Caledonian Railway Nos 419 & 828 are to headline two Scottish themed weekends at the Spa Valley Railway.

The festivities take place on two weekends this summer – Friday 30th / Saturday 31st of August and Saturday 7th / Sunday 8th of September.

Since No. 828 entered service at the end of August 1899, these are the perfect dates to celebrate her turning 125!

The Spa Valley Railway has been operating trains in the High Weald of Sussex and Kent since 1997. 

It can be reached by mainline trains operated by Southern Railway to Eridge station.

These two weekends will feature an intensive train service where 10 trains a day will run in either direction between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge.

Both 419 and 828 will haul the trains and will swap at Eridge throughout the day.

There will also be a number of themed on-board dining experiences that need to be booked in advance.

Caledonian Railway Company built No 828 as one of a class of 20 at their St. Rollox engineering workshops in the Springburn district of Glasgow. J. F. McIntosh designed it to handle a variety of stopping passenger and express goods roles.

Its usual home is at the Strathspey Railway in the Scottish Highlands, but it has been on long-term loan to the Spa Valley Railway since March 2022.

They have made some routine and heavy repairs during this time, but the locomotive operates regularly along the line between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge.

Caledonian also built No. 419 at St Rollox Works for branch line work, fast suburban and banking duties and is now the flagship of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society.

It is normally based at the Bo’ness & Kinnell Railway near Falkirk in Scotland. The locomotive last visited the Spa Valley Railway in April 2022 and was at the time painted in Caledonian Railway blue.

Since the locomotive is now in pristine British Railways lined black, visitors will notice a significant change from her last visit.