Enjoy a heritage diesel trip along the valley of the River Dart

Following the emergency alert issued by the UK Government, we have decided to operate heritage diesels instead of steam locomotives between Saturday 15th and Monday 17th August 2026.

Whilst we have continued to safely operate steam locomotives throughout the recent heatwave, with various mitigations in place including having a dedicated fire train on standby, constantly reviewing the fire severity index for the area we run in, and other fire prevention measures, we recognise the concern those in our community may have if they see a steam locomotive operating following the alert, and also the potential impact on our neighbours, the local wildlife and the emergency services should a fire start.

All services will run as per the advertised timetable (including our dining services), and you can still enjoy a journey in our historic carriages taking in the beautiful Devon countryside from the comfort of your seat! Our trains have an on-board buffet with hot and cold drinks, including chilled beer from Dartmoor on tap. You can also stop by the Bridge View Kiosk in the car park at Buckfastleigh for a refreshing ice cream, smoothie or milkshake. Class 33, 33002 “Sea King” is planned to haul services. This locomotive is the oldest surviving member of its class, having been built in 1959,making it older than some steam locomotives.

We currently intend to return to steam operation on Tuesday 18th August, as there is rain forecast all day and the fire severity index then returns to “low” for our local area. We will keep this under constant review and provide further updates should they be required.

Thank you for continuing to support us, every ticket purchased helps to keep steam (and diesel!) alive and providing many happy journeys through the valley of the River Dart, as we have done for nearly 60 years.