North East Steam

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Newcastle and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Royal Station Hotel, our hotel for the next five nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

Today we visit Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, an incredible experience through time. A living, working experience featuring a recreated town including an Edwardian bakery, a coal mine, a local pub, and a school amongst other things, all linked together by a historic tram system. On our return to Newcastle, we make a visit to The Angel of the North for a quick photo-stop.

DAY 3

After breakfast this morning, we board our coach to Stanhope where we visit the Weardale Railway, an 18-mile heritage line running from Bishop Auckland to Eastgate in Weardale, County Durham, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following our scenic journey, we make our way to the Locomotion Museum at Shildon, the birthplace of railways and housing the largest undercover collection of historic railway vehicles in Europe. Afterwards, we return to Newcastle in time for our evening meal.

DAY 4

Today, we will take a private coach to Tanfield Railway for a 6-mile round trip behind steam through beautiful countryside and a spectacular wooded valley on the world's oldest existing railway. After our journey, we take the opportunity to view some of the locomotives in their huge industrial heritage collection before continuing by road to the Stephenson Steam Railway in North Shields. Here, we ride over their 2-mile line and explore the museum to discover fascinating displays and Killingworth Billy, the world's third oldest steam locomotive!

DAY 5

This morning, we travel to Alston and the South Tynedale Railway to discover the narrow-gauge steam railway built over the trackbed of the branch from Haltwhistle to Slaggyford and we enjoy a return journey and a visit to the Loco Shed and Hub. This afternoon, we travel by road to the Aln Valley Railway for a ride over their short line between Lionheart and Greenrigg, part of the former branch to Alnmouth. Afterwards, we return to Newcastle in time for our final evening meal together.

DAY 6

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Newcastle and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner