Excitement as popular locomotive Britannia to return to Nene Valley Railway in Peterborough this weekend

Following on from the successful visit of The Flying Scotsman, Nene Valley Railway will be hosting another much-loved locomotive, the 70000 Britannia.

The locomotive will be running passengers on the railway’s tracks on the weekend of March 15 and 16 and is the latest to visit as part of Nene Valley Railway’s “Best of British” events to mark 200 years of the modern railway.

Britannia has visited Nene Valley Railway a number of times over the years and has always drawn large crowds, particularly on a visit in May 1981.

Particularly excited to be reunited with the locomotive is Chris Pinion (77), from Peterborough, who worked as a travelling engineer with Britannia for six and a half years between 1992 and 1999.

Chris will be taking the opportunity to reunite with the Britannia which was a large part of his career, which saw him spend 25 years working on the railways after leaving Baker Perkins and retiring at the ago of 70. It was six and a half years of my career and life. She became my big green mistress! They were really good times. It was a labour of love.

"I will be there to make sure it is in the condition it should be! It will be nice to climb on the footplate for old time’s sake. There’s nothing about that locomotive I don’t know.”

70000 Britannia was completed at Crew Works in January 1951, costing £20,325. In its early life it often hauled London to Norwich trains before becoming a regular engine for The Hook Continental connecting London to the Netherlands.

In May 1978 it was officially named Britannia by MR R A Riddles, the locomotives’s designer. It completed 250 miles on the Severn Valley Railway in that year and a further 80 the following year before it left to go to Nene Valley Railway. Whilst at Nene Valley Railway it was fitted with an air-brake equipment which the locomotive still has.

70000 Britannia will be running passenger trains on March 15 and 16, with all day Rover tickets available. In addition, driver experiences, a photo charter and a Jolly Fisherman evening fish and chip train will also be on offer.

For all of the details and to book tickets, visit https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/564/best-of-british-britannia.