The Great Central Railway is ending its steam season with visiting locomotives, double-headed trains, sunset services and the return of passenger trains to the Mountsorrel Branch Line
If the sight of a steam locomotive thundering along a proper main line still does something to you, clear a space in the diary for November.
The Great Central Railway is bringing its 2026 steam season to a suitably noisy conclusion with its Last Hurrah Gala, taking place on Saturday November 14 and Sunday November 15.
And this isn’t simply a case of wheeling out a couple of old engines for one last trundle.
Britain’s only double-track heritage main line is promising a whole weekend of steam, diesel, freight demonstrations, double-headed trains and special services before the railway swaps coal smoke for Christmas cheer and turns its attention to the Santa Express.
So, what’s going to be there?
Four visiting locomotives are heading to the Great Central for the weekend, alongside a sizeable collection from the railway’s own fleet.
One of the headline visitors is BR 9F No. 92134, the only single-chimney 9F set to appear on the UK’s only double-track heritage main line.
Then there’s Sentinel No. 7232 ‘Ann’, built in Shrewsbury way back in 1927. The wonderfully compact locomotive represents a very different era of steam engineering and is visiting thanks to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, Callum Porter and Chris Boocock.
Steam isn’t getting the entire weekend to itself, either.
Class 14 D9525, affectionately known as a ‘Teddy Bear’, will bring a bit of Western Region diesel action to proceedings, while Class 20 No. 20227 ‘Sherlock Holmes’ completes the visiting line-up.
They’ll join Great Central regulars including No. 73156, No. 48305, No. 79900 ‘Iris’, No. 6990 and No. 68067, along with Class 101 diesel multiple units.
In other words: if you’re the sort of person who knows your 9Fs from your Class 20s, this could be a very good weekend indeed.
And they’re doing more than just running up and down
Arguably the most interesting part of the weekend is the timetable.
There’ll be double-headed services, freight demonstrations featuring the railway’s oil tank wagons and the return of steam-hauled passenger trains to the Mountsorrel Branch Line.
Locomotives No. 68067, Class 20 No. 20227 and ‘Iris’ will also give passengers the chance to explore a part of the railway they might not usually see.
Go early enough and there’ll be services from Leicester connecting with the first Nunckley Hill shuttle.
Or go in completely the opposite direction and stay late.
Saturday will feature evening services, meaning passengers can watch the light disappear over the Leicestershire countryside while travelling behind historic locomotives. Which, frankly, sounds rather lovely.
Malcolm Holmes, General Manager at Great Central Railway, said the event would give both enthusiasts and families “plenty” to enjoy before the railway turns its attention to its festive programme.
For railway obsessives, the visiting locomotives alone will probably justify the trip. For everyone else, there’s something undeniably atmospheric about steam trains, autumn evenings and a heritage railway throwing everything it’s got at one last weekend.
Some finales go out with a whimper.
This one appears to be going out with a whistle.
Need to know
What: Great Central Railway Last Hurrah Gala
When: Saturday November 14 and Sunday November 15, 2026
Where: Great Central Railway, Leicestershire
What’s happening: Visiting steam and diesel locomotives, double-headed trains, freight demonstrations, Mountsorrel Branch Line passenger services and Saturday evening trains
