We are spending today preserving yesterday, so you can enjoy it tomorrow.
Last Sunday saw the first public running in a long time of the TPO.
It’s always been a popular attraction with visitors, and I remember when it used to start from Orton Mere and do a non-stop run to Yarwell doing two drops and pickups on the run.
© Chris Walker
Above is an excellent image from Chris Walker showing it arriving back at Wansford.
Hopefully the TPO will become a regular feature on the railway once again.
This weekend we are running a diesel service. Yesterday we had the class 14 and today we are running the Peak.
Ever since I joined the railway there have been two camps, one for and one against running diesels in the summer.
Personally I have always been of the opinion that we should, on a regular basis run all that we have available. We are not just a steam railway we are a heritage railway, a fact that many often forget about.
From when I ran Orton Mere I can count on one hand the number of times that a visitor decide not to travel because we were running diesel.
I would hazard a guess that most of our visitors have never travelled behind a steam train when they were in service on the network. but many have travelled behind diesels when they have needed to travel by rail.
So enjoy whatever we are running it is all part of our history!
The 11.30 Wansford departure crossing the Nene by Lynch Farm looking resplendent.
My thanks to Peter Wickens for the above picture.
The services last Sunday were all run by the HST and with four services each way were very popular. Nice to see a service like this popular with the visitors.
Sunday 9th July sees the first public services on the NVR of the HST.
This is sure to be popular. The timetable is below.
| Orange Timetable. | |||||
| Wansford | 10:00 | 11:30 | 13:00 | 14:30 | |
| Yarwell arr | 10:05 | 11:35 | 13:05 | 14:35 | |
| Yarwell dep | 10:10 | 11:40 | 13:10 | 14:40 | |
| Wansford | 10:15 | 11:45 | 13:15 | 14:45 | |
| Overton (for Ferry Meadows) | 10:28 | 11:58 | 13:28 | 14:58 | |
| Orton Mere | 10:33 | 12:03 | 13:33 | 15:03 | |
| Peterborough arr | 10:38 | 12:08 | 13:38 | 15:08 | |
| Peterborough dep | 10:50 | 12:20 | 13:50 | 15:20 | |
| Orton Mere | 10:55 | 12:25 | 13:55 | 15:25 | |
| Overton (for Ferry Meadows) | 11:00 | 12:30 | 14:00 | 15:30 | |
| Wansford arr | 11:13 | 12:43 | 14:13 | 15:43 |
Hopefully the weather will be on our side.
If you do visit and travel then your pictures will be most welcome for the Blog.
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.
Nene Valley Railway in partnership with our long standing supporters The Deltic Preservation Society are pleased to announce the visit of Deltic 55009 ALYCIDON for a stay in October 2023.
Tickets and more information coming soon via our web page
6th October. Freight Train Driver Experience,
11th October. Driver Experience Day.
14th October. Gala with 55009 hauling the Evening Dining train.
15th October. Gala.
16th October. Driver Experience Day.
Please watch both the Nene Valley Railway and Deltic Preservation Society media pages for any updates. This is the second and last Heritage line visit for 55009 this year.
After many fits and starts plus the odd hiccup the railway finally got there.
The pacer finally did it’s first day in commercial service.
Here it is crossing Ham Lane approaching Overton station, shame there was no sunshine but you cant have everything.
Here are a couple more of it at Overton station.
I gather from reliable sources that rumble heard as it got back to Wansford after its first run was not the result of many held breaths being let out.
I think that thanks must be aimed at those who put in many hours, getting the Pacer ready for service, dealing with all the problems along the way. All of us on the railway appreciate your hard work.
I am sure the Pacer will be popular with visitors and be a good earner of revenue for the railway.
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.
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.
Today we have the last normal services before the Santa trains start.
We have a railcar service today.
With the first Santa trains next Saturday, Christmas is just around the corner.
