The Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company celebrated their 30th anniversary with a unique steam train experience – picking up passengers from Settle, Appleby and Carlisle.
The Royal Scot Class steam locomotive “Scots Guardsman” pulled into Appleby on Saturday complete with Pullman first-class dining carriages, to the waiting passengers for a special journey to York.
Chairman of the Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company, John Moorhouse said:
We were delighted to be able to run this unique steam train, celebrating the heritage of our historic line and to mark our 30 years working to promote the line.
This is the first time the Development Company has chartered a steam train, and the first time for many years such a steam special has started from Carlisle and picked up at Appleby. We are delighted with the response we have had, especially from local people who have been keen to get aboard.
Following the success of this event, we hope to run other steam from the area in the future.
Andy and Julia Richardson and Colin and Janet Ousby were delighted to be able to join the steam train at Appleby and were waved off by grandchildren Rosie Cannon, 2 and her brother Noah, 6.
Janet said:
The children were so excited to be able to see the steam train and wave us off from Appleby.
Over 350 people took the steam train to York and en route, a raffle raised £833 for the Railway Children Charity – an international children’s charity working with street children in India, East Africa and the UK.
The Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company was set up in 1992 as a not-for-profit limited company in response to the call from the Transport Secretary for all political parties to work together following the highly documented reprieve of the Settle to Carlisle rail line in 1989.
The company work in partnership with the rail industry, local businesses, community groups and organisations to encourage socio-economic engagement along the world-renowned Leeds-Settle-Carlisle railway.
