The Canary Brush – Positioning Move

Friday 23rd January 2026

Join us for this opportunity to enjoy some relaxed heritage locomotive haulage on this Positioning Move as one of the Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) fleet of Class 47 locomotives conveys a rake of Mk3 carriages from Crewe to Norwich in preparation for our tour  ‘The Peak Blinder’ the following day.

Today’s move will depart from Crewe at a very agreeable hour and will initially head south on the West Coast Main Line towards Stafford and Nuneaton, where we offer a further opportunity to join the train.

From Nuneaton we start our trek towards the east, passing the market town of Hinckley before a brief journey along the Midland Main Line (MML) as our train heads north through Leicester. Very shortly after this we say farewell to the MML as we once again divert east at Syston Junction.

Our route now meanders both north and south but primarily to the east as we pass through the towns of Melton Mowbray and Stamford. In the 1980s this route was dominated by Class 31 locomotives typically hauling rakes of four Mk1 carriages, but passenger trains today are exclusively the domain of diesel multiple units. Enjoying locomotive hauled passenger trains on this route is limited to the odd charter service.

On arrival at Peterborough we pause for operational reasons only before resuming our journey east. Our route takes us through March, the avoiding curve north of Ely, and across the rich agricultural fens towards Thetford and Norwich, where we expect to arrive mid afternoon.

The train is expected to be hauled by an LSL Class 47 locomotive throughout. Fares are offered on both a Single basis (this train only) and Return (which is a discounted fare including the Return Positioning Move on Sunday 25^th January 2026).

All timings are provisional and intended as a guide.

There is no First Class Dining on this train, nor are there further reductions for Juniors. Return fares are offered on the basis to include Sunday’s Positioning Move, ‘The Peak Broadsman’.  A buffet service is expected to be available on this train.

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