Vintage Trains 2026

This is an honest review, it isn't meant to be negative towards those who organised today who did a great job.

I booked today's trip as I had never travelled behind Flying Scotsman before on the mainline, indeed my only run was limited to the Didcot demonstration line. I must admit I have avoided 60103 due to the chaos that surrounds the loco - crowds and commercialism are not my thing.
However, when this trip was announced I thought £80 for a blast on the Shakespeare Express wasn't bad value, especially given the publicity made much of mainline speeds. I must admit I assumed a standard Shakespeare timetable (including the Chiltern line in the return). The idea of FS hitting 60-70mph was indeed much more exciting than a 25mph trundle. The opening post on this thread also indicated no diesel involvement - win, win! So it was a booking admittedly with some assumptions on my behalf, that I thought would balance out the usual Scotsman madness.
What materialised was quite different to above- some my fault, clearly some 'creative' advertising, some operational..
So today has given mixed feelings. I agree with much of what @Sidmouth said above. This was exceptionally well organised by VT. The staff were excellent today. It was VERY well attended.
However, I can't escape the fact that 50% of the planned steam mileage disappeared with zero explanation from staff. The timings behind a stopper each way were shocking, which meant it was never going to get up to 'mainline speeds', indeed a lot of the return run was at around 30mph. There is no escaping the fact, this has ended up by far and away my most expensive steam tour ever at £83 for 25 miles and just under an hour's steam haulage!!
In an effort to be pragmatic, I was clearly not the target audience today. Everyone else seemed to have a great time and if some new steam enthusiasts are born and VT gets lots of new customers, then clearly job done. I suspect a fair number didn't even clock they were not steam hauled out (maybe that's why VT kept schtum..)
But for me, today wasn't the real deal and I do have buyers regret. £80 can get 2 days steam gala action. A full day out with Tornado isn't a huge amount more, I think I will enjoy that much better next month!
Conclusion, I should have linesided this one..

 

It boils down to this: there were too many specials to allow the train to be turned. So slow plods behind the frequent setvice trains were inevitable. But these trains were well filled and most customers were happy so it was unquestionably a success. I don't see any argument against that.

Regarding the details and alternatives, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

But it does seem the reverse running issues were underrated and the advertising was exaggerated.

Maybe the only realistic way to run a fast steam-only train would be something like the Shakespeare schedule allowing time for the loco or train to be turned (with a diesel pilot) in the layover time. There's something a bit like it on today's RTT as an inactivated 'Runs as Required'. It would have fetch a VERY premium fare or be exclusive to a a particular group.

 

An interesting week of action.

 

I guess what would've have been done 15 years ago, to negate the turning / tender first issue, would've have been to have put a Castle on the other end. Steam both ways, all smokebox first.
No doubt crews and costs dictate the 47 now.

The 30mph trundle wouldn't have been so bad had the advertising not so heavily lent on mainline speeds, clearly there was an aspiration there - but the operational reality was a lot different.

 

I took my wife and eldest son on one of the Dorridge shuttles. As a main line experience it was clearly very underwhelming compared with many trips I undertook in the past, but that was hardly the point.

It was an opportunity to see Flying Scotsman up close, take pictures (VT arranged this brilliantly - I have some of the best 'platform' shots I have of any locomotive as a result of how they set the platform up), and have a little run with the engine.

We had a decent run from Dorridge to about Olton - not sure of exact speeds but I would guess at over 60mph. It was never going to be the purest of experiences, and my son said it was the best day ever!

Sent from my SM-S926B using Tapatalk

 

I wonder if another issue that may be faced for these trips is with running a Shakespeare on a Saturday there is significantly more service trains to fit around (2 an hour from Birmingham to Stratford and the Chiltern Leamington shuttle) as well as the Marylebone trains too.

 

My efforts at Birmingham snow hill and Stratford upon Avon pics of 60103 while going for a ride out on her from Stratford, as my friend Colin wanted to have a ride behind Flying scotsman as he as never seen the loco or seen it at any heritage lines so I paid him on the V.T. tour on the morning service on 21 Feb. Quite a enjoyable day out.

Davo 56F

 

Just had an email that the Newcastle trip on 11 April has been postponed to 12 June as Clun Castle won't be ready in time.

 

Friday an odd day to run it.

 

Yep just had the same moved from a Saturday to a Friday now so can't do the revised date

Seems the trip from York to Newcastle is thwarted

 

Same here, pity they couldn’t have substituted it with 60163 Tornado, oh well being a pensioner the date change doesn’t really matter to me, but I appreciate that a lot of working age people now won’t be able to do this now

 

Tornado will be at East Lancs for their event the same weekend - I doubt the A1SLT would want to disappoint ELR for the second year running after its no-show last year

 

Guessing Friday as it's easier to avoid engineering work and early closures.

Thankfully the hotel I had booked didn't cost any extra to move the booking.

 

Well into fire risk season too ! Can see this getting canned.

 

The selling point of the tour and what attracted me was Clun Castle to Newcastle, not an A1 which has been on the ECML plenty of times