We are spending today preserving yesterday, so you can enjoy it tomorrow.
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.
The visit of Sir Nigel Gresley, was without doubt the most successful visit in a long time.
The weather was excellent and the visitors came to the railway.
There have been many favourable comments by those visitors, and hopefully they will return in the future.
Now back to the bread and butter weekends….
Sir Nigel Gresley has arrived for it’s visit.
Here are three images of it’s arrival.
It will without doubt be a popular visitor.
All these images are © Chris Walker.
I was sent the following image of Orton Mere box in flames.
© Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade.
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.
7th to 10th and 15th to 16th April 2023
N°4498 Sir Nigel Gresley was the 100th Gresley Pacific built by the Great Northern Railway / London and North Eastern Railway. Built at Doncaster as works N°1863, the locomotive entered service in 1937 following a naming ceremony at Marylebone station on 26th November. The locomotive was mainly based at London King’s Cross, with a spell at Grantham during World War II, and was briefly re-numbered as N°7 before becoming N°60007 when the LNER was merged into British Railways. On 3rd June 1956, Sir Nigel Gresley had the honour of hauling the Royal Train from King’s Cross to York with H.M. the Queen on board. The “Stephenson Locomotive Society Special” of the 23rd May 1959 was the first train in the UK with a booked or advertised schedule of over 100 m.p.h. and during that trip, N°60007 set the official post-war speed record for steam traction of 112 mph.
Join the NVR as we celebrate steam-hauled services with 60007 back in Blue for the first time since overhaul,
We are delighted that 60007 will be a special guest throughout the event and will be hauling passenger trains during the weekend. The locomotive is attending with thanks to Sir Nigel Locomotive Trust
60007 Footplate Experience
Take the chance to ride the footplate of 60007. A limited number of tickets will be on sale to ride the footplate of 60007, entering the footplate will be via the famous A4 Tender corridor, which leads from the coaching stock to the locomotive footplate, you will then ride the footplate for approximately five minutes. Tickets for the Footplate experience are limited and will be an additional payment on top of your standard travel ticket
Mk1 Coaching stock in use
All-day Rover Tickets are available
Four trips per day behind Sir Nigel Gresley
Licensed Buffet Car
Turntable Café serving hot/cold food and refreshments from 8:30
Wansford Miniature Railway
Wansford Shop and Second-Hand Book Shop open
Ale on Rail,
Other attractions to be advised
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.
