Our train starts at Worcester’s Shrub Hill station hauled by Tornado as we head for Devon. We are routed via Cheltenham, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads to collect further passengers before heading south to a brief water stop at Weston Super Mare.
The train will then speed across the Somerset Levels before passing the site of City of Truro’s 102 mph run at Wellington. On through Whiteball Tunnel, we emerge in Devon and descend to Exeter. From Exeter we traverse one of the splendours of the journey, along the Exe Estuary and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s famous sea wall. At Newton Abbott we take the route for Torbay as we travel via Torquay to Paignton. It is here we join the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway which enables us to travel directly to the end of the line at Kingswear, passing the imposing Royal Navy College where Naval Officers attend for training.
From Kingswear there is a short ferry trip across to Dartmouth, with its quaint pubs and shops to enjoy. There will be a few hours in Dartmouth and Kingswear before it is time to rejoin the train, with Tornado leading the way. We retrace our outward route, again able to enjoy Brunel’s magnificent railway as we return to Bristol Temple Meads. It is here we say goodbye to Tornado a diesel locomotive takes our train on back to Worcester.