Marvels Of The Mainline - UK Steam Compilation (2023)

In this video we take a look back at some of best scenes we've captured in 2023 with LMS locos being the main flavour of the video, which features lots of Jubilee action. Last year was our least active year on the mainline due to work commitments and other reasons so we unfortunately missed out on a few locomotives, most notably 70000 'Britannia' and 34046 'Braunton. It's worth noting that Britannia has been off the rails since August due to a severe failure on the Sunset Steam Express. 61306 Mayflower and 34067 Tangmere are also absent from this compilation, with the latter being purposely ignored due to nature of the top & tail diesel operation on its Northern Belle duties.
With 2023 now in the past we can now look forward to what 2024 will bring on the mainline. The new year should see the return of some big name locomotives, in the form of 71000 Duke Of Gloucester, 60532 Blue Peter, 60163 Tornado, 35028 Clan Line and 6233 Duchess Of Sutherland. While this all sounds good on paper, there are still some operational uncertainties for a good chunk of next year's action due to the ongoing saga of CDL fitting of West Coast Railway's mark one coaches.
The regulator has insisted that WCR install all mark one coaches with Central Door Locking and the current exemption for this will end in February of this year. It's hoped and expected that WCR will come to an agreement with the regulator on a plan of action for the fitting of the required electronic locking system and there should be no effect to their planned steam operations for 2024. West Coast Railways is the biggest steam operator for British mainline steam excursions and vital to certain tourist economies throughout the country. Fingers crossed for a speedy solution for all concerned.
I hope you enjoy the video.
Locomotives featured
45596 Bahamas
45690 Leander
45699 Galatea running as 45627/45562
46100 Royal Scot
46115 Scots Guardsman
44871 Black Five
44932 Black Five
45231 Black Five
35018 British India Line
60007 Sir Nigel Gresley
60103 Flying Scotsman
5043 Earl Of Mount Edgecumbe
7029 Clun Castle

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

2nd scene of the video is 45627 AKA 45699 Galatea not Bahamas as stated.

[@RickyNowis]

Such, steam pure beauty. Lots of mainline steam action, brilliantly captured. Loved especially seeing 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley in all of its LNER glory. Loved and fully enjoyed this year's mainline steam highlights :-)

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Cheers Ricky, glad you enjoyed the coverage and No7

[@brianpearce6537]

As always TQ - Top Quality from these fine videographers!

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Many thanks, Brian. I hope you are keeping well ?

[@eisenbahntraeumer]

Absolutly stunning complilation! I hope that you had a great start in the new year, already looking forward to see more of your videos!

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Thank you very much and you too !

[@Phillycheesejones]

That was a very enjoyable watch. Thanks for that.

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Glad you enjoyed it. Many thanks.

[@philipstanbridge6535]

I would definitely say mainline steam has cleaned up over the last few years. Most of these locos were making less smoke than the Freightliner class 70 I saw this morning

[@aaroneckley4319]

No one wants a steamless steam engine 😂😂😂

[@simplethewaterbender6264]

i just love seeing these pieces of history, running on the mainline. it gives them dignity they were originally given. if we could just find a sustainable way to use coal and oil (without damaging the climate too much), we can see steam, diesel and electric trains as main passenger service. which is a form of cultural diversity, if you think about it.

[@oldfart6318]

Some truly great iconic photography.

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Very kind of you to say. Many thanks.

[@Artsweb]

Quality videography, editing, sound and production! Thanks for all the memories.

[@ceanothus_bluemoon]

Loved every minute! Clun Castle at 39 mins, the iridescence on the exhaust in perfect still, cold conditions was a stunner and the doubled-headers always look amazing! Looking forward to DoG and BP as I've never seen those in action except on here. Happy new steam year!

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Many thanks, we're also looking forward to seeing those locos and it'll be a first for me !

[@Courtneyobrien19]

I love the video and i can't wait to see what other videos you do this year and a happy new year.

[@Pjs75]

Thanks for your commitment and professionalism, trekking around to produce such fine recordings. A privilege to reflect on things that I missed,but that you both have captured so well.

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Many thanks as always for your positive comments. Glad you're still enjoying the action.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Great video. It got the seal of approval from my 2 year-old grandson ! 😊

[@Julie-ye8uh]

Lovely video-I feel warmer already!

[@edwardwilson4974]

Superb shots, great definition, wonderful locations, especially the winter ones.

[@LiamsLocos]

Lovely compilation, happy new year lads! See you out & about in 2024 Regards, Liam

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Cheers Mate, hope to see you soon. We were close on Saturday lol

[@LiamsLocos]

@@MarshSteamVideosTM I bumped into Phil and had a catch up with him, I’m sure I’ll catch up with you sooner or later liam. Have a good en :)

[@GreatBritishRailways1]

Liam & Phil, An epic compilation and a Happy New Year to you both. Regards, John

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Many thanks John, a happy new year to you and Andy. Hopefully see you out and about this year !

[@peterstowell2976]

Greetings from Melbourne Oz guys! A fabulous compilation of Mainline Steam action during 2023, excellent work indeed. Many fond memories were evoked by this video. In the 1966-1967 period I would occasionally take a journey on the “ACE” from Waterloo to Exeter before Steam finished on SR. If your shots of the “ACE” were filmed on 20th May then you can imagine how my memory of those trips became real; on my 2023 annual visit to Britain I actually travelled on that very train this time behind my favourite LMS class a Stanier ‘Jubilee’. To view your film sequence of that train with “Bahamas” added to my enjoyment of this video. Cheers from Puf’n-Pete✈️🚂🆗

[@steveedwards9957]

Brilliant show, thank you.

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

You're welcome.

[@RobertGott-c3f]

Great video Thanks for all your hard work All the best for 2024 😊😊😊😊😮

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

That's much appreciated.

[@RobertGott-c3f]

Your very welcome 😁 sir

[@Smokealarm]

great video. especially like your going away shots.

[@SimonTog]

Nice collection :)

[@moshihus]

Does this not beat a steel box whizzing by? AWESOME!!

[@mattybutler1985]

To be fair, had it not been for the steel box, Britannia would've been stuck in the middle of the Surrey Hills.

[@simplethewaterbender6264]

@@mattybutler1985 it's that heavy?

[@mattybutler1985]

No, something needed to drag the broken Britannia back to civilisation, and minimise traffic disruption.

[@simplethewaterbender6264]

@@mattybutler1985 so, it's possible to have britannia pulling passenger coaches on her own. though i wonder how'd she perform on the mainline.

[@mattybutler1985]

Just because there's a diesel on the back doesn't mean it's doing all of the work all of the time. It's just there in case it's needed for whatever reason, be it shunting at stations, shoving from a standing start to get up to speed quicker, in trouble on a steep gradient, or situations like this where the steam loco cannot continue and has to be rescued. I only take issue with diesels being there if they're directly in front of the steam loco and it may as well not be there.

[@lnerrules-iw6ry]

Excellent video Liam and Phil. Happy New Year to you both. I do agree with you about West Coast Railways I hope things get sorted soon? I agree that I'm looking forward to see Tornado, Blue Peter and Duke of Gloucester to the mainline?

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Cheers mate, yes we're looking forward to seeing those locos !

[@elijahglasser1421]

Very excellent

[@CliveScholefield]

Galatea is a brilliant engine it just keeps going no matter what name it is running under.

[@vbsvzk3284]

🎉🎉🎉

[@sukeribachik2853]

Powerful stem engine.High speed ,my be One Hundred kph

[@mattreeves6136]

❤ 11:15

[@TamasKiss-bv9hz]

👍👍👍❤🤍💚

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

Nice compilation, but we would have been happier seeing each different engine once. Let's hope WCR can get rid of this CDL appeal, because the slamming doors give much better warning of a train's departure. A shame a few other steamies had to be missed out. Don't get your hopes too high, let's just keep our fingers crossed. Galatea should have been given her true identity by now. Let's hope there's also a light at the end of the tunnel for Princess Elizabeth. We don't want to lose sight of the magnificent LMS steamy, I'm sure.

[@nicholashunt9522]

'We would have been happier'. That's really a personal opinion. I enjoy seeing them more than once.

[@JD0G69]

No need to be so rude.