<P> The 1T57' Fifteen Guinea Special' was the last main - line passenger train to be hauled by steam locomotive power on British Rail on 11 August 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban that started the following day . It was a special rail tour excursion train organised for the occasion from Liverpool via Manchester to Carlisle and back, and was pulled by four different steam locomotives in turn during the four legs of the journey (with two engines sharing the third leg). </P> <P> The Fifteen Guinea Special was so named because of the high cost of tickets for the railtour (15 guineas = £ 15 15 s in pre-decimal British currency, equivalent to £ 250 in 2016). Guinea prices were normally only used for luxury items or professional fees, and ticket prices had been inflated due to the high demand to travel on the last BR steam - hauled mainline train . </P>

When was the last steam train used in the uk