Friends of the Rail Forum

After a 123-day coronavirus-induced hibernation, steam trains have returned to the main line, with Crewe-based Saphos Trains being the first company to have a green signal to resume operations on the national network yesterday...

Crucially, the main reason to travel behind steam – the experience of being hauled by the closest thing man has created to a living and breathing object – remains as before, especially when we reached the S&C, which, with its challenging gradients and spectacular scenery, is easily the highlight of the trip...

One of the major appeals of travelling behind steam on the national network is the opportunity to leave the real world behind for a day and roll back the years to a period in which train travel was to be savoured and that remains even more so during the current climate, as you don’t have to worry (as much) about the outside world in the steam bubble.