Although steam locomotives were withdrawn from normal railway service in Great Britain in 1968, due to sustained public interest including a locomotive preservation movement, steam hauled passenger trains can still be seen on the mainline railway (i.e. Network Rail owned tracks as opposed to heritage railways) in the present day.
History
Following the ramping up of diesel trains in the 1960s, the last steam-hauled service trains on the standard gauge mainline of the British Railways network ran in August 1968, the last train itself being the Fifteen Guinea Special on 11 August, although narrow gauge trains were still run until 1987 on the Vale of Rheidol Railway. The day after the final service, BR then imposed a complete ban on mainline steam services, with one exception, Flying Scotsman, due to Alan Pegler having secured a clause in the purchase contract when she was purchased from BR in 1963. After this time, the only place to see steam trains was on privately owned heritage railways and industries.
The ban was lifted in 1971, paving the way for the earliest post-ban heritage services. A train hauled by King George V was the first to run after the ban, and it paved the way for BR to authorise more and more routes for steam operation (based on them having the necessary infrastructure and timetabling capacity); in response to growing public demand for such services, the Steam Locomotive Operators' Association was formed in 1975 to bring together and assist operators wishing to run on the main line, negotiating a programme of tours with BR.
Operation
In the post-privatisation era, the typical manner in which mainline steam trains are operated is for a promoter or customer to contract a charter train operating company (TOC) to run it on their behalf. The TOCs are the legal entities which are licensed to operate trains; they are responsible for providing the three-man professional train crew consisting of the engine driver, fireman and traction inspector, and negotiating access to the network from Network Rail. Locomotives and coaching stock will ordinarily be hired by the TOC on an as needed basis (known as spot-hire), although some stock is owned by the TOCs directly. As of 2013, only two charter TOCs were licensed for steam operation – DB Schenker and West Coast Railways. Of the 410,000 miles of charter train operation in 2012/13, 103,000 of this was steam hauled.
Due to their unique aspects, the safe operation of steam locomotives on the mainline is governed by its own Railway Group Standard, Steam Locomotive Operation, in addition to all other applicable standards. Depending on wheel diameter, locomotives on the mainline are permitted to operate up to maximum speeds ranging from 35 to 75 mph - the maximum permitted on minor and heritage lines normally being 25 mph.
With water troughs having been removed after the withdrawal of mainline steam, trains must now stop for water, being refilled via hoses from road going tankers (preferred over static hydrants due to pressure inconsistencies and the possibility of contamination), although mainline water cranes do still exist in some places. Additionally, water scoops in the tender are also required to be removed as well. With the locomotives often away from their home base, or even any kind of operating base, support crews numbering around half a dozen people usually travel with the train, their role being to prepare the locomotive, tend to it on water stops and repair any fixable issues arising, and clear the ashpan as part of a disposal routine at the end of the day. As a result, as well as the passenger coaches, mainline steam trains will also feature a support coach, normally a passenger brake van of the British Railways Mark 1 or Mark 2 era, specially fitted out to provide seating/sleeping, catering and workshop facilities for the support crew, plus space to carry spares and equipment (i.e. hoses), including that required for the modern equipment needed on a mainline equipped train. While on the move, one support crew member rides on the footplate, to act as the locomotive owner's representative and assist the train crew – who have general knowledge of steam locomotives and the UK mainline – by offering specialist knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of the specific locomotive, and reacting to matters arising. On the move, the remaining crew in the support coach will also record the locomotive's performance while operating, including punctuality and fuel efficiency.