Forum Topic

Steam train spotted near Acton

I was on the train at about 9 o clock this morning going from Acton Central to Willesden when we were passed by a beautiful black steam train pulling carriages and going in the other direction -- it was somewhere near the Grand Union Canal bridge - does anyone know why it was there?

Richard Grange ● 5847d9 Comments

Must have been stolen you know what this hood is like.

Colin Carroll ● 5847d

There is a list of steam train excursions for this year at http://www.uksteam.info/tours/trs10.htmThe only one in this part of England today was a Battle of Britain Memorial Train which was due to depart from Victoria at 11:28.  The locomotive should have been the Battle of Britain class "Tangmere", but that has been under repair and was replaced by an LMS "Black Five" no. 44932.  That loco is usually based at Southall, so perhaps you saw it on a tortuous route from Southall to Victoria.

Richard Jennings ● 5847d

By the way, there's a video of that locomotive passing through Chiswick that I made last month and is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCnFAV0g3Kc

Richard Jennings ● 5847d

We went on one once from victoria to Sheffield. It went via Acton Central.  It was called Oliver Cromwell and we had champagne for breakfast.

Andy Magee ● 5846d

Andy My 4 and three-quarter-year old son is OBSESSED by steam trains.Do you know if that steam journey through Acton is still running?

Richard Grange ● 5845d

The company was called steam dreams.  Try googling them I think they publish timetables

Andy Magee ● 5843d

Has he been to the Kew steam museum (www.kbsm.org)? No giant locomotives, I grant you, but plenty of steam engines.

Ian M Green ● 5843d

The company was called cathedral express look for trains going up north from victoria they come through Acton central there are also some that go through Richmond

Andy Magee ● 5843d

AndyThanks so much for this tip - I checked the website and hadn't realised  you could do long-distance steam train journies out of London - or that Bittern (a close relative of one of my  son's favourite trains Mallard) is still running Time to start saving up  ... ... !

Richard Grange ● 5843d