Polar Express from London Euston and Edinburgh

Agreed that the risk is small but I wondered if was more significant with the mix of steam and diesel in this case. Just curious, not an issue.

 

I have no idea where physically Willesden DRL is or shown on the map, but looking at RTT the only things using it today are Avanti ECS early and late, two Civil Engineers trains, one freight for a crew change and the Polar trips. So I can only assume it is not a heavily used piece of track.
Is the reversal any different to say Clan Line at Laverstock yesterday evening?

 

As far as I can see this is the path it took. It looks like it reverses in the through line in Wembley Yard. I assume it departed early to allow 2M55 the SN Clapham Junc to Watford Junc service to use the line.

 

44871 or 1225 This Morning passing through Ealing Broadway on the slow line and Carpenders Park on the Fast Line

 

If the reversals are usually somewhere around Willesden or Wembley, what was the run to Watford and back all about?

 

Looking at RTT, it seems that almost everything from Euston this morning was either cancelled or severely delayed by over-running works. The PE seems to have escaped but run to Watford for at least two round trips instead of Wembley yard (which was presumably inaccessible).

 

No idea of passengers /train but with 12 coaches, let’s say 500. That’s £1.5m.

 

This is a strange sight - with Mk2 blue and grey coaches headed by a 'Five' on the up WCML fast, it looks like some sort of sci-fi alternative history scene, as if steam continued into the mid-70s!

 

There seem to be a fair few negative reviews of these trains (and the VT ones) popping up on Tik Tok (at least), complaints commonly being that the whole thing feels very rushed with kids having little time with the big fella in red and the incredibly uninspiring North Pole locations....

 

The Polar trips seem to be about an hour wherever they are run, so I would hazard a guess they are all being run to a similar "script"
Not sure what people expect the "North Pole" to be. I would argue Norden beats Wembley Yard or Gorgie Junction or Portobello Junction (never actually having been to the latter two AFAIK) but is it the North Pole? No one gets off at the North Pole so not sure what they expect to see.
And of course WCRC and VT like any Heritage Line are just the stock and train crew provider they do not control content, on train or off train.

What did strike me as interesting though is that SD this year are only running their London mini trips for 2 days, 4 trips a day. The London Polar's are 5 trips a day for 10 days. So assuming SD have the market right, and LS do seem to have that aspect covered normally, it does show where people want to spend their money.

 

I think cost as well is coming into it, suggestion on one that you can only book an even number so a lass ended up taking her two kids and her mum and I thinks its over £200 for that, which compared with the c. £80 myself wife and child paid (total) for Lancaster to Hellifield one year and Lancaster - Carlisle and back via Shap the other seems very steep. The entertainment on the WCR ones seems to have been much better fun as well - gutted they stopped doing them after COVID as I think even my cool 11 year old would have still been up for it this year!

 

I agree they are not cheap.
The London Polar's all appeared to be sold out for this weekend as they are no longer bookable and of course 44871 is on its way down from York to Southall as I type this.
From my observations the Swanage ones seem more popular this year than last, they have only 3 trains left available to book over two days of the remaining six days, and one of those only shows one seat available. Plus trains were added after the booking site opened as well. Of course having no idea of how the finances work for these trips, what benefit the railway get is likely only known by those that need to.

 

Still if you are unhappy with the "North Pole" it has only cost you about £65 each

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg3llqq41wo

 

They were brilliant and I always got the impression (possibly wrongly) that the elves etc were mainly WCR staff who had just really got into the spirit of it all and were having a similarly great time, its a massive shame they didn't restart them after COVID.

 

I agree, well run and great fun! My lasting memory is my 2 yr old grandaughter seeing snow for the first time as we went around the 'Carnforth circuit' with 46115. An unplanned stop in the platform at Hellifield allowed everyone off the train for snowball fights!

 

The London Polar Express, Black 5 No 44871, 23rd December 2024.
Filmed at Kensal Green and Euston: