Independence Day

Today’s tour celebrates the influence that the prodigious US manufacturer General Motors has had on the UK rail industry since the Class 59 locomotives were introduced 40 years ago. And for those more interested in ‘scoring’ rare freight locomotives, we offer a good old fashioned ‘Spin and Win’ tour around Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, utilising a variety of GM powered locomotives from DB Cargo, Heavy Haul and GB Railfreight. The Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States, was signed in Philadelphia on 4th July 1776 and 250 years on we are going to celebrate! Whether that is to mark the enduring special relationship with our American friends, or just to acknowledge the fact that we are now independent countries, we will leave that to you to decide. Onboard we will have a mobile beer festival featuring up to ten different beers and ciders, a buffet car serving some American favourites, and a few USA themed fun activities to add to the day’s entertainment. This will be our only tour planned to feature freight locomotives (and mobile beer festivals!) this summer, so join us for a pint, hotdog and very rare engines on hopefully a beautiful summer’s day out with your friends! Our day starts in London, where for those so inclined, the empty coaching stock move into London King’s Cross is operated ‘in service’ from Finsbury Park for those wanting to enjoy some bonus GM traction in the form of a GBRf Class 57/3 locomotive. For most the interest will really begin on departure from London King’s Cross. Our Class 69 locomotive was re-engined in 2021 and now boasts the same General Motors power unit as the ubiquitous class 66 locomotive. But our routing today is anything but common, as we take the former Great Northern and Great Eastern ‘Joint Line’ from Peterborough to Sleaford and then head west, through the sleepy Lincolnshire villages of Rauceby and Ancaster. We dive under the East Coast Main Line and continue west towards Nottingham, our final pick up opportunity today. We then travel the few short miles to DB Cargo’s base at Toton, where we are booked to exchange locomotives in the Toton Up and Down Independent which may give rise to a rare track ‘bobbins’ opportunity for some. From here we enjoy traction from our first Class 66 locomotive of the day. DB Cargo (then known as EWS) were the first freight company to operate Class 66 locomotives with the first arriving from the US in 1998. All have now worked at least one passenger train, and whilst some have been exported, then returned, and more recently exported again, DB Cargo still operate an expansive fleet and we will be seeking one of the rarer locomotives to operate our train today. Leaving Toton, we head north towards Chesterfield and the ‘Old Road’ bypassing Sheffield and heading for Moorthorpe Junction, where we join the London to Leeds main line which we follow through Wakefield Westgate. We avoid Leeds station for very good reason. By diverting at Whitehall Junction we can access Hunslet Down Reception, where our next locomotive will be waiting for us. From the loop, passengers will be able to view Heavy Haul’s Midland Road depot from where our locomotive will have been stabled. Again, we are targeting a GM powered Class 66 locomotive, and several examples from the former Freightliner pool have yet to work passenger trains. We will be working closely with the team at Heavy Haul to secure such an example. Our fourth GM powered locomotive will lead us to Doncaster and we travel via Castleford and Gascoigne Wood before once again crossing the East Coast Main Line as we head towards Selby. Here we traverse the Canal Goods Curve before our final sprint towards Doncaster, where we enjoy an afternoon break of approximately two hours. Our train returns to collect its passengers with yet another GM powered locomotive. This time our train operator, GB Railfreight provides the Class 66 traction and the next leg back to Toton has been timed at 65mph to give the planners the maximum opportunity to provide us with a rare example from their fleet. Our route back into Nottingham is suitably circuitous. We begin by once again joining the ‘Joint Line’, this time in a southerly direction through Gainsborough as far as Pyewipe Junction where we take the freight curve onto the Lincoln–Newark line. Few stretches of railway have quite so many public crossings as that between Swinderby and Newark but most on board will undoubtedly be enjoying the American themed refreshments being offered from the buffet car to notice the distinctive Class 66 horn that will be in frequent use. After passing our first set down opportunity at Nottingham, we run forward to East Midlands Parkway where we reverse to regain access to Toton yard. It is here we bid farewell to our GBRf Class 66 and re-couple our Class 69 locomotive for the journey home. Our route back to London sees us follow the Midland main line as far as Syston Junction where we veer left, passing through Melton Mowbray and Stamford before reaching Peterborough and the East Coast Main Line back to London King’s Cross. On behalf of our industry partners involved in the operation of todays tour, UK Railtours will be making a valuable donation to the Martin House Children’s Hospice – a very special good cause which we know means a great deal to many people who have played a part in bringing you our tour today. This tour utilises Mk2 carriages provided with thanks to Eastern Rail Services. All timings are provisional and intended only as a guide. StationDepartArrive Finsbury Park06.40n/a London Kings Cross07.2022.10 Potters Bar07.4021.40 Stevenage08.0021.20 Peterborough09.2020.20 East Midlands Parkwayn/a18.50 Nottingham10.4018.00 This train will feature a well stocked buffet car serving a range of meals, snacks and drinks provided by The Railway Diners, and a separate beer festival buffet car run by Tom Said Micropub. This train does not include a First Class Dining option. ClassFareAvailability Standard Class£159Good Standard Class Junior£139Good First Class Non Dining£259Good Book Now