This majestic journey passes a list of impressive views and landmarks, starting at York behind our vintage diesel engine we head towards Preston after collecting passengers in Leeds and Wakefield before taking the West Coast Mainline to Carnforth where we will be joined by one of the most famous steam locomotives in the world, Tangmere 34067, named after the military airfield in Sussex making it a Battle of Britain class locomotive built in 1947.
Leaving Carnforth, we will be hauled by the Tangmere steam engine. We pass the Brief Encounter café and continue north. At Oxenholme we pass by the junction for Kendal and Windermere for the Lake District. Continuing north we commence the long climb up to Grayrigg. We then travel through the beautiful Lune Gorge to Tebay, (Tebay was once the junction for a line east across to the Settle Carlisle route. Now closed of course.), before the notoriously steep ascent to Shap. Along this stretch we have spectacular views to the west across the Cumbrian mountains. After crossing the Cumbrian Fells, we descend to Penrith and then head towards Carlisle.
After a short water break and leg break we continue steam hauled and our return journey to Carnforth takes the scenic coastal route around the Cumbrian Coast, via Wigton & Maryport, an 82 mile journey with spectacular coastal and mountain views, enough to just take your breath away.
After Maryport, we run along the shoreline through to the industrialised district of Workington, once a centre for the production of iron and steel. There are spectacular cliff edge views as we journey southwards from Workington through to Whitehaven, with the Isle of Man visible on a clear day across the Irish Sea. We run very close to the shoreline for several miles prior to St Bees, famous for its priory and school. We pass Sellafield, where the British Nuclear Fuels plant dominates the landscape. At Ravenglass, we might catch a glimpse of the narrow gauge Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway which is normally steam operated.
At Millom, we head inland and follow the sweeping estuary through Foxfield and Kirkby in Furness. After Ulverston, we cross Leven Viaduct and curve along the edge of the bay through to Grange-over-Sands. There are more views across Morecambe Bay as we cross the lengthy Kent Viaduct at Arnside and approach Carnforth. Here, we shall say farewell to our gallant steam locomotive and our vintage diesel locomotive will take over for the return to our departure stations.
