Locomotive D1015 ‘Western Champion’ is to haul The South Devon Explorer from Birmingham to Plymouth and back on Saturday 10 May.

Mainline steam and diesel operator Vintage Trains is organising the trip, which will take passengers over the Chilterns via Oxford, Great Western mainline to Bristol and then south to Plymouth over the South Devon Banks and the Dawlish sea wall.

‘Western Champion’, which will appear at the West Somerset Railway’s diesel gala in June, was based at Plymouth Laira depot during its working career. It was built in 1963 at the Swindon Works, then run by British Rail.

In 1965, the locomotive hauled the return working of Winston Churchill’s funeral train. British Rail withdrew it from service in 1976. In January 1980, the Diesel Traction Group bought D1015, which secured its preservation. Western Champion is now based on the Severn Valley Railway in the West Midlands.

D1015 has run with Vintage Trains before, including hauling a train to Plymouth twelve years ago.

Passengers will have several hours to explore Plymouth, where attractions include The Mayflower Museum, Plymouth Gin Distillery, the barbican and the harbour.

The return leg of the journey will include a detour at Totnes, allowing for a rare opportunity to travel behind a rail tour along the South Devon Railway’s Dart Valley.

Vintage Trains reckon that this will probably be the first time a ‘Western’ has travelled on the line since Western Fusilier in 1990.

Between Bristol Temple Meads and Plymouth, ‘Western Champion’ will not have a second locomotive assisting it in hauling the train, which is unusual on mainline rail tours.

Details of dining options and tickets are available on the Vintage Trains website.

“We are delighted to have D1015 ‘Western Champion’ hauling this upcoming train to Devon and we would like to thank the Diesel Traction Group for allowing us the use of their fantastic locomotive. We would also like to thank the South Devon Railway for allowing our train to visit their railway, an exciting addition to this train for our passengers.”

Vintage Trains spokesperson