Saphos Trains 2026

My apologies if there is a thread somewhere which has already answered this question, but when you consider that Steam Dreams and Saphos are both owned by the same person, both use the same pool of locos and carriages and in some cases run over similar routes (60007 is running from Taunton to Kingswear next year for both companies and 71000 ran from the South of England to Bath twice last week, once for Saphos and once for SD), why have the two companies not been combined as one? Was there some sort of clause when David Buck sold Steam Dreams to Jeremy Hosking insisting that it was kept separate from Saphos? I'd love to know,

 

John. I did not think anything has been said, but when I was on SD Emerald Island Explorer after they had been taken over, and Marcus was on board since he still had an involvement ( even after being sold twice ); he mentioned he had known Jeremy over 20 years, so assumed Jeremy was a regular with SD before starting his own. The train manger Holyhead to Euston ( who has worked on the various brand the group from the early days ) was under the impression from what he heard that SD was considered worth keeping as a separate brand, although we were told there would be no plans for further Holidays to Ireland and Europe.

 

Looking forward to 2026, it looks like the most interesting year for mainline steam enthusiasts for many years. Having been deprived of unassisted class 8 steam over Shap since the onset of the CDL issue, I believe 35018 was the last on 27/8/22, we have four tours in quick succession. LSL / Saphos kicked off the sequence with 71000 and we now have the exciting prospect of 60532 and 60007 in Feb and Mar respectively. Both trains are expected to have a 10-coach load, the same as 71000. Now we have VT joining the party with 60163 in April (I guess with a similar load). I do not think there is any year in the preservation era that three LNER ‘pacifics’ have run unassisted over Shap northbound.

Only 4 LNER locomotives have run over Shap in preservation: 60007 / 60009 / 60163 and 60532. As far as I can see 4472/60103 and 60019 have never run a train over Shap.


Total runs are:

60007 – 5 (including 2 in 1967)

60009 – 8

60163 – 5

60532 – 4 (possibly 5)

Only three years have featured two LNER locomotives in one year 1997 (60007 & 60532), 1998 (60007 & 60532) and 2015 (60009 & 60163).

The most runs in any year came in 2013 (5 runs, all 60009).

 

2nd class sold out now on both 60532 & 60007 trips

 

60103 has done a fair few in recent years - Christmas Specials come to mind, but I think all with a diesel on the rear.

 

If VT were to promote an unassisted run over Shap and the S&C with Scotsman I would have to give that serious consideration...maybe one for 2027...anyone else? Over to you @Michael Whitehouse !!

 

As a matter of interest 60152/60/61 were transferred to 66A Polamadie in the early 1950s. I noted all three on a visits to 66A. On enquiring what trains they worked,one was a evening parcels to Crewe returning the next day on a Birmingham to Glasgow .

 

You appear to have missed 60103 in matt black livery operating the Carnforth - Carlisle leg of a Cumbrian Mountain Express run on 06/02 / 2016 - only days after its loaded test run. Mind you it was raining - the sort of weather which separates the men from the boys !

 

60019 was supposed to in 2014, but had to detach at Carnforth and follow the charter because of a gauging issue heading into the platforms at Carlisle northbound.

 

Thanks for this and the other comments, I was listing unassisted runs, 60103 on 6/2/16 had a class 47 on the rear that sounds to me like it was probably in notch 1.

 

If it helps, 60103 ran unassisted over Shap (northbound with 11 on) on 2 July 2016, with The Hadrian.

 

Indeed it did. I was going to check the date when I got home. It was the occasion when the Antiques Roadshow was on board and filmed some parts on the platform at Carlisle with the loco as a bacckdrop. Fiona Bruce was taken through the corridor tender to the footplate on the way to Newcastle but didn't linger there very long.

Peter

 

I've noticed an interesting change to Saphos website for 2026. Standard Class has made a limited comeback. It has returned as a seating option on the S&C Fellmans only. (As well as the already known Shap ones in Feb and March)

I really feel Saphos are improving. I understand not bringing Standard back on everything given the market but offering it once again on the more enthusiast based trips is a good move, allowing those with less money to be able to go on their trips.

 

The WoE has definitley been starved of unassisted steam runs in recent years so I think a lot of people would agree with you on that one.

 

I don't want to get too excited to early but is it starting to look like LSL are opening up to the idea of unassisted steam running? If so that is amazing and credit to them.

 

Personally I have though the same thing for a long time. Obviously LSL have a different view, but in the internet age it is very easy to set the website to say Steam Dreams is now part of Saphos.
The original demarcation of SD tours starting in the south and Saphos ones in the north seems to be out of the window as well.
To me now it is just a mess but as I do not travel with either my view is worth nowt.

 

The part of that day that I remember was going across from York to Carnforth with the loco and support coach. We passed through Leeds at about 6am and found ourselves running alongside a Pacer on the next road. The driver was clearly enjoying paceing (no pun intended) Flying Scotsman, so the guard in the back cab was opposite the support coach kitchen where the crew's bacon butties were being prepaired. The guard had an envious look in his eye and licked his lips, so one of the support crew picked up one of the butties and passed it across to him through the open quarter light. Almost immediately the trains parted company at Whitehall Junction and the last we saw of the grateful guard he was on the telephone to his driver saying something along the lines of "You'll never guess what......"

Of course, nothing like that could happen today

Anyway I digress - back to Saphos

Peter