| Topic: | The Dorset Coast Express - details from the website | |
| Posted by: | David Giles | |
| Date/Time: | 15/07/11 17:25:00 |
| From the website: "We are offering a number of lovely summer day trips from London to Weymouth and back by steam train. The excursions run weekly on every Tuesday from 5th July to 13th September. There’s plenty of opportunity to visit the beautiful Dorset coast. Each train will be hauled by a steam locomotive and as an added attraction, on leaving Weymouth, will be ‘banked’ on the steep climb of Upwey Bank by another steam locomotive at the rear. "We leave London Victoria Station at 08:45 and travel westwards, crossing the Thames at Barnes Bridge, through Kew and Feltham. We call at Staines and Woking to pick up further passengers. At Winchfield, we stop for our steam locomotive to take on water before continuing to our final pick up point at Basingstoke. We leave the South Western Main Line at Worting Junction and take the Bournemouth Line, heading south through Winchester and Southampton. "We call at Bournemouth and Wareham to set down those passengers wishing to visit these towns. After leaving Bournemouth look out for spectacular views of Poole Harbour. From Wareham we travel through classic Dorset countryside and delightful scenery to Dorchester. We arrive at Weymouth at around 13:25 and have over three hours there to discover much of what this seaside town has to offer. The railway station is close to the beach and shops. "We return from Weymouth at around 16:30 and our train will be hauled by one steam locomotive and ‘banked’ at the rear by another. We climb Upwey Bank which is a very steep climb and our steam locomotives will be working flat out. We stop at Dorchester South to detach our ‘banker’. We call at Wareham and Bournemouth to collect those passengers who left the train at these stations on the outward journey. Our next stop is at Basingstoke, where we set down passengers and our steam locomotive takes on water. "We expect a fast run along the main line from Basingstoke to Woking, where we stop to set down passengers, and on to our final destination at London Waterloo†*. "The steam locomotives to be used on this trip come from the following pool:- No. 34067 Tangmere, unrebuilt Battle of Britain class Pacific 4-6-2, built at Brighton in 1947 by the Southern Railway, for use on express passenger trains. No. 70000 Britannia, Britannia class Pacific 4-6-2, built at Crewe in 1951 to British Railways ‘standard’ design, the first ‘standard’ to be built, and used on express passenger trains in East Anglia. "Actual Timings Station Depart Return London Victoria 08:45 20:47† Staines 09:34 -------* Woking 10:06 20:08 Basingstoke 10:55 19:28 Bournemouth 12:16 17:49 Wareham 13:13 17:14 Weymouth 13:44 16:35 "Fares Fares Adult Junior Family Premier £179 £139 £565 First £109 £69 £285 Standard £64 £33 £160 • Premier Dining includes full English breakfast, light lunch and four course dinner silver served at your seat. • First Class includes morning coffee and Danish pastries and tea and biscuits in the afternoon. • Standard Class includes a reserved seat at a table for four. A buffet car is available and serves tea, coffee, snacks and light refreshments. Tables for two can be guaranteed in first class and premier dining for a supplement of £18 per person. (subject to availability) " Pricey but sounds like fun ! |