank with 13 in the past so fingers crossed the diesel driver reads his paper or something between Hellifield and Wilpshire Summit.

 

Agree, have been waiting for this trip to appear - booking made.
Thanks Vintage Trains, something to look forward to in 2026!

 

I see there is also a CME running on this date so presume the VT times on the website will change?

 

Two years ago, VT had a slot ahead of the CME, dep Birmingham 0656, Warrington 0853, Carlisle 1205, although that's not what happened on the day. This time they will need less time at Carnforth because they are just dropping the diesel off. But as against that even Tornado will need a water stop somewhere. On the return, I guess they will probably need to drop back to the 1515 slot from Carlisle over the S and C.

It looks as though the Preston/Blackburn pick up and set down has had to be dropped this year.

 

WC are definitely in isolation, if you watch their Royal Dutchy trips departing Exeter on the Up then it's obvious given that a Black 5 should bark away nicely from Exeter with 8 on yet it's almost silent other than 47 at the back thrashing.

 

No they are not, just because VT and LSL operate the odd train unassisted where it is considered sensible to do. When things go wrong, NR performance penalties kick in, you can soon run up a very large bill and become very un the franchised operators who often don’t want charters anyway
Most of VTL And LSL trains still have a diesel assisting on the rear as required.
When not attached to the train, there is still the cost of a diesel/driver and path so that the loco can be positioned somewhere en route to assist with shunting and piloting where necessary, and in case of a failure which could also be a network failure and nothing to do with the charter.
We no longer live in a world of a nationalised railway system where there are diesel locos everywhere and available for use anytime for any train, also spare drivers are scarce on todays railway too, so everything has to be planned to be in the right place at the right time! Resource has to come to the charter from the operators own pool of locomotives, and train crew.

 

Yes they are, I am not saying that ALL LSL and VT trips are run without a diesel on the rear, just some of them and, unlike WCR, when a diesel is fitted it is often not working very hard which allows the loco to work which is not the case with WCR who often push their steam locos along.

I am not saying that they should be sending locos down to Plymouth without a diesel backup (although it would he nice if they did) but rather that they run them behind by a few minutes instead of couple to the rear. VT do it but WC cannot of course thanks to their CDL issues.