Latest news with #RailwayTouringCompany
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Iconic steam train to make a comeback this summer – and it will be travelling through 7 UK counties
AN ICONIC steam train is set to return this summer, travelling through seven UK counties. Steam train fans will be eager to catch a glimpse of the 60163 Tornado, which departs from London Waterloo on August 16 before heading towards Woking and Basingstoke. 3 3 The LNER Peppercorn Class A1 locomotive had been kept off the tracks for several years due to a major overhaul. It will follow the classic route of the old "ACE" trains, which travelled along the South West coast before reaching the historic city of Exeter. The iconic steam train will then head back, passing through Bristol and Bath before returning to London. Kelly Osborne, managing director of The Railway Touring Company, said: "We are delighted to be working with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to provide opportunities for people from Woking and Basingstoke to travel with Tornado and for many more to see the locomotive in action. "It is very exciting that Tornado will be back on the national rail network." The locomotive can reach speeds of a whopping 100mph, making it one of the fastest steam trains to run since the 1960s. The 60163 Tornado made headlines when it was launched in 2008 as the first mainline steam locomotive built in the UK since 1960. Since its debut, the iconic train has appeared on the big screen in Paddington 2 and on TV shows like Top Gear. Steam train lovers will have to fork out £130 for a standard adult ticket. For those wanting a more luxurious experience, premier class tickets will cost £335 and include a full English breakfast and a four-course dinner, served with silver service on board. It comes after train enthusiasts went steam mad after a 93-year-old heritage locomotive was secretly sold to Japan to become a Harry Potter exhibit. Originally green, Dumbleton Hall was painted bright red to look like the Hogwarts Express in the wizarding film franchise. It was hidden under tarpaulin, transported on a low-loader to Southampton Dock and shipped to Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter, which opened last year. Dumbleton Hall was built in 1929 before being withdrawn from service in 1965. Its sister locomotive, Olton Hall, was the train featured in the movies and is now at the Harry Potter Experience near Watford. Dumbleton Hall was rescued from a scrapyard in the 1970s for £4,400 by Dumbleton Hall Locomotive Trust, eventually moving to the South Devon Railway Trust (SDRT). But last year, West Coast Railways bought it for £300,000. They reportedly sold it to Warner Bros for £1million. David Long, of Dumbleton Hall Locomotive Trust, said: 'We didn't work hard to create a saleable asset that will now be denied to all of us. "This should be a wake-up call to all volunteers.' SDRT's Ernest Elsworth-Wilson said: 'We thought it would be operating here but they sold it on. "We didn't have any clue it was going to Japan.' But Richard Elliot, ex-general manager of SDRT, said: 'It's probably better off in Japan where it's being looked after instead of gathering moss.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Steam train makes special stop for rail volunteer
A heritage steam train has made a special stop to thank a volunteer who has been working on the railway for 16 years. Michael Dunn, from Northallerton, has been in hospital for five weeks as he underwent chemotherapy for cancer of the oesophagus. Mr Dunn said he felt emotional when he found out the Railway Touring Company's locomotive would be making the unscheduled stop at Northallerton Station. He said: "This has kept me going for the last few weeks because it's very special. No steam engine would ever be able to stop there normally. It's quite emotional, to say the least." The Railway Touring Company offers trips around the UK on five locomotives called The Great Britain. The service stopped in Northallerton at about 10:40 BST on Saturday. Mr Dunn said it was especially exciting because the locomotive making the journey was a Tornado, an A1 class that was built in Darlington. "It's on its last part going back down to London via Norwich," he said. "The total mileage will be just over 2,000 miles, with 200 passengers. "It is unique. It's a five-minute stop and everybody can wave their whistles from the train." Mr Dunn said his passion for trains began as a young boy, and having been born and bred in Northallerton, he was excited to see the service stop in his home town. "It's a passion that comes from childhood, but people don't realise how passionate people across the country are, not just rail enthusiasts. "The Great Britain started 17 years ago. "It normally starts in London at Victoria or King's Cross and from there it goes to various points within our Great Britain." Mr Dunn's niece, Laura McManners, said the nurses at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, where Mr Dunn was treated, had made special arrangements to allow him to get to Northallerton on Saturday morning. She said Mr Dunn had waved to all the passengers from the platform and been able to say thank you to train staff. The service began at London Victoria on 26 April before making its way to Inverness. The Northallerton stop was made on the train's journey back to London, where it will terminate on Monday. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. The Railway Touring Company
BBC News
04-05-2025
- BBC News
Steam train makes special stop for Northallerton rail volunteer
A heritage steam train has made a special stop to thank a volunteer who has been working on the railway for 16 Dunn, from Northallerton, has been in hospital for five weeks as he underwent chemotherapy for cancer of the Dunn said he felt emotional when he found out the Railway Touring Company's locomotive would be making the unscheduled stop at Northallerton said: "This has kept me going for the last few weeks because it's very special. No steam engine would ever be able to stop there normally. It's quite emotional, to say the least." The Railway Touring Company offers trips around the UK on five locomotives called The Great service stopped in Northallerton at about 10:40 BST on Dunn said it was especially exciting because the locomotive making the journey was a Tornado, an A1 class that was built in Darlington."It's on its last part going back down to London via Norwich," he said."The total mileage will be just over 2,000 miles, with 200 passengers."It is unique. It's a five-minute stop and everybody can wave their whistles from the train." Mr Dunn said his passion for trains began as a young boy, and having been born and bred in Northallerton, he was excited to see the service stop in his home town."It's a passion that comes from childhood, but people don't realise how passionate people across the country are, not just rail enthusiasts."The Great Britain started 17 years ago."It normally starts in London at Victoria or King's Cross and from there it goes to various points within our Great Britain."Mr Dunn's niece, Laura McManners, said the nurses at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, where Mr Dunn was treated, had made special arrangements to allow him to get to Northallerton on Saturday said Mr Dunn had waved to all the passengers from the platform and been able to say thank you to train service began at London Victoria on 26 April before making its way to Northallerton stop was made on the train's journey back to London, where it will terminate on Monday. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Evening Standard
01-05-2025
- Evening Standard
Save £20 per person on adventures by steam train from London
Terms & conditions: Offer open to The Standard readers and up to three guests. Promotion closes 30 June 2025. Offer is valid for London daytrip departures on or before 31 December 2025. Offer is subject to availability, does not apply to tickets already purchased and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Offer is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. Code TSW must be quoted at the time of booking. The Railway Touring Company's Standard Conditions of Booking and Travel apply – see website for details. Usual promotion rules apply, see For further information, please write to Customer Care, The Standard, Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London, EC2A 1AH. Promoter: The Railway Touring Company
The Courier
30-04-2025
- The Courier
Where and when to spot Great Britain XVII steam engine as it visits Tayside and Fife
The Great Britain XVII steam engine is set to make another visit to Tayside and Fife this week. On Friday, the locomotive will travel from Inverness to Newcastle on its seventh day of touring the UK. The famous train visited the region on Wednesday, when it travelled from Edinburgh to Inverness, calling at Dunfermline, Stirling, and Perth. Now locals have another chance to spot the heritage vehicle. This is the 17th year of its rail tour of the UK. In 2024, crowds gathered in Perthshire to welcome the steam engine on its expedition. On Friday, the steam engine will depart from Inverness at 8.15am and pass through the following places: The Railway Touring Company is running the tour. It said: 'The inspiring highland scenery continues through the Grampian Mountains to Kingussie and Newtonmore, before we embark on the legendary hard slog up to Druimuachdar Summit once more. 'After that it's mostly downhill to Perth, with a brief climb out of Dunkeld to Kingswood Tunnel. 'We'll stop for water at Perth, where you can stretch your legs, before re-boarding for the journey south via Ladybank and the rugged Fife coastline to the Forth Bridge, reaching Edinburgh mid-afternoon.'
