We are spending today preserving yesterday, so you can enjoy it tomorrow.
Tomorrow sees the arrival of Bahamas to help with Christmas services.
Not too long to the Santa services, this year they have a completely new look.
Hopefully we will have an excellent busy Christmas. Its not too late to buy tickets, have a look on the NVR web site for full details.
Opening on a Wednesday at Orton Mere could be very unpredictable, We could be busy or totally dead, there were rarely days in-between.
Weather was not a factor either we have had wet days and been busy all day, then we have had nice sunny days and been totally dead all day.
Most business on a Wednesday was not from train tickets, it was from people passing, such as cyclists, dog walkers and the like. We always found that cyclists were often a strange breed, they ranged from the silent ones to the cycling fanatics, who would want to give you every last detail of the bike they were riding, they could out talk diesel fans with their desire to give you details. right down to the valves keeping the air in their tyres. Dog walkers were normally a friendly bunch, and the ones who said their dogs were no trouble normally had the worst ones for yapping, often constantly. Often you could hear them as they passed the signal box. But they often bought something to munch and drink for themselves together with a bottle of water for the dog. Many were regulars as well and seen most weeks.
So if you ever visit and travel on a Wednesday keep and wye out for those cyclists, they don’t take prisoners.
I was sitting today thinking back to the weekends after Easter when I ran Orton Mere station. I remember that if we were busy over Easter the we were quiet the weekend after.
But as often seemed to happen if Easter had been a washout due to rain over the Easter weekend then the weekend after was always busy.
Somewhere on an archive drive I have the sales figures for the booking off and shop at Orton Mere. I will dig them out when I get time and have a look to 100% confirm this.
One thing I do remember are some Easter weekends with appalling weather, A couple we did not get a single visitor on the Saturday & Sunday. Not even a bedraggled dog pulling its owner!
So we will see what tomorrow and Sunday bring, I will watch the webcams with interest!
Four days of services.
Good Friday. The Pacer with services between Yarwell & Peterborough Nene Valley.
Saturday. Thomas shuttle between Wansford & Yarwell
The Peak 45041 between Wansford & Peterborough Nene Valley.
Easter Sunday. Thomas shuttle between Wansford & Yarwell
The Class 14 between Wansford & Peterborough Nene Valley.
Easter Monday. The Peak 45041 between Yarwell & Peterborough Nene Valley.
The Peak and the class 14 are both popular locomotives and Thomas on Saturday & Sunday will be an enjoyable trip for children of all ages.
Have a look on the NVR.ORG.UK web site for times etc.
Well here we are on the first day of a new year.
Lot’s of interesting activities ahead, please keep an eye on the NVR web site for more details as they become available.
As always photographs from across the railway are always welcome. Many potential visitors read this blog. So pictures hopefully will encourage visitors to come along.
We shall see….
So happy new year to all and enjoy our railway in 2024.
To start these 6 weeks of exciting events, on Wednesday 26th July, we have Reginald the bear hosting his ever-popular Teddy Bears Picnic!
Full details on our website at www.nvr.org.uk
If you’re visiting have a great day!!
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.
Arkwright is currently in hospital, updates will recommence in January.
After being unstaffed for a considerable period of time. Peterborough Nene Valley has been brought back to life over the last few years by a small team of volunteers led by Tony King formed from the Platform Staff and assisted by other departments at the Railway.
The Station plays an important role at the Railway as the entrance point and first impression for the majority of our passengers who use public transport to visit the Railway as well as many city based visiting passengers, especially with its location within the city and next door to our friends at Railworld. The Wagon Group can often be seen at weekends working on various items of Freight Rolling Stock as well.
As you can see from the pictures, a lot of work has gone on to develop the appearance of the site and the Station is manned on running days now which enhances the visitor and volunteer experience. Inside the building we have developed information boards about the railways history both as part of the network and the preservation movement, the railway history of what the site used to be, (it was a loco shed and yard and not a station), we’ve also got may little artefacts of various sorts of heritage and railway history
We fundraise to develop the site ourselves, largely through the sale of books, dvd’s and jigsaws and have been very successful so far, the next job will be to replace the daggerboards outside the building to enhance it even further. We don’t charge for Platform Tickets so come along and have a look on a running day and chat with the volunteers and all donations in terms of things to sell or financial in person are always most welcome as we work to make PNV even better for all and demonstrate our pride in the NVR!
Thomas Woolley.
Well today is the first day of summer and we have started off with wall to wall sunshine and a nice temperature of just over 27.5c at peak.
So what’s ahead for the railway over the summer? Well I guess the honest answer is that nobody knows. We have some super events announced and in the pipeline. I am sure that, weather permitting we will have a great summer.
If you’re reading this as a working member of the railway then enjoy the summer and above all have fun. If you’re not a member then please if you can come along and visit.
It has often been said that the railways greatest asset are it’s working members. So please come along and say hello to them, look round the stations and ride the trains. Or in other words have a great day out.
Please take a look at our website at nvr.org.uk and see what tempts you.