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Whilst waiting for the 11:25 CDF -> PAD (which left at 11:35) I saw a charter train with Pullman coaches (and a brass band playing on platform 4), and 'Scarborough Express' written on the side. When the train I was on got to Swindon, there was another train in similar colours at a nearby platform.

The Scarborough Express didn't actually do to Scarborough did it?

The Scarborough Spa Express is a train that West Coast Railways operate between York and Scarborough in the summer, often using a National Railway Museum steam loco in the process.

One of WCRC's class 47s has been bedecked in a livery advertising the Scarborough Spa Express operation, so I'm guessing that's what you saw at CDF.

The Bristolian charter was scheduled to operate to day, so I would guess that was the stock that you saw at Swindon (this railtour was operated by WCRC, according to UK Steam Info). Could be that the stock seen at Cardiff was an ECS move connected with this, or it may be that someone else out on the forum can advise...

IanC said that at Swindon ".....there was another train in similar colours at another platform."

I also thought Bristolian but this special was supposed to be non-stop from Paddington to Bristol, however it could've been The GWR 175 charter if it was early and signal checked at Swindon. If IanC's train was still 10 down at Swindon he would've been there 25 minutes before The Bristolian was due to pass.

Just found a photo of the exact train I saw.

Fotopic.net (http://dparsons.fotopic.net/p64331542.html)

The train pictured above went through Melksham last weekend (I was working on my allotment next to the line at the time)

Looks like the Venice Simplon Orient Express "Northern Belle (http://www.orient-express.com/web/uktr/northern_belle_train.jsp)" train. It operates a regular series of luxury (and expensive!) excursions on various routes around the country, similar to the British Pullman operation in the south east. Usually diesel-hauled but steam on occasion.

I THINK that may have been in shrewsvury on saturday night - does it have ex virgin coatches on it as well

Don't think it would run with ex-Virgin stock in service - it's marketed as a high quality service so the coaches have all had a seriously expensive re-fit (virtually up to Pullman standards), and I don't think the company would allow the "brand image" to be tainted by towing along some tatty ex-Virgin stock. Although having said that the diesel locos that are turned out to haul it are often surprisingly dirty.

But it's possible that it was coupled to some ex-Virgin stuff for stock movements around the country. Or could have been something else that you saw - there's so much charter stock in all sorts of different colours kicking around it's difficult to keep track.

Almost certainly it wasnt that then

This was a loco pulling some red/black coaches (I think thats what Virgin used to run) followed by some pullman coaches.

It pulled in to SHR platform 7 at about 10pm on saturday - there was a guy with his head out the window so I asked what it was.  It was a charter that took them from wolverhampton to settle and picked them up at Carlisle at the other end.

I only noted it because it caused a last minute platform change to my Cardiff train!  Which almost cut out every time it came to a halt - lots of revving engines to keep it going which I'm sure caused the cancellation of the 1009 the next morning!