Category: Travel

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Well it’s here!

The locomotive Bahamas arrived yesterday, and is with us over a couple of weeks.

It’s pulling services on 21st & 22nd plus 28th, 29th &30th over August bank Holiday as well as other events and driver experience.

Have a look on the main web site for event details and timetable. If your looking for a good day out then please come, travel behind the locomotive and support the railway.

Should you just be planning to visit and take pictures please remember to buy a platform ticket etc. It’s cost a lot of money to bring the loco in and none paying visitors will do nothing to ensure the weekend is a success and enable us to bring in more locomotives.

Here’s to a great visit by the locomotive.

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Well that was a nice weekend.

Some weekends can, shall we say be a little difficult. Due to things like breakdowns or the weather. But last weekend was not one of those

Saturday saw the main service diesel hauled by the Peak locomotive, which seems to be popular with both normal visitors and enthusiasts. Please note I am not saying that enthusiasts are not normal!!!

There were two cream tea runs as well using the Polish steam locomotive and the continental coaches. Nice to see people on there enjoying themselves. The day was topped off with a Gin evening on the train, again very popular and something we have not done before.

Sunday was tame by comparison with the Polish tank engine pulling the Mk1 coaches. It ran to time all day, which is always a bonus.

Weekends like this are important to the railway, it’s been a far from normal period that we are hopefully coming out of. But we need events that appeal to visitors and are also profitable.

Bahamas arrives on the 7th August and there are some great events planned with that and I look forward to observing them.

It promises to be a good summer and then we have the Santa trains, always popular with both the public and the volunteers alike.

Sitting typing this in the evening where it’s still a bit on the warm side perhaps the Santa trains in cooler weather can’t come quick enough.

Something to cool you down in the hot weather.
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All clear!! Or is it?

Well a lot of the restrictions are being lifted on Monday, the railway will not have a restriction on seating numbers and the rover ticket is being reintroduced.

The question is of course is for how long? The number of infections, especially amongst the young is skyrocketing.

So all the railway can do is as much as it can to make visitors enjoy a visit without being restricted or limited.

So we shall see how it goes, we can of course do nothing more, but personally at the moment I feel like I do on a bright summers day.

It won’t last!

Please note these views are mine and do not represent any policies of the railway now or in the future.

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Visitors for a bit of simulation.

On Thursday 10th June, we had a visit from Armstrong Powerhouse to record every single sound of 45041 Royal Tank Regiment.

There was plenty of stopping and starting and lots of noise. They make sound packs for the leading online train simulator to make the experience sound as realistic as possible.

They got everything they wanted and have said how very helpful the NVR has been for organising this.

This is their second visit, as they came to record sounds from 31271 a few years ago but I’m sure it won’t be their last visit. 

Below are some images from the day.

My thanks to Harvey Harrison for some of the above text and all the images below.

© Harvey Harrison
© Harvey Harrison Microphones in place
© Harvey Harrison Checking things at Overton Station
© Harvey Harrison Running round at Yarwell Station

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Well that’s the first few weeks out of the way.

Here we are with services running again on the railway. Granted it may not be as many as we would like to run and we are running with reduced capacity. But we are running!

It’s nice to see visitors back at the railway enjoying themselves.

We have lots of events planned, the most notable being Thomas’ 50th birthday bash at the end of the month. Plus of course the The Steam EnGIN Express on the 24th July. I will be interested to see how the event goes. I feel that it will be popular and hopefully become a regular perhaps yearly event.

This coming Saturday the 12th of June sees the Wansford Miniature Railway Grand Opening. A lot of work has gone into the miniature railway’s construction and it will without doubt be popular.

Locomotives in Steam and on Display

Steam Locomotive Sweet Pea “Holly”
Steam Locomotive War Department No 90776 Royal Anglian Regiment 
Steam Locomotive GWR King “King Edward II”
Steam Locomotive GWR Parire No 4588
Steam Locomotive Sweet Pea “Joe”
Battery Electric Class 14 No 9520
Battery Electric 08 No 08679
Under Overhaul LNER B1 Roedeer on Display
Sweet Pea 

  • For the Opening of the Miniature Railway Train Services are £1 per return trip, tickets purchased on the day from the Miniature Railway 
  • Miniature Freight Train
  • Miniature Railway Shop with a selection of fund rasing items for sale
  • Miniature Traction Engines in Steam 
  • Special Celebration First Day Postal Covers
  • Blue Circle in Steam
  • Social Distancing is to maintained at all times in line with Government guidelines 
  • The NVR will be running main line Steam services on the day
  • Refreshments available at Wansford Station. 
  • All attractions subject to availability and Covid restrictions 
  • Please note to travel on the miniature railway you must be in possession of a Platform ticket or Main Travel ticket.  

If you’re visiting the railway please give it your support.

So lets look forward to a summer of trains and visitors.