Saphos Trains 2026

One of the problems with charter trains is that they regularly stand for long periods so the flow through toplights is lost and you're effectively in a hot house.

 

A surprise move by Saphos to consider trialing air con on mk1s which i feel is disappointing. If you don't want to be hot, then travelling on a train in the peak of summer probably isn't advisable....even if it has been the norm on a mk1 for years

We travelled on the duke in December with Saphos for the first time and loved every moment of the day primarily as they are the only TOC using mk1s and you can hear and smell the loco as has already been mentioned.

I'm afraid like with West coasts current arrangements on using mk2s in sealed coffins you'd get more enjoyment having a coal bbq in the back yard and watching the days tour on YouTube at zero expense !!!

Yes there's probably reasons why its being considered by Crewe, but when up against their competition people are booking Saphos for the experience or at least we did and they have to be careful that they dont kill the goose for those happy to pay their higher prices

 

You would think that LSL knows what sells the Saphos brand and maybe feedback has been that aircon would be an improvement. Most modern trains are supposed to have it, as do most cars, although it has to get real hot before I stop just opening the windows on my car.
It was far from unusual in the RTC Mk1 one days to have diners shutting the sliding windows or asking the steward to do it for them and complaining about the debris coming in on their table from the loco. Also common in winter months for complaints about windows being open.

 

A great day out yesterday as usual. Coaching stock, loco and on board service all up to Saphos' usual high standards. The A4 really does look fantastic in that blue. Unlike The Lakelander of the week before, which had a number of empty tables, this one was fully booked - every single table occupied. The English Riviera Expresses are always popular. A surprise on the way back was that once the A4 had been detached at Taunton the Class 47 at the rear was also detached as well. Apparently the A4 was off to Darlington for an event so the Class 47 was going to help it get there. This meant that the single Class 47 at the front was hauling all 11 coaches back to Wolverhampton, quite a load for a Class 47 surely? I got off at Worcester but I imagine going up Old Hill must have been quite an experience! As for the aircon, I admire from an engineering perspective the achievement of fitting aircon to a Mk1 and I dread to think how much money it must have cost them. I liked how they had taken efforts to make it blend into the existing decor. The vents for the aircon were wood-lined, the hinged bolts on the sliding windows were wood instead of metal - it did actually blend in quite well. I wish them success with the experiment - as mentioned yesterday, it's just 3091 which has it at the moment, which was Coach H on yesterday's train (the one immediately behind the A4s support coach).

 

8th June, some additional (steam?) charter

Crewe - Penrith North Lakes
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U85103/2026-06-08/detailed

ECS Penrith North Lakes - Carlisle Upperby
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U85104/2026-06-08/detailed

ECS Carlisle Upperby - Langwathby
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U85105/2026-06-08/detailed

Langwathby - Crewe
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U85106/2026-06-08/detailed

 

1Z32 suggests Blue Peter (possibly with the Chairman's Train?).

 

A video from Mayflower heading to Kingswear on 2nd May 2026 and some older scenes from "The Golden Hind" on 25th September 2024.

 

Any word on motive power for tomorrow's Fellsman?
Many thanks

 

It's been rostered as Blue Peter for awhile on the Saphos Website. I think it's also doing the one next month too.

 

After last week's heatwave we came back to normality with a bump. The weather forecast for today was not good, in fact it was bad, with rain forecast for much of the day. Would the weather gods be kind? Probably not! Would Oswald be able to avoid the worst of the rain? Probably not! Had the Fellsman run in its previous earlier slot, around 9am thro' Blackburn, it might have been possible, but today's path was around 10am out of Blackburn. You've guessed it, the heaviest of the rain was forecast to reach Blackburn between 09.30 and 10. After looking at the weather radar and a lot of head scratching, I thought that Hoghton Bank, with the train scheduled at around 09.45, might be a better bet than the climb up to Brownhill where the train was due at just after 10.00.

At 7am it had been overcast, but Maisie was sufficiently encouraged by the ambient conditions to venture out (after her breakfast - of course). At 8am the sun shone, maybe Maisie knew something that the forecasters didn't, and I wouldn't bet against Maisie. Wherever I was going, and I was still undecided, I needed to leave home at 9am. As I left, Maisie appeared and ran in and I immediately saw why, rain had begun to fall. I set off and suddenly found myself on way to Hoghton. The rain became steadier. Heading west on the M65 there was the odd heavier burst - so much for your plan, Oswald!

I reached Chapel Lane, near the summit of Hoghton Bank, and parked with enough time in hand to check my phone for the train's current whereabouts; Leyland. Rain was falling steadily, no rush to leave the car as I was only a short distance from the bridge and still enough time to check on Traksy. Or there would have been if the 4G had been faster, or the Wifi hotspot my phone told me was available actually was. Enough messing about - to the bridge! I decide to "keep my powder dry" and settled on a couple of old i phones with which to record video.

I headed off, 2 phones, 2 mini tripods and an umbrella. I set up as the rain began to get heavier. I was joined by a couple who had come to watch. I eventually got Traksy to work, Blue Peter was half way up the bank and should only be a couple of minutes away. There was a distant chime from the "big" whistle. I set the phones recording and stood back to watch. There was not long to wait for a glimpse of white exhaust, then the distinctive sound from the Kylchap chimney. Blue Peter appeared from under the bridge, moving well, a pull on the "little" whistle (how disappointing, Oswald likes the "big" whistle) for the foot crossing. 60532 hurried away under the bridge, the white exhaust hung between the trees and the train headed off into the distance with the 57 on the rear perhaps "taking its own weight".

11C, RT & 36mph

[Apologies for the sound on the trailing shot, it appears that the i phone may have succumbed to the rain].

As I walked back to the car the rain grew heavier and just after I got in the car it got heavier still. The heavy rain continued as I travelled along the M65 which was all spray, spray and more spray. It was a couple of minutes after 10am and as I glanced across towards Blackburn and Wilpshire, the clouds were dark and heavy rain was falling. Maybe Oswald had chosen wisely - for once!

 

You definitely chose well. The rain was torrential at Horrocksford and even worse at Horton in Ribblesdale, so bad in fact that at Horton it was being driven straight into the camera lens which made all the shots taken there useless.

 

My daughter (who has no interest in trains whatsoever) sent me this clip from Carlisle while she was waiting to change trains at lunchtime...

 

The type of conditions today is known in our household as "Fellsman weather", David. Having observed almost all the Fellsmans back to 2009 I would say the weather is more often than not cool, cloudy with a threat of rain. The occasional bright sunny day has usually been September time although there has been a blight of fire risk occasionally too.
I didn't actually see today's, a rare miss due to a combination of self-inflicted domestic errors.

 

Unfortunately she seems to be stopped at Settle Station (18.38). Front end visible on Settle Signal Box Webcam. Hopefully just a temporary halt/issue.

 

Booked water

 

Thanks. Stupid me - never expected that. Should've checked.

 

With torrential rain off and on all day, most of my shots today were, in my opinion, below par. Below are the best of a mediocre bunch.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/55312687859/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/55312687439/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/55312615093/in/photostream/

 

The S&C really did itself proud weather wise today, wind, rain and plenty of it greeted the inaugural 'Fellsman' rail tour headed by No. 60532 'Blue Peter' as it worked 1Z46 away from Helwith Bridge over the River Ribble heading for Horton and
onwards to Carlisle



Despite a howling gale a fortunate splash of sunshine sees LNER Peppercorn A2 class No. 60532 'Blue Peter' working the return 'Fellsman' rail tour over Denthead Viaduct and back to Crewe

 

60532 seen at a thoroughly miserable Helwith Bridge and on the return in between showers at Crosby Garrett.