Although steam locomotives were withdrawn from normal railway service in Great Britain in 1968, due to sustained public interest including a locomotive preservation movement, steam hauled passenger trains can still be seen on the mainline railway (i.e. Network Rail owned tracks as opposed to heritage railways) in the present day.
Following the ramping up of diesel trains in the 1960s, the last steam-hauled service trains on the standard gauge mainline of the British Railways network ran in August 1968, the last train itself being the ‘Fifteen Guinea’ Special on 11 August, although narrow gauge trains were still run until 1987 on the Vale of Rheidol Railway.
The day after the final service, BR then imposed a complete ban on mainline steam services, with one exception, Flying Scotsman, due to Alan Pegler having secured a clause in the purchase contract when she was purchased from BR in 1963. After this time, the only place to see steam trains was on privately owned heritage railways.
The ban was lifted in 1971, paving the way for the earliest post-ban heritage services. A train hauled by King George V was the first to run after the ban, and it paved the way for BR to authorise more and more routes for steam operation (based on them having the necessary infrastructure and timetabling capacity); in response to growing public demand for such services, the Steam Locomotive Operators' Association was formed in 1975 to bring together and assist operators wishing to run on the main line, negotiating a programme of tours with BR.
Most locomotives used are examples built during the steam era and later preserved, being suitably modified to run on the modern mainline. In 2009 the A1 Trust’s locomotive ‘Tornado’ hauled its maiden mainline train, being the first brand new steam locomotive to be built in Britain for use on the main line since Evening Star, completed in 1960.
The most famous (and expensive!) steam locomotive operating on the British main line is the 1923 built A3 ‘Flying Scotsman’. After being taken into public ownership in 2004, following a decade long refit it returned to mainline service in 2016. The fastest steam locomotive ever built, the 1938 built A4 ‘Mallard’, was also certified for main line operation briefly in the 1980s.
Regrettably as I was only born in 1968, I missed British Rail ownership and have had to make do with Heritage lines and the odd railtour.
As a young child I did visit the National Railway Museum in York, and couldn’t fail to not be impressed by the record breaking ‘Mallard’. Gresley A4’s have become a firm favourite.
In the 1980’s I was lucky enough to live right by the York to Harrogate line at Knaresborough – and the introduction of the three times weekly ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ service was very well received.
In the database you will find plenty of examples of mainline steam and steam engines from heritage railways across the country.
