Return To The Age Of Steam For The Day In The UK
Why not book yourself onto an old-fashioned steam train – in a Pulham car of course!
I recently had the privilege of travelling from London Kings Cross to the beautiful city of Cambridge on-board a working steam train.
I love the idea of travelling by rail – and I am a real fan of historic English cities, so the combination of the two was perfect! And more eco friendly than driving there.
The Train:
The train I travelled on was called the BR Pacific No. 70013: Oliver Cromwell - and was the same engine used on the last steam rail journey by British Rail in 1968.
This handsome green engine was a regular visitor to East Anglia – and in fact carried on past Cambridge to Ely and Norwich if you wanted a longer journey.
It was great alighting mid-way on the journey as not only did we get to see him pulling away from the station – and of course returning head on (for some great video footage) – but we spent a lovely 5 hours wandering around the many colleges and historic sites in the city.
The Journey:
The first thing everyone on the carriage realised as we pulled away from London was that the steam that gives us the characteristic white ‘smoke’ from the front engine isn’t just steam – it has all the coal particles in it!
Needless to say after we came out of the first tunnel and the ash had all blown into the carriage and onto absolutely everything – people closed all the windows and started wiping the thin layer of soot off their belongings!
However the smell was delightful and all part of the experience!
The company running the service had provided every passenger with a route map of the journey and all the stations we pass through or stop at and some information on the original services and the engine itself.
All along the route, we saw random people standing in fields to get a good look at the engine as it passed across the landscape. Hundreds of people crowded into station car-parks and bridges along the way, craning to get a good photo of the train as we passed by!
It almost seemed like we were a celebrity – a 13 carriage long celebrity throwing soot and steam up into the air and hooting our steam whistle at everyone along the way!
If you fancy a day out in style, then find yourself a steam company that can take you to a place you want to go for a great eco friendly adventure!
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