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.
This weekend marked a very monumental milestone in the history of the NVR – 50 years since the first train in preservation ran on the railway.
The train consisted of Hudswell Clarke no.1539 “Derek Crouch” and one Mk1 and ran from the BSC site up to Wansford and return, departing at just gone 13:00 on Sunday 7th April 1974. The trip was a members special acting as a test run for the first public train on the 9th April which would carry local dignitaries.
Nathan Wilson.
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.
Last weekend saw Danish locomotive 656 hauling passengers for the first time in 38 years.
Here it is arriving at Peterborough Nene Valley on Saturday.
It looked right hauling the three Belgian coaches and the single Danish coach. There are many members who were not even born when this locomotive was last in service.
Sunday saw it in service again, and here it is approaching Overton on its way to Peterborough.
I have seen lots of comments from both members and visitors with very positive comments.
Without doubt this will be a popular locomotive, and it’s nice to see it back on the line.
It was nice to see the HST out last weekend.
On Saturday with passenger services and on Sunday with driver experience runs.
Semi modern and current locomotive types seem to attract visitors. These two examples the HST the class 66 locomotives have always proved popular.
It will be interesting to see how popular 656 is next weekend in its first time pulling passengers after many years out of service.
I await next weekend with interest.
656 has today passed its loaded test runs with four coaches and will enter service on 10th and 11th February running with the air stock.
Image believed to be © Paul Roe. If this is incorrect please let me know so correct credit can be shown.
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.
The diesel locomotive 37714 has arrived at Wansford and will be running for the next few days with photo charters and driver experience. It will be pulling services this weekend at our British Rail 1980s event. Image showing its arrival at Wansford around lunch time is © Paul Roe
