- a modern reprint of the hardback copy of Bradshaw’s 1863 Handbook – all four sections

- a Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese Selection – Award Winning Cheese from the Lincolnshire Wolds …..

Check out our Lincolnshire Poacher e-competition.

Be quick. Closing date is Sunday 12 February.

Pass this on to your friends and best of luck …. but remember, I want to win the cheese!!

Yes it is a time to celebrate ….

-          for the Heritage Hunter … we are off to Lincoln to see the Cathedral,
           Castle and take some retail therapy
-          for the Connoisseurs of Real Ale … at Wainfleet we have an optional trip
            around a Victorian Brewhouse
-          for those who enjoy Nostalgia and a Seaside Special … our final
           destination is Skegness

We could not resist Skegness – home of the Jolly Fisherman and a town that owes its success to the Railway Excursion.

You can even take a Seaside peep at the Jolly Fisherman Poster on our website. Skegness is so Bracing!

Our Website and Online Booking Office is now open for business  so please take a look what our destinations have to offer.

We would encourage you to book early as we believe this fantastic day out will be very popular.

I am sure it will be one of the first dates you put in your 2012 diaries so here are the details:

Date:   Saturday 5th May 2012
Destination:               Lincoln, Wainfleet (for the Batemans Brewery Tour) and
                                             the seaside town of Skegness
Departures from:   Most Mid Cheshire Line Stations, Stockport, Reddish
                                            South and Marple
The Train:                   Mk II air conditioned coaches hauled by a Class 66
                                            diesel locomotive.

Click here for further details and to book

There will however be another special train over the Mid Cheshire Line this Saturday, UK Railtours Limestone Cowboy from Euston which is electric class 92-hauled to Crewe and then has two DB Schenker class 66 diesels via Middlewich, Northwich and Altrincham to the Buxton area (including Hindlow). The confirmed departure time from Crewe is 11.16.

Ready to go at Chester - (c) Robert Griffiths

Our special train last Saturday to Darlington, Durham (for Beamish) and Newcastle ran a treat.

(c) Robert Griffiths

Here it is departing Chester. The coach at the front is a generator car previously being “in service” on the Royal Train. This was “insurance” in case the Electric Train Supply (ETS) from the loco proved unable to power the air-conditioning, etc. on the train. In the event it was not needed.

With 464 happy customers, over 100 took the Beamish option to the “Living Museum of the North”. Others detrained at Darlington, many then making their own way later to Durham to experience this cathedral city, too. Others were evenly split between Durham and Newcastle. Arrival into Newcastle was just a few minutes late, whilst the return arrival into Chester was early.

Great work all round from our suppliers, Riviera Trains, DB Schenker, Rolling Riot Catering, Network Rail and the coach company to Beamish, as well as from our many volunteers in MCRUA without whom we could not run these trips.

Below, I’ve added another picture and some of the feedback received ….

“It was a fantastic day out and on the return leg enjoyment was complete winning a trip on the Anderton Boat Lift. The raffle had some excellent prizes.”

(c) Godfrey Stafford

Above is a picture taken at our “special stop”, Reddish South. The Friends of Reddish South had heard our railtour was coming through their station, not stopping. Last January they asked if we could stop there. This was agreed, and over 30 passengers joined. We put most of them in Coach K; they even brought their own band!

“To Everyoune at MCRUA. Many thanks for a wonderful day out yesterday on the “North Eastern Express” railtour. Everyone reported having a great day and said that it was a real pleasure being able to board at Reddish South. Thank you for the commission on the bookings, it will be put to good use in our ongoing campaign for a proper rail service to Manchester Victoria.” David & Dorothy Ashworth, Friends of Reddish South Station Group

Click here and here for two pictures of us passing Deighton, near Hudderfield at 0927 ….

“Dear all, from your Runcorn contingent – Many thanks for a fabulous day out – yet another well organised trip. We all really enjoyed it and are looking forward to Edinburgh next May. (Not decided yet! – Ed.) The music was good too – perhaps they could be in Coach M next year and we could all go to them?

Alex. & Co.”

On Saturday Spitfire Railtours are running a special from Weston-super-Mare to Holyhead and return hauled by 2 West Coast class 37 diesels, with a class 47 on the rear. This was originally planned to come up from Crewe to Stockport then turning right at Heaton Norris Junction to work through to Holyhead via Manchester Victoria.

This access is not currently available, so the train is diverted into Piccadilly Station trainshed, before reversing, then returning to Stockport and accessing Chester via our Mid Cheshire line.

These are the timings - Weston-Super-Mare – Holyhead 26-03-11

The return trip is via Manchester Victoria.

The replacement pointwork is currently under manufacture by Balfour Beatty and is to be installed over the weekend of 16/17 April meaning our North Eastern Express railtour will be able to traverse the junction and pick up at Reddish South before continuing to Darlington, Durham (for Beamish) and Newcastle.

We’ve provided the more detailed version for those who like to watch our progress as we travel along. You’ll see we’re going out via Leeds and coming back via Healey Mills. There’s also a “pathing stop” in Darlington South Down Passing Loop for those interesting in slightly unusual track.

Tickets in all categories are still available, though there’s only a few tables for 2 left in 1st Class.

And here’s a picture of our very own John Hulme with one of our big posters sponsored by Northern Rail, taken by Sally with her new camera at Cuddington.

Both the Knutsford Guardian and the Northwich Guardian featured us in their issues this week.

If you’ve pictures of great railtour memories, whether all the way back from 1988 or more recently, we’d be delighted to receive them. You can email them to our webmaster, John Hulme on railtour-images(at)mcrua.org.uk. We’ll make sure they’re credited to you!

We hope to see you on the 7 May as well on our North Eastern Express. It’s booking well and still has seats available.

And the winner is …. Peter from Knutsford.

Congratulations, Peter!

Peter says:

“That’s great news – I can’t believe it.

I’ve watched the series, it’s been excellent and thought I must get around to buying the book but I haven’t.”

Happy reading, Peter!

There’s a good discussion about tram/train for the Mid Cheshire Line going into Manchester via Sale and the Metrolink tracks complimenting the hourly train service to Piccadilly via Stockport, as outlined in Cheshire East’s Local Transport Plan proposals.

The Knutsford Guardian also published an excellent piece on the Best Kept Station Competition where Knutsford picked up the Youth Challenger Award for work carried out by the High School on the Arthur Sancto Memorial Garden.   Arthur was a past Secretary of MCRUA and is sadly missed by us all.

Friday saw our coming North Eastern Express railtour heavily featured in both the Manchester Evening News taking up most of p31 and in the Stockport Express.

What a week!

Reddish South is on the Stockport to Stalybridge line. It is served by one “Parliamentary Train” a week, which travels on one day a week only and only in the Stalybridge direction.

Following a request from The Friends of Reddish South Station (FoRSS) to stop the North Eastern Express there, we said we’d enquire. The quick answer back from Riviera was “Yes”!

Already FoRSS have 8 seats booked on our train.

Bookings are currently ahead of the same level last year, even though the publicity was out a little later. Holding the fares at 2010 prices has no doubt helped. Beamish is proving a very attractive option with almost half of those booked planning to visit.

Remember to book before it’s too late! Booking through our website is very easy!