TRAINSPOTTERS are in for a rare nostalgic treat when two heritage trains travel over the line from Carlisle to Settle within minutes of each other tomorrow (Saturday).
First, famous Battle of Britain Class steam locomotive Tangmere will depart Carlisle at 2.15pm pulling the Northern Belle.
Then just over an hour later it will be followed over the same route by the diesel-hauled Statesman train.
A spokesperson for the 1930s Pullman-style Belle said: “This will be a great day for railway enthusiasts – indeed for anybody who loves vintage trains.
“We’re proud to have Tangmere, which once pulled crack express trains like the Golden Arrow and the Bournemouth Belle from London to the South Coast, hauling our train.”
The Belle will have set off earlier in the day from Liverpool and Preston, while The Statesman has travelled from Milton Keynes.
.The Northern Belle featured on Channel 5’s “The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys” programme featured the Belle steaming over the same route.
Presenter Bill Nighy described it then as the “Grand Dame of luxury travel”.
For more details, see www.northernbelle.co.uk.
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