Back to back steam from Three Bridges to Bath with 61306, 71000 & 34028 - 12 & 13.12.25

Friday 12th and Saturday 13th December 2025 would see the final two steam tours to the Christmas Market in Bath, both travelling out of Three Bridges and along the Sussex coastal route.

Saphos Trains ‘Bath Christmas Market’, operated by Locomotive Services, would set out with 61306 Mayflower at the helm, starting out at Three Bridges and being steam hauled via Hove, Worthing, Chichester, Havant & Fareham, to then travel to Eastleigh. The tour would then head up to Salisbury via Chandlers Ford & Mottisfont, continuing onto Bath via Westbury and Trowbridge. The return journey would follow the same format. The return trip would see the addition of 71000 Duke of Gloucester added to the consist, double heading with the B1 throughout, having failed on a previous outing to Bath the previous Tuesday with issues with its AWS, in order to return ‘The Duke’ to their base at Southall. This would mark the first double headed steam excursion on the Sussex coastal route in 12 years. Meanwhile, Railway Touring Companies “Bath & Bristol Christmas Express”, operated by West Coast Railways, would be hauled by 34028 Eddystone on her final railtour of the year. This tour would follow the same route as the previous days one, but carry onto Bristol. Additionally, Eddystone would only take the return as far as Salisbury, before returning to her base at the Swanage Railway, with the tour itself continuing back to Three Bridges diesel hauled.

So, with all that in mind, the video begins on the Friday with the ECS move from Southall to Three Bridges. At 0715, Mayflower is captured in the darkness at Woodplace Lane near Coulsdown, travelling along the Redhill avoiding line. Now past sunrise, the B1 is captured on the tour itself at Hassocks as it gets away from a pickup at Burgess Hill, Bosham having collected passengers at Chichester, and Norton Bavant near Warminster. Unfortunately, the tour would have to stop at Westbury for a medical emergency, and eventually reached Bath 45 minutes late. By the time it had been able to get to Bristol depot for servicing, and added 71000 to the consist, the tour was an hour down. Nonetheless word of the double header had got out and the locals would be out in force to witness the pair tackle Upton Scudamore bank at Dilton Marsh. Heading back east, we managed to get ahead of the tour and capture the pair at speed through Hedge End, before seeing the tour back on the Sussex coast at Fishersgate, and then again at Wivelsfield following a water stop at Preston Park. With the tour still running late and two steam locomotives to fill, they hadn’t managed to take as much water as planned, and with a need to clear up the busy route diesel assistance would be visible from this point to preserve water and coal. News had come through that they would take on additional water at Gatwick Airport on the ECS back to Southall, so having overtaken the train again during this layover we capture the pair one final time at Horley, again with the diesel doing all the work in order to savour the now replenished water supply for the pair to get home.

Cut forward to 8 hours later, and the next morning at 0655 we would find ourselves at Redhill for our first shot of Eddystone, as she hauled the ECS from Southall to Three Bridges, emerging from the fog through the station, passing through only 6 hours after the double header had passed through the station in the opposite direction the night before. Our next shot, now with the sun up, would be Hassocks station, where unfortunately Eddystone had lost time and a service train would arrive just after the loco had passed the cameras. The tour would next be captured at Barnham from the foot crossing before the station, and then again at Funtley Rd capturing the tour power out of Fareham tunnel, with Eddystone’s steady exhaust and the sun in front of us making the shot very atmospheric. At Mottisfont & Dunbridge, the fog had returned and got very thick as the train emerged past the foot crossing. A return to Norton Bavant would see a clearer view as the train headed towards Westbury, with the final daylight shot seeing the consist pass Freshford. Finally, ending the chase in fine style, it would be Eddystone’s turn to take on Upton Scudamore bank. She did so with gusto, providing a powerful soundtrack at Dilton Marsh as she took on the steep grade to Warminster, sparks flying out the chimney in the process, making a grand end to a long but enjoyable two days filming!


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