No, the ban was lifted in 1971, 22 years before EU directive 91/440 and the resulting 1993 Railway Act, Foster Yeoman, National power and ARC were doing private freight operations before this but with BR crews. Not to mention the numerous Preserved loco railtours,.
I thought it was more Preserved locos in general my apologies on that.
I would love to see more railtours especially down in these neck in the woods especially if they ever got Maeve out of Cultra i d know i try if the auld euromillions numbers came in.