Mainline registered locos generally run light engine with a support coach between depots or for positioning moves between runs. They tend to use the lesser populated lines to avoid interfering with normal services. They do also go between preserved lines, providing the lines have a main line connection! I can guarantee that none have been visiting the Middleton however! Craig -----Original Message----- From: modeleng-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:modeleng-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alan Stepney Sent: 20 November 2008 11:35 To: modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [modeleng] Re: Mainline steam services ??? I see on the news (BBC) that Tornado has completed the last of three trial runs. Therefore, whatever you have heard, obviously isnt that. Must admit, I'd be tempted to sit beside the track with sarnies and a flask of coffee and see what came along! Failing that, or any other replies, I suspect it is preserved locos making their way from one line to another, Alan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Wells" <oaksfield@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 9:49 AM Subject: [modeleng] Mainline steam services ??? Having just seen an item about the Tornado's ongoing steam trials, I thought that I would ask the experts on such things here in the group about some steam trains that we have been hearing regularly for some time now. I live south east of Leeds, near Methley Junction, part of which is used by the Leeds to Goole train service. The third leg goes off towards Wakefield to pick up the main Leeds-Wakefield-London service, so we are not on that route, by the way. At first we thought that as it was so late at night, and usually over the weekend, when we used to have Railway Possessions when I worked on the motorways (for trackside road construction such as bridgeworks), it could be when steamers were going up to the National Railway Museum at York or up to the North York Moors Railway at Pickering by such as the A4's for the recent celebrations there, but it is is much too regular for this. Having seen a number of video clips where locos are hauled by road, rather than steamed to their final destinations, is there therefore still much private steam traffic on the rail network, bearing in mind that the leg to Leeds also has a link off to the Middleton Railway via the yards at Stourton where they also run steam services, or have we just heard locos being moved around the country by the Museum and the Preservation Societies? TonyW. MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line. MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line. MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.