Regular steam operations on most of British Rail (BR) ended in 1968. In the early 1970s, BR allowed steam back on the main line, using preserved steam locomotives, and in 1978 it ran a series of trains during the summer months on a circular route from York via Leeds and Harrogate. In 1981, the route was extended to Scarborough after a turntable was reinstated and named the ‘Scarborough Spa Express’. These ran until 1988, but ceased when the staff at York who were responsible were reassigned to separate divisions at InterCity and Regional Railways.
Engines used included ‘Flying Scotsman, ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’, ‘Green Arrow’, ‘Leander’, ‘Union of South Africa’ and ‘Mallard’ to name but a few. On occasion the headboard ‘Scarborough Flier’ was used.
I first travelled on this train in 1984 – with a school friend who strangely brought raw eggs and bacon with him – all was revealed at York when he asked the fireman on ‘Union of South Africa’ to fry them up on the shovel!
After 1988, there were occasional steam railtours to Scarborough, featuring locomotives which included 60800 ‘Green Arrow’, 46229 ‘Duchess of Hamilton’, 48151 ‘Gauge O' Guild’, 3440 ‘City of Truro’ and 45596 ‘Bahamas’. It was not until 2002 that regular trips began again. These were introduced by West Coast Railways and ran from Scarborough to York and return for three days a week during July and August. The same format was used again in 2003.
The National Railway Museum (NRM) began running a service directly from York to Scarborough in 2004. 4472 ‘Flying Scotsman’, having just been acquired by the NRM, was the main locomotive used, but 45407 ‘The Lancashire Fusilier’ was available in the event of any failure. 5972 ‘Olton Hall’ also stood in on at least one occasion, still wearing its Hogwarts Express livery. The NRM sponsored the SSE until the end of 2006, when they decided to hand over the running of the SSE to the Railway Touring Company. In 2007, the Railway Touring Company included the Harrogate loop in the SSE itinerary once more and ran a number of very successful tours during July and August. In 2008-2009, WCR took over the running of the SSE and they again utilised the Harrogate loop, running on three days a week during July and August. It was July 2008 when I next travelled on this train, now stopping at Knaresborough en-route where my Mum got on!
In 2010, the route was changed when gauging problems on the Harrogate loop put a stop to any steam locomotive using that route. This is how the Wakefield Circle was born, with WCR again running the SSE three days a week during July and August. The route was York-Normanton-Wakefield Kirkgate-Wakefield Westgate-Woodlesford-Castleford and back to York; then, from York the usual trip to Scarborough and back to York and the Wakefield Circle as per the morning run, and finally returning to York at 21-00.
