We are spending today preserving yesterday, so you can enjoy it tomorrow.
25th November sees the start of our Santa services.
If you’re a working member volunteering for the Santa services, have fun and enjoy yourself.
If you’re a visitor with your family on the Santa services have a great time, and if you’re not sure of anything please just ask.
Pictures for the blog will be most welcome.
With this being the run up to the Santa services I was reminded of a visitor to Orton Mere Station some years ago.
She asked if we had thought of running the Santa services in the summer when the weather was warmer and often sunny as it would encourage more people to book! She then added the following gem. When I lived in Australia we had Santa in the summer and events were very popular!
No, she was not blond and actually looked quite sensible as well! It was one the very rare times when I was truly lost for words!
Here I am sitting writing this entry with the temperature nudging 29c and fairly high humidity. I have a gloss finish on my face and I am doing nothing more active than typing.
Nice to have seen decent weather last weekend for the trains, makes a change from driving rain and howling winds.
Over the coming months we have some excellent events planned so all being well the weather will be on our side.
Of course this culminates at the end of the year with the Santa trains. Seems funny thinking about the Santas in this weather, but they are the most important services of the year. The profit from the Christmas services helps immensely during the quiet period at the start of 2024.
Mention must be made of both the Pacer and the Swedish railcar. They are running on some of the quieter days, and provide a variance to the normal diesel and steam services.
So let’s look forward to a busy summer, and welcome visitors with our normal enthusiasm, and make sure they go away after having a super visit.
Pictures of services and events always welcome for the blog, as are articles from events and happenings across the railway.
Well the years seem to get shorter these days.
Today is June 1st and the Christmas Santa train tickets are on sale.
What’s the betting Easter eggs will be in the shops before Christmas.
45337 on Santa duty on a previous Christmas..
There we are a picture to get you in the mood to buy Santa tickets!
Here we have the first Santa train today taking on water at Peterborough Nene Valley.
The class 14 failed today on the first Santa service.
Here it is at Peterborough Nene Valley all on its own. Awaiting recovery back to Wansford.
Tonight we are running an evening Santa train. Here are a few images of the carriages being used.
The Wagon Lits carriages are very popular on special events.
Firstly here we have the Italian dining car, this is blue in colour and a super job has been done with its refurbishment.
A large proportion of the continental set is made up of Belgian coaches. Now as with anything changing between colour and black & white can change an image.
Here is a great example. Firstly in black & white.
Now we have it in colour.
Which version do you prefer I wonder?
My thanks to Jason & Phil for the images.
Tomorrow, (Saturday 26th November) sees the start of the Santa trains for 2022.
Fifty four services up to Christmas Eve mainly on the weekends. Plus three evening trains and a day just for Just Go Holidays.
As always it will be a busy time for the railway, and some of the many working members. As well as paid staff beavering away behind the scenes.
Hopefully the weather will be in our favour on the running days.
The three webcams on Railcam will give good coverage of trains at Wansford & Orton Mere, as well as one of the Wansford ones covering the station and crossing being available on YouTube complete with a chat room that’s in operation not only on running days but all others as well.
So if your a working member involved then many thanks for your commitment over this run up to the festive weekend, and most importantly have fun, because thats what it’s all about.
Many people think that with the end of the summer holidays the railway will be winding down for the autumn and winter. Now this is I suppose a logical thought after all nothing happens in the autumn and winter at the railway.
This if course is not true, the railway never sleeps, it may have the odd doze but it never truly shuts down.
Let us look between now and Christmas. We are running services at weekends between now and the end of October. With several events planned and ready to go. Hopefully the first week of November should see the installing of the new crossing gates at Wansford and of course we have not only the preparation for the Santa services but the services themselves. Throughout this period S&T and the civil’s will be doing work out and about.
The office will function normally as will other departments. So as you can see the railway is far from winding down, and after Christmas the railway will start and do it all over again.
So please if you are able come along and support the railway, this is a lovely time of year to travel the line.
