Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express

Start the year off with a winter scenic day out from the north-west to the Cumbrian Fells. Travelling outwards over the West Coast Main Line via Shap to Carlisle, time will be available to explore this historic border city. In the afternoon, we head southwards again, but via the highly scenic Settle and Carlisle line. This will be even more special if there is snow about to enhance the breathtaking scenery of the Pennines. The train will be hauled by a steam locomotive from the Carnforth pool.

Our train leaves Manchester Victoria steam hauled and calls at Wigan North Western to pick up passengers. We join the West Coast Main Line (WCML) and travel north to Preston, our final stop to pick up passengers. We continue through Lancaster to Carnforth, where our locomotive will take on water. From Carnforth our steam locomotive will be working hard when we climb the first severe gradient to Grayrigg. We then travel through the beautiful Lune Gorge to Tebay, gaining speed for the ascent to Shap. This well-known section of the WCML has a gradient of 1 in 75 and, in the former days of steam locomotives, banking engines from Tebay were often used to assist trains. After crossing the Cumbrian Fells we descend to Penrith and then head for Carlisle.  There will be around two hours in Carlisle, providing time to explore this ancient ‘Border’ city with its castle, cathedral, Tullie House Museum and shopping centre.

Our return train, hauled by our steam locomotive, leaves Carlisle and joins the Settle & Carlisle Railway, one of the most well known and best loved stretches of railway line in Britain. We soon begin climbing and then at Appleby, we stop for our steam locomotive to take on water.  The climbing continues through scenic Kirkby Stephen towards the highest railway summit in England at Ais Gill, 1,169 feet above sea level. We pass over high viaducts, including the famous one at Ribblehead, and through numerous tunnels. There are magnificent views across the Fells and to the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. We should have a fast run out of the hills, through Settle, until we stop again at Hellifield where we say goodbye to our steam locomotive.

Our journey continues from Hellifield diesel hauled through Clitheroe and onto Preston to set down our first passengers. We leave Preston heading for our next set downs at Wigan North Western and Manchester Victoria.

On Board Catering