Steam lines with stock other than Mk 1 in regular service

[Mogz]

Don’t get me wrong, I love the deeply padded comfortable seating of the BR Mk1 stock as much as the next…

They are the mainstay of most heritage lines, it seems, but for those who want to experience a diversity of rolling stock types, I thought it might be an idea to have a list of lines where you can travel in other stock.

From my own experience, the following have non-BR-Mk1 coaches in service.

Please feel free to list any others.

Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Bluebell Railway
Severn Valley Railway

 

[pdeaves]

Shoutout for Tanfield and Mid Suffolk.

Also all the narrow gauge lines

 

[James H]

Kent & East Sussex Railway

 

[John Webb]

Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway and the K&WVR both have selections of older coaches run on occasions.

North Norfolk Railway has the unique "Quad-art" set designed for East London commuting, which is quite different to most other stock!

 

[Frodingham]

Paignton and Dartmouth

 

[D6130]

The North York Moors Railway has a beautifully-restored set of LNER teak-bodied Gresley main line stock.

 

[John Webb]

The North York Moors Railway has a beautifully-restored set of LNER teak-bodied Gresley main line stock.

Normally their 'local' train is formed of a Mk1, two Gresleys and a Thompson coach. How's that for variety? Not being used much at present as they've substituted their 101 3-coach DMU for it following recent lineside fires.

 

[Flying Phil]

The Great Central has some Non Mk1 coaching stock. The Gresley Buffet, the Later modified "Beavertail" Observation carriage and a couple of "Suburbans" at least.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Swanage Railway I think has at least one example of Bulleid stock in service, likewise at the Mid Hants, perhaps someone can confirm?

 

[A0wen]

The Nene Valley has various continental coaches.

 

[D6130]

Swanage Railway I think has at least one example of Bulleid stock in service, likewise at the Mid Hants, perhaps someone can confirm?

Yes....the Mid-Hants has a Bulleid BSK (I think) no. S4211S which has been converted as an accessible vehicle for disabled passengers.

 

[Mike Machin]

Isle of Wight Steam Railway, every item of passenger stock has pre-grouping origins, and the coaches in service are in outstanding condition.

 

[alexl92]

The Bluebell has a Bulleid rake
K&ESR have some vintage southern coaches
IOWSR has vintage carriages
The Mid-Hants has some bulleid coaches I think, as may Swanage
The Mid-Norfolk Railway has MK2 and MK3 rakes if that's your thing!
The North Norfolk Railway has a vintage set which is a mixture of 4-wheel and bogie coaches plus their LNER Quad-Art set
KWVR have a vintage rake including some L&Y coaches - 4 wheel, 6 wheel and bogie.
Embsay run a vintage train on Sundays I think
NYMR have an LNER teak rake as already mentioned.
SVR have a GWR rake, an LNER teak set and an LMS rake
Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (I think) are restoring an LMS set for their dining train (I think some of them are already in service?)
Wensleydale isn't really a steam railway at present but their mainstay is MK2s - both air-con and early versions.
Middleton Railway operate 3 ex-SR PMVs converted to coaches
Tanfield use a right old mixture!
Foxfield has the Knotty Train set.

...that's just off the top of my head
There's definitely others - I just can't remember them now!

 

[paul1609]

At the Kent & East Sussex Railway nearly all our trains include pre mark 1 stock as the first class accommodation is generally provided by a Maunsell vehicle in the MK1 train.
Our second set often comprises vehicles from several pre grouping companies as befits a line that remained independent until nationalised.

 

[topydre]

Llangollen has a set of non-corridor suburban stock (Eastern Region I think)

 

[AM9]

Paignton and Dartmouth

Also the South Devor Railway (the original Dart Valley Railway) has some GWR rolling stock - hopefully the rust holes in the toilet floor has been repaired!

 

[Ash Bridge]

Yes....the Mid-Hants has a Bulleid BSK (I think) no. S4211S which has been converted as an accessible vehicle for disabled passengers.

Thanks for confirming!

 

[philthetube]

The Isle of Mann steam railway fits the remit.

 

[StephenHunter]

Epping Ongar Railway have Mark 2 vehicles in their otherwise Mark 1 rakes.

 

[D6130]

Epping Ongar Railway have Mark 2 vehicles in their otherwise Mark 1 rakes.

So does the Wensleydale railway, IIRC.

The North York Moors Railway has some of the experimental XP64 vehicles....although I'm not certain whether they are currently in running order.

 

[Cowley]

The North York Moors Railway has some of the experimental XP64 vehicles....although I'm not certain whether they are currently in running order.

They’re in a pretty bad way unfortunately. We had thread on them a while ago:

XP 64 coaches

Evening folks. I’ve been meaning to ask about the XP64 coaches for a while now and keep forgetting. I’ve never actually seen one in real life (that’s real life, not makebelieve life ;)). I seem to remember that the NYMR had some a few years ago, but what happened to them and how many of the...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[The Lad]

Xp64's not at NYMR.

 

[Meole]

Pacers have a different comfort level too.

 

[341o2]

Shoutout for Tanfield and Mid Suffolk.

Also all the narrow gauge lines

Indeed, consider the first and third lines to be preserved.
the Tallyllyn has its four originals, plus former Corris and Glyn Valley coaches
The Welshpool & Llanfair lost its original coaches, and some of its current fleet are from the Zillertalbahn

 

[30907]

KWVR have a vintage rake including some L&Y coaches - 4 wheel, 6 wheel and bogie.

Hired from the Vintage Carriage Trust at Ingrow.
There is also the lovely SECR "matchboard" Continental Brake whose KWVR history goes back 50 years and appears slightly more often (and in my avatar!).

 

[xotGD]

Hired from the Vintage Carriage Trust at Ingrow.
There is also the lovely SECR "matchboard" Continental Brake whose KWVR history goes back 50 years and appears slightly more often (and in my avatar!).

Link to gen on when the vintage stock will be operating...

Vintage Trains - Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

Dates in July & August

kwvr.co.uk

 

[Martin66]

Shoutout for Tanfield and Mid Suffolk.

Also all the narrow gauge lines

 

[alexl92]

Fascinating, thanks for sharing that! I love the Tanfield Railway's carriage fleet, real variation of designs but all matchign liveries. I find it very pleasing!

 

[AY1975]

If "other than Mark 1" includes Mark 2s a few railways have Mark 2As and/or vacuum-braked Mark 2s: the Mid-Hants, the Mid-Norfolk, the East Lancs, Peak Rail and the Wensleydale, for example.

Then there are the preserved HSTs, and even Mark 3 buffet cars in use as static buffets at a few railways (can't remember which ones).

 

[GM078]

Step over to Northern Ireland and the Downpatrick & County Down Railway has a regular set of 1950s CIÉ and UTA designs, and on special occasions a 'vintage' set of wooden-bodied GSWR and BCDR non-corridor carriages.