Steaming to Christmas

Every year we take a ride on the Santa Special steam train which runs on the Nene Valley Railway, near Peterborough. This little volunteer railway has one big claim to fame; it's the home of the real "Thomas the Tank Engine" that inspired the Reverend Audrey to write his popular books about engines with faces on them. Engines and carriages often appear in films. This year two coaches were used in the film "Hugo", which is in cinemas now.

With at least a couple of engines in steam and a lot to look at, plus the presence of Santa and his helpers, it's a magical event for everyone; especially the kids and the dads. It's very photogenic too, on a damp or snowy winter's day when the white wraiths of steam linger everywhere.

Children queue to see Santa in the Station Master's Office where there is a proper coal fire, then parents marshal outside to see Thomas; watch him shunting the naughty trucks and hear him toot with delight. Dads chat up the driver and try to get onto the footplate with him.

A gigantic black engine pulls Santa's train into the old station and parents struggle to hold back their offspring while the passengers disembark. I could watch it come and go all day. The engine has a leaky boiler, so you see lots of steam and it sounds great, but it's a gentle giant. Most of the real work is done by a diesel engine hidden at the back of the train.

It's still true that the railways are a class-ridden institution, but I think we only have two classes of carriage now. In the old days they had three or more. Toffs can ride in the restaurant cars and get a really nice meal or they might ride in a well-appointed carriage with semiprivate compartments like those on Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express. We chose to go third-class and sit in wooden benches in Carriage D. It was still magic though.

In past years we have taken along our friends the Lambtons or the Bath Stevensons, or both, but this time Harriet Lambton was in hospital so we took her brother Alex ("Mini Nick"). Our son Nick and his girlfriend Gabby came up from their new jobs in London to join Dan, Hanna and I on the train. It was great to have the help and someone to eat all the pies that we packed. We try to be there at lunchtime and always bring a hamper for the occasion. The staff bring round drinks and mince pies as well, so, over the hour or so we spend on the train, we consume quite a few calories!


Santa comes on the train with us and pops by to chat with all the children, then the Fat Controller, who seems to have been on every train since the dawn of time, comes along, looking very imposing in his black bowler and tails. He always has something important to tell us.

I've made a slide show for you on Photobucket.

NEWS FLASH
On Tuesday, the Queen was seen on an ordinary train at Ely Station, on her way to spend Christmas at Sandringham. She traveled First Class of course, but that's not very special compared to the Royal Train that she has used in the past. Budget cuts have even struck Buckingham Palace it seems. I bet the rest of the family went by (budget) helicopter.