THREE special trains from Frodsham will be hauled by an historic steam-hauled locomotive this summer to mark the 150th anniversary of one of the world’s most spectacular railway journeys.
An army of 6,000 navvies spent six years building the viaducts, bridges and tunnels on the route between Settle and Carlisle before the first passenger trains finally ran in 1876.
And the magic of that trip will be recreated in June when the Dalesman train takes passengers from Chester to retrace the route through the rugged beauty of the Yorkshire Dales and the Eden Valley.
A spokesman for West Coast Railways, which is organising the journeys, said the trips could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many.
He said: “It will be 73 miles of pure nostalgia as the train plunges through 14 tunnels and steams across 22 viaducts, including the magnificent 24-arch, half-mile long Grade II-listed one at Ribblehead, which is 104ft high.”
Passengers in Premier Dining Class will be welcomed on board with a Buck’s Fizz before a choice of tucking into a full English breakfast or smoked salmon.
Then after a sightseeing stopover in Carlisle , a slap-up four-course dinner will be served during the journey home.
The organisers say it is not known yet which steam locomotive will operate the Dalesman, but it could be Scot Guardsman, which once hauled famous expresses like The Waverley and The Thames-Clyde Express over this route.
Other possible locomotives include the crimson-liveried Jubilee Class engine Galatea and Oliver Cromwell, a Britannia Class engine which hauled the last scheduled British Rail steam train in August, 1968.
And several of the vintage carriages that make up the train featured in the Harry Potter films.
The first Dalesman service will run on Thursday, June 11, setting out from Chester before picking up more passengers at Frodsham, Warrington Bank Quay, Leyland and Preston stations.
There will be further trains on August 6 and September 10.
They will be diesel-hauled for part of the journey before a steam locomotive takes over for the section between Carlisle and Settle.
Fares start at £98, with half price for children.
For full details, see www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/dalesman/settle-to-carlisle-line
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