Category: Photography

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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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656 steams again.

News from the MPD – 656 has passed the in steam boiler test today with the inspector giving us the thumbs up this afternoon! He was really happy with everything he saw.

We took the opportunity to take some runs from the coal road up to the limit of shunt at the tunnel and back, carrying out 7 return trips and everything was setting nicely, and importantly all the bearings were nice and cool.

I also took the opportunity to stop next to the DSB in the Oundle line, we could easily have been in Denmark rather than Wansford!

A massive shoutout must go to Dave O’Connell seen here just after we inspected the bearings for temperature, without him today wouldn’t have happened. 

656 after it’s boiler test
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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.