FANS of steam locomotives are set for a treat with no fewer than four steam-hauled specials due to work through the area, writes Neil Gordon.
First-up will be the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Great Britain XVI’ tour which will spend nine-days traveling across England, Scotland and Wales, followed by Vintage Train’s ‘Welsh Marches Express.’
Then in June Vintage Trains ‘Red Dragon’ will pass through the town when returning from Cardiff to Birmingham, while its ‘Shakespeare Express’ can also be seen when it heads from Worcester to Stratford-upon-Avon.
This Sunday, April 14, two former LMS steam locomotives known as Black 5s, including locomotive 44871 which worked through the town last Saturday, will haul the ‘Great Britain XVI’ through Bromsgrove (platform 2) at 9.28am, Barnt Green at 9.35am and Northfield 9.40am while heading from Cheltenham to Lancaster.
A diesel locomotive will also be on the rear of this train and it will not need to stop at Bromsgrove for banking assistance.
Sunday will be the second of a nine-day country-wide tour which starts in London and travels across England before heading to the Scottish Highlands. The tour then visits Wales before finishing back in London.
Next weekend Vintage Trains’ ‘Welsh Marches Express’ travels from Birmingham to Cardiff via Shrewsbury and Hereford next Saturday (April 20), before passing through Bromsgrove on its return journey.
The train is set to be hauled by a Castle class steam locomotive with journey times still to be confirmed.
A spokesperson for Vintage Trains said: “This trip is aimed at everyone who would enjoy traveling behind a steam locomotive through the beautiful Welsh Marches.”
Places are still available for Tourist, First and Premier classes with tickets being emailed out for Tourist class. First and Premier class tickets are available until a few days before departure so numbers are known for catering purposes.
Visit vintagetrains.co.uk for more.
Keep visiting this website – bromsgrovestandard.co.uk – for updates on the times the locomotives will be passing through Bromsgrove, Barnt Green and Northfield.
