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1st OCTOBER 2011 
Photograph kindly supplied by Mike Morant collection
The tour will recreate rail travel in the era when the country was starting to recover from the economic effects of the Second World War. The coaching stock was the flagship of the newly nationalised railway, built in British workshops in the 1950s. The interiors have been updated and upgraded to a higher specification to provide a more luxurious experience. Our locomotive is one of a class of seventy designed for express passenger work. It was constructed at the North British works, Glasgow, completed in 1927 and rebuilt by the LMS before nationalisation to a more powerful specification. It was taken out of service British Rail in 1965, the last of its class in regular service.
The train will start at about 9AM from the historical railway town of Crewe, where Crewe Co- operative 10 piece brass band will play on the platform as Pete Waterman waves the train away.
It will head north across the Cheshire plain and then the through former south Lancashire coalfield picking up at Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan NorthWestern and Preston. Passengers will be able to enjoy the journey as they are served cereal, a full breakfast with tea or coffee and toast and a choice of conserves.
From here the train continues on the route of the West Coast Main Line passing Lancaster, Carnforth (the home of our train and locomotive), following the route of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, built in 1846. The line passes through the fells and moors that form the land between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, reaching the watershed at Shap Summit. It is downhill almost all the way for the next 30miles, to Carlisle, where our arrival will be greeted by Andrew Wheeler who is a solo bagpiper.
Here there will be a break of approximately 2 hours, while the train will be serviced and locomotive turned to face south. The Mayor and Mayoress of Carlisle will be present as our train departs heading south over the famous Settle and Carlisle which was constructed by the Midland Railway as their direct route to Scotland, requiring many viaducts to bridge the numerous valleys and a one and a half mile long tunnel under the mountain ranges of North Yorkshire. While viewing the varied scenery and the magnificent Victorian engineering passengers will be able to enjoy a five course meal. At the point where our train leaves the Settle and Carlisle line, the steam locomotive will be detached and a heritage diesel loco will take us past Pendle Hill (legendary for witchcraft) and over Whalley Arches, a long, high viaduct over the village, en route to Blackburn. There will be stops at Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay before making a late evening arrival at Crewe, where the train will terminate at about 8.30PM.
The catering is provided by Gravy Train Ltd, whose employees have many years experience with serving meals on board on Britain’s railway system.
Somewhere between Preston and Carlisle we have an aeroplane booked to fly alongside our Train of hope trailing a banner.
photograph kindly supplied by Ian Cawthorne.
Video kindly supplied by BNT Productions.co.uk
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