Timeless Trains® is based at the beautifully restored North Eastern Railway station at Kirkby Stephen East in Cumbria. There is a wonderful variety of coaching stock in the Timeless Trains fleet, owned by various individuals and groups, coming together to form the pristine Gresley set and the North Eastern train that is currently under restoration.

 

The core project is managed by the Locomotive Conservation and Learning Trust and the Stainmore Railway Company, and there are currently several coaches that are in various stages of restoration. Once completed in 2023-24, the collection will include coaches dating from the 1880s - 1930s, each of which will be returned to its original condition.

The Locomotive Conservation and Learning Trust was formed in 2009 to ensure a sustainable future for precious railway artefacts, while at the same time facilitating learning about their history and supporting traditional skills.

 

The Trust is the proud owner of the sole surviving North Eastern Railway C class (LNER J21) 0-6-0 locomotive No. 876, which dates from 1889 and is currently being restored to operational condition after over three decades out of use. Also under restoration is a unique North Eastern Railway bogie stores van that dates from 1902. A third vehicle, North Eastern Railway six-wheeled, third class compartment coach, No. 2051, of the type pictured above, has recently joined the collection but is awaiting total restoration at the present time.

 

Out of the above, only coach No. 2051 is part of the Timeless Trains fleet, but the stores van and locomotive may appear on these services from time to time. To find out more about the Locomotive Conservation and Learning Trust, click on the logo opposite.

The Stainmore Railway Company looks after the stunning North Eastern Railway station at Kirkby Stephen East. The station dates from the 1860s, with changes made in the 1880s, with the buildings themselves having remained largely unchanged for over a century; the station and its environs are now being sympathetically restored and will be an ideal home for Timeless Trains.

 

The Railway's team of highly skilled volunteers also form a key part of the Timeless Trains project, having already restored a number of valuable vintage coaches from almost derelict shells back to the full glory of their original condition.

 

Steam and diesel-hauled trains operate on the Railway on certain weekends during the summer months. The station's glazed overall roof, which fully encloses part of the platform, offers an inviting sanctuary from the worst of the Cumbrian weather, while the rooms within original station building provide a great deal of interest and give Kirkby Stephen East a truly authentic atmosphere.

 

To find out more about the Stainmore Railway Company and Kirkby Stephen East railway station, click on the logo opposite.

 

The LNER Coach Association and its members have amassed a collection of around 25 coaches, dating from between 1894 and 1950, with the majority of these having been built in the 1920s and 1930s.

 

The majority of the operational vehicles in the LNERCA fleet can be found on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, but several vehicles are located at other locations, including three (though not all are operational) at Kirkby Stephen East. Corridor Brake Third coach No. 3669, which was built in 1930, is featured on this website as part of the Timeless Trains fleet, and information about the LNER Coach Association and all the vehicles in its care can be found on its website; simply click on the logo opposite to learn more.