The Nene Valley Railway has announced that they are bringing back their driving experiences on Friday the 16th July 2021 for a Diesel Freight Driving Experience and Friday 13th August 2021 for the Western Goods Steam Driving Experience.

Both days offer members of the public the chance to join their team and drive Class 45 ‘Peak’ Diesel Locomotive 45041 or drive and fire Great Western Prairie Tank 4144.

Both locomotives will be pulling a goods train and each experience also features shunter and guard experience, plus a visit to the signal box to learn how the signals are controlled, when not in the cab or on the footplate.

The Nene Valley Railway is situated at Peterborough and features 7.5 miles of track running alongside the River Nene, which used to be the original London and North Western Railway branch line from Northampton to Peterborough.

Great Western Prairie Tank 4144 is a fantastic locomotive that was built in Swindon in 1946 having worked as a Severn Tunnel banker before being withdrawn in 1965.

Luckily 4144 managed to survive Barry scrapyard, and was rebuilt in 1997.

More recently, the locomotive has visited the Severn Valley Railway in 2019 and the Kent and East Sussex Railway in 2020.

Class 45 ‘Peak’ Diesel Locomotive 45041 was built at Crewe Works in 1962 and was based in Derby. The locomotive was numbered D53 and was renamed ‘Royal Tank Regiments’ in 1964 and ran with the regimental crest throughout the 1960s on passenger and freight duties.

The locomotive was renumbered 45041 in 1975 and was used for freight during the 1980s and eventually taken out of service in 1988. Restoration began at the Midland Railway Centre in 1996 and 45041 made its preservation debut in 2002.

For more information or to book visit www.nvr.org.uk

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