Category: Travel

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Wagon Lits carriages on the evening Santa train.

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.

© Jason Isaacs.

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.

© Phil Venn

Now we have it in colour.

© Phil Venn

Which version do you prefer I wonder?

My thanks to Jason & Phil for the images.

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Here we go then……..

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.

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Not much happening now until the Santa’s. Who are they kidding?

Well yet again I have heard comments that the railway is quiet at the moment until the Santa trains start at the end of November.

How wrong a statement that is!!

Let us take the coming week shall we.

Saturday starts with a steam driver experience day with 92 Squadron, an event that never ceases to be popular. There is still a big appeal in driving a steam locomotive.

Sunday brings us a running day with the Swedish Railcar, doing four runs each way. The railcar is popular with visitors, if only perhaps because of it being so unusual.

Monday to Friday brings something a little different. The crossing gates at Wansford are due to be replaced, and the new gates have been constructed in-house by some very skilled members.

Thursday brings us a private charter up the line,.Charters like this are popular with people who for a variety of reasons want their own train.

This brings us back to Saturday and another four each way railcar service.

So there you have it a week in the life of the railway heading towards Winter. So much for not a lot happening!!!

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Last chance before New Year’s Eve.

This weekend sees the last steam services until the winter warmers on New Year’s Eve.

As per usual first service leaves Wansford at 10am.

Hopefully we will be busy, so if you want your last steam fix travelling this side of Christmas pop along to have a ride.

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Right now Pacer yourselves

The Pacer finally made it up the line on driver training.

The Pacer at Peterborough Nene Valley. © Paul Roe.

Once fully in service it will be a great asset to the railway and I am sure very popular.

I look forward to seeing it in service very soon.

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Winding down, or are we?

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.

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Final decision made on the future of historic railway buildings at Sutton

Peterborough’s two railway charities, Railword Wildlife Haven and the Nene Valley Railway are proud to learn that their joint proposal for a future home for the old station buildings from Wansford Road has been accepted by National Highways. The buildings were slated for demolition to clear a path for much-needed road improvements dualling the A47 between the A1 at Wansford and Sutton – this is the final dual-carriageway link between the A1 and northern Peterborough. Work will start in 2023 to carefully dismantle the buildings and pack numbered stones onto pallets for transport to the Railworld site next to the Peterborough Nene Valley station on the south bank of the Nene, where they will be rebuilt, with sympathetic restoration of some original features that have been lost over the years. The charities are very grateful to National Highways, who are donating over £200K towards the cost of the move. Once complete, the buildings will serve both Railworld and the Nene Valley Railway as a gateway to their services and attractions.

Railworld Wildlife Haven is a charity in Peterborough which has a nature haven, a model railway and other exhibits. It is located on a landscaped former coal storage yard which once served Peterborough Power Station. https://www.railworld.org.uk/

Nene Valley Railway is a charity that runs a preserved railway westward up the Nene Valley from Peterborough to East Northamptonshire. Both Steam and Diesel, British and European trains run regularly through the year. https://nvr.org.uk/

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Second Set Sundays.

On the following Sundays we will be running as well as the main service the Swedish Railcar.
The dates are:- 31st July, 14th August & 21st August.

Both the main service and the railcar will be doing three runs each , but the railcar will not be servingYarwell Junction. If you have a Rover ticket it will cover both trains.

Below is the timetable for the three Sundays.