Pathfinder Railtours embarks on final journey after 50 years on the tracks
Last service featuring historic diesel train D1015 Western Champion draws rail enthusiasts
Pathfinder Railtours, a Gloucestershire-based railtour company with over 50 years of history, has completed its final chapter with its last service, "The Pathfinder Finale."
Diesel train D1015 Western Champion, built in the 1960s in Swindon, marked the occasion with a final journey.
The service departed Salisbury, Wiltshire, at 06:00 GMT and was scheduled to return by 23:00.
Passengers boarded at stations including Westbury, Bath, and Bristol as the train made its way north to Manchester.
In a testament to the popularity of Pathfinder Railtours, train enthusiasts across the country gathered at station platforms to witness and capture the farewell journey of the historic locomotive.
Jack Boskett, who joined the Pathfinder Railtours team in 2020 as its marketing and PR lead, looked back on the journey with fondness.
Reflecting on his five years with the company, he noted his role in shaping the brand, organising events such as a secret 50th-anniversary train-naming ceremony at Gloucester station, and being part of this final milestone service.
From January 2026, Jack will begin a new chapter, welcoming former Pathfinder team member Alice as his Personal Assistant.
Jack said: “Thank you to everyone at Pathfinder — past and present — for the trust, the laughs, the challenges, and the memories. It’s been great fun, and I wouldn’t change a minute of it.”