Northern Belle 2026

Settle & Carlisle Steam Train Day Trips With Lunch

Realtime Trains | 1Z71 0838 Liverpool Lime Street to Carlisle | 25/04/2026

Realtime Trains | 1Z72 1508 Carlisle to Liverpool Lime Street | 25/04/2026

34067 in the frame I assume

Best regards

 

From Northern Belle,
"If the trip is diesel-hauled, guests will receive a £30 credit per person, equivalent to the steam supplement. While this is unlikely, we believe in being transparent as this is a possibility."

 

Is 44871 required for the GB as if not its at Carnforth?

 

The expectation seemed to be that it would go north yesterday with 5407 but obviously it didn't.

 

As they had to send a (possibly unplanned) diesel to bring her up one assumes something went astray with either the loco or the logistics, the fact that she was towed tender first suggested possibly the latter?

 

I understand there was an NR signalling problem at Castleton which caused the delay but I don't think that was the reason 44871 didn't accompany 5407.

 

There'll be three air-braked steam locos available first thing Saturday morning at Carnforth - 34067, 44871, and 45407.

(Plus 34028 departing for York.)

 

Reassuring for those with tickets ....

 

Happy New Year (The posts on the NB thread appears to be "stuck" in 2025, perhaps a mod could help)

 

Well, the tickets indicate the train arrives back in Preston just before 10pm because NR has routed it to Lime St first.
So the folks who were looking forward to a leisurely day out in luxury now face an endurance test and having to find out whether their domestic arrangements can be stretched for another 3 hours....
Sure, it's not the train company's fault but 48 hours notice of a major change isn't really satisfactory, especially at the prices charged.

 

RTT shows it reversing at Preston around 7 o'clock before going on to Liverpool, then going back as far as Preston as 1Z73 before going the rest of the way home to Carnforth as 5A74. This implies that Preston passengers can choose whether to stay aboard for the ride to Liverpool and back.

 

I had just replied to a post about the 25 April trip before noticing that it's in the 2025 thread.

 

I've been told by NB that Preston passengers are the last drop 21.50.
There is a booked stop at Blackburn but apparently set down not possible. So Preston boarders have an extra three hours to "enjoy". Not clear whether there will be a further meal served ....
There doesn't appear to be an updated Carlisle to Lime St in RTT but there is
Lime St to Preston
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U79977/2026-04-25/detailed
which tallies with the ticket timings.

 

So would they sit in P6 at Preston (assuming RTT is correct and the loco swop is similar to a CME) and not let them off when it is there for 45 minutes, unless the plan is to do the meal service very late?

 

I can only report the information provided to passengers, that Preston is 21.50, rather than the indicative 7pm ish at time of booking. It also suggests steam of at Hellifield if the train is going direct to Lime Street and not via Preston.
When the tickets were purchased, the times were to be confirmed 7 days ahead of travel date. In fact they were provided this morning and the changes were not drawn to attention either.
Paradoxically, dietary requirements can't be accomodated less than 8 days before travel ....
The irony is, booking this trip took some persuasion due to previous "mishaps". Obviously things which go awry on the day can't be helped but this is in a different category altogether. The additional time is more or less equivalent to the Preston to Carlisle leg in duration so it is somewhat shocking that passengers are expected to just grin and bear it.

 

Danny you do like to get excited about non events. This is a perfectly normal NB operation whereby those picked up first are dropped off first. I'm sure that if anyone needs to leave the train early it can be arranged with the Train Manager and the guard but after spending that sort of money most people want their money's worth. I am sure that the Preston passengers will indeed "enjoy" their full time on the train and many will be reluctant to leave when the time comes. What they pay for is a very different travel experience to what you or I would pay for but in this instance it is what is on offer and it sells well. There really is no need for a steam loco on a train like this but if it provides revenue for the locos involved I'm all for it.

Peter

 

Peter, if you wouldn't mind conveying that to the Northern Belle office who have assured me that instead of the original 7pm arrival indicated at booking, for Preston, my party is now obliged to stay on the train until 21.50 if we wish to alight in Preston ....
"Due to contraints imposed by Network rail we will be routing on the return leg of the journey to Liverpool-Newton le Willows- Preston."

The steam element is important to the person whose milestone event is being celebrated on this occasion though he'll have to let the people expecting to meet him in Preston on Saturday evening know it'll be rather later than scheduled ....

 

Excellent!

 

It made me think of the cartoon that sat on our office wall for so long "The floggings will continue until morale improves". In this case maybe "The CDL will not be released until the Trip Advisor posts improve"
Joking aside of course it is one of few opportunities for the paying punters to get their Instagram or Facebook picture in front of the loco. But if the meal service is ongoing a risk that folks wander off without paying the bar bill.
I remember my wife, when Tangmere had to drag Bittern back from Dorchester South to Weymouth in our stewarding days being asked to serve the vegetables so one of the catering staff could collect the bar bill money before passengers "wandered off"