SRPS Railtours 2025

News from SRPS Railtours. <BJ>

''Coming Soon!
Where would you like us to go?
2025 will see SRPS Railtours, the longest established operator of day excursions by heritage train, celebrate our 55th Anniversary (1970-2025)!
Our 55th anniversary coinsides with our exciting new partnership with Royal Scot and General Trust & Locomotive Services Group.
Whilst the main programme of Railtours is being finalised the first of our SRPS Railtours Returns to the Mainline! specials is now on sale running exclusively on Monday 30th December 2024.
Visit shop.srps.org.uk to book your tickets!''

 

Blurb from today's pre-announcement. Sounds like an exciting return to the mainline for the SRPS:


2025 marks the 55th Anniversary of SRPS Railtours and we have an exciting programme to mark the special occasion!
Our 2025 programme will feature a number of wonderful destinations including Kyle of Lochalsh, Edinburgh, Wemyss Bay, Inverness, Carlisle, Aviemore, Oban and Inverness.
Traction hoped to feature during 2025 will include our own 37403 ‘Isle of Mull’ alongside Class 20, Class 37, Class 40, Class 50, AC Electric Traction and of course Steam Locomotives.*
Our January to June programme will be announced in full mid November. The first tour of our 55th Anniversary programme runs on the 30th December from Bo’ness to Crewe featuring 37403 ‘Isle of Mull’ and 47712 ‘Lady Diana Spencer’. Book your tickets now at shop.srps.org.uk
*all locomotives appear subject to availability and usual caveats

 

"2025 Railtour Announcement!

The wait is over! SRPS Railtours, working with Locomotive Services Group, is pleased to announce the first dates of a comprehensive return to the mainline in 2025. More detail will be available on www.srpsrailtours.co.uk soon including how to book onboard!

Feb 08th - 'The Capital Highlander'
37401 & 37403 Carlisle to Inverness

Mar 08th - 'The Seven Counties Rambler'
Edinburgh to Edinburgh via Carlisle and Preston featuring Class 20, Class 37 & 50050.

May 10th - 'The Oban Explorer'
Leven to Oban featuring 50050 & 37403
The first Railtour originating from the new Leven station.

May 24th - 'The Tyne Clyde Coaster'
Newcastle to Wemyss Bay featuring 50050 & 37403.
Commemorating the 160th Birthday of Wemyss Bay station and 55th Anniversary of #SRPSRailtours

June 21st to 23rd - 'The Lochalsh Chopper'
A 3 day Railtour to Kyle of Lochalsh from Crewe featuring Class 20s, AC Traction & 37403

June 28th - '37/4 40th Anniversary Special'
Crewe to Glasgow Central featuring 37401, 37403 & 37409.
Celebrating 40 years of the popular Class 37/4 locomotive working in Scotland.

Our August programme will be announced shortly which features Steam Locomotives over the Forth Rail Bridge and around the Forth Circle.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon!

All locomotives appear subject to availability on the day and usual caveats. Route and Railtour information will be announced in detail once confirmed and is subject to change."

Bags of variety. Only disappointment for me is a lot of it is starting south of the border.

 

The hope is that with a slightly wider range of starting points (rather than just central Scotland) it will be easier to fill the trains and begin to recoup the significant investment made into the Mk1 stock. With the exception of the trip on 28 June*, all of these tours have at pick up and set down points in Scotland.

*which is being run specifically to celebrate the 4oth anniversary of the commissioning of the 37/4s; on 28 June 1985, 37401 and 37403 moved from Crewe to Glasgow after refurbishment at Crewe works.

 

Great to see the SRPS looking ahead to a hopefully much more prosperous 2025. The 1st half of the year has some interesting tours with the highlight for many being the 3 day tour to Kyle in June. For me the highlight being a Fifer would be the first ever railtour from Leven (which even though I haven’t done anything that doesn’t at least partially involve steam for many years) is tempting. Proper railtours and proper coaching stock (mk1s) mean that these tours will hopefully be very popular. Hopefully the 2nd half of the year sees plenty of steam railtours which will more than tempt me!

 

The SRPS Railtours website has now been updated to make note of their 55th anniversary. There is now a “Save the dates” section with August showing two sets of Forth Circles and a trip from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. Not officially confirmed yet nor is motive power confirmed either.

 

Given the announcement of LSL involvement in the tour programme what will be the future involvement of WCRC - if any ?

 

60007 rostered for three steam days in August:

• Forth Circle (Lunch & Evening) - Thursday 14 August
• Forth Circle (Lunch & Evening) - Monday 18 August
  
• Aberdeen Festival Flyer - Sunday 24 August

Tickets available soon.

 

Worth noting that the 13th August is on the Saphos schedule as an Edinburgh Summer Explorer (steam Carlisle to Edinburgh & back).
Why not make a trip of it and (unapologetic plug for the SRPS/BKR) fit in a visit to the BKR and Museum of Scottish Railways.

 

An interesting observation given that tickets for these trains aren't actually on sale yet despite most of the 'competition' having had dates advertised and on sale for several months.

We've actually only put tickets on sale for April & May tours today, so 2/3 months before hand, and have been getting asked for some time when those tickets, given dates advertised for some time, would actually go on sale.

Be interested to know when you think tickets should go on sale if its not going to appear to be a cash flow management activity (and that is not taking anything as criticism, genuine curiosity!)?

 

Aberdeen Trip is Saturday 23rd August Not the Sunday

 

'The Seven Counties Rambler' next month has a very interesting and varied route, but I am a little surprised at the inclusion of the Blyth and Tyne Line, because darkness will already have fallen on the way from Carlisle to Newcastle. The URL for this trip is also surprising https://www.srpsrailtours.co.uk/the-capital-highlander-1

 

The Seven Counties Rambler was looking good as it headed through Lancashire this afternoon...Footage of D8096 & D8107 at full blast passing Wilpshire southbound and Forton northbound.

 

"My name is Oswald and today I went out to watch a diesel hauled train, and what is worse I travelled in a diesel car with air con." "Shame on you, Oswald!" It was bit of a trade-off, I had wanted to get out yesterday to watch Tornado's LE move to Carnforth, but I needed to deposit some credit in Mrs W's "Goodwill Bank" as I hoped to be out later in the week for SNG's LE move (and hopefully Tornado's loaded test run). This afternoon was a bonus, I could go out for a couple of hours and, on my return, Mrs W would still have time for an afternoon walk.

It was a glorious afternoon as I headed over to Wilpshire summit. Following the business relocating it has been possible to park behind a car showroom and only yards from the over bridge on the Blackburn side of the summit. However, the showroom has reopened and there were no spaces; the nearest one I could find was about 300yds away on the main road. I gathered my stuff and headed to the bridge which was thankfully empty. The sun position app had correctly predicted that the sun would be shining directly onto the front of the approaching train. The vegetation was yet to spring into any meaningful life; shadows would not be a problem.

The service trains came and went in both directions. Two NR guys in orange suits turned up following a report of damage to a trackside cable. Some peering down the line with binoculars and a couple of photos saw them on their way but not before they had been collared by a resident who "button-holed" them about not chopping down an oak tree growing on the side of the cutting. They parted amicably. A local wanted to know what was coming, when I told him that it wasn't steam he wandered away in the direction from whence he came.

In the distance came the unmistakable sound of a hard working diesel locomotive (or a low flying helicopter). Not long afterwards the front of a class 20 eased from around the curve near the old Wilpshire station. The diesels growled through the platforms of R&W station, under the road bridge and hammered towards the summit; the exhaust plumes shimmered indicating the power that was being applied. The noise was loud considering that a moderate breeze was blowing in the opposite direction to that of the train. 17.5C, 11E & 31mph (yes 17.5C).

Whilst the train was diesel hauled, the locos and rolling stock were a very nice change and we don't see that many trips starting in Scotland and heading south.

 

D8096 + D8107 tnt 37403 seen climbing to Aisgill Summit and on the return from Shap Wells.

 

I was on the train. I wondered whether Oswald would have turned out for diesels but suspected not. So thanks for proving me wrong and posting a video. The chap opposite me was there for the sound but I was there for the ride. Pathing was odd, with a wait at Carlisle in order follow a stopper to Newcastle and then a wait there to follow an Ashington stopper. But it was a good ride anyway.

 

Nice video and nothing wrong with diesel tours, although I must admit I have never understood the fascination folks have with Class 20's.