Vintage Trains has announced two special trains to replace those that were affected by Network Rail's emergency engineering work between Oxford and Banbury.
On Saturday, 10th June, The Castle Centenarian will be hauled by double-headed Castle Class steam locomotives No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and No. 7029 Clun Castle, without the usual diesel assistance on the rear, from Birmingham to Shrewsbury and Hereford.
The tour will depart from Birmingham New Street and pick up at Wolverhampton, then run to Hereford via Shrewsbury, past the world-famous signal box, Sutton Bridge, the junction for Aberystwyth, Church Stretton, and Ludlow.
At Hereford, there will be a break of around two hours before returning to Birmingham via the infamous Llanvihangel bank near Abergavenny, avoid Newport by the Maindee curve, past Llanwern steelworks to Gloucester where there will be time for another short break.
Leaving Gloucester, the route is via Cheltenham, Worcestershire Parkway, Bromsgrove, up the Lickey Incline unassisted, and Barnt Green before returning to Birmingham New Street. This part of the route will be a highly anticipated event, as it will see two Castle Class locomotives working together unassisted up the Lickey Incline with thirteen coaches.
On Saturday, 24th June, The Whistling Ghost will run from Banbury via the West Somerset Railway to Minehead. From Banbury, the train will be diesel-hauled and pick up at Warwick Parkway and Widney Manor before stopping on the goods lines at Tyseley where the diesel will be replaced by Castle Class steam locomotive No. 7029 Clun Castle before continuing to Birmingham and a pick-up at Snow Hill station.
After Birmingham, the route is via Stourbridge Junction, Droitwich Spa and Worcester Shrub Hill, where there be a water stop. From Worcester, the train continues to Cheltenham Spa for its final pick-up, then via the Gloucester avoiding line, Bristol Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads where there will be time for a photo stop.
From Bristol Temple Meads the train will continue through Yatton and Hewish, and Taunton, and onto the West Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard, where double-headed Manor Class locomotives will replace Clun Castle for the journey to Minehead for a break of around three hours.
The return journey will be the same as the outward route, with the manors again hauling the train to Bishops Lydeard where Clun Castle will replace them for the home run to Birmingham Snow Hill. Unfortunately, Pullman Dining will not be available between Cheltenham Spa and Birmingham Snow Hill.
Sutton Bridge Junction (Shrewsbury) is indeed the junction for the Aberystwyth and Ludlow lines, but I don’t think it’s world famous. The world famous box in Shrewsbury is Severn Bridge Junction.
That’s pretty cool!