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The Nene Valley Railway (NVR) is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is seven and a half miles in length. As well as stations at each terminus, there are three stops en route: Orton Mere, Ferry Meadows and Wansford.

Contents 1 History 2 Peterborough Locomotive Society 3 Operational Steam Locomotives 4 Steam Locomotives Undergoing Overhaul or Restoration 5 Stored Steam Locomotives 6 Operational Diesel Locomotives 7 Diesel Locomotives undergoing Overhaul or restoration 8 Stored diesel locomotives 9 The Nene Valley Railway 10 A Continental Solution 11 The First Train 12 The Peterborough Extension 13 NVR stations 13.1 Yarwell Junction 13.2 Wansford 13.2.1 Barnwell Station Building 13.2.2 Old Wansford Station Building 13.2.3 Wansford Signal Box 13.2.4 Turntable 13.2.5 Model Railway 13.3 Ferry Meadows 13.4 Orton Mere 13.5 Peterborough (Nene Valley) 14 External links

In 1845 the London & Birmingham Railway (L&BR) company was given parliamentary assent to construct a line from Blisworth in Northamptonshire to Peterborough. Completed in 1847, it became Peterborough's first railway line, terminating at Peterborough, later 'Peterborough East' station. The sheds and one platform face of this redundant station are still clearly visible next to the current Matalan store on London Road.

The line was of little significance until the late 19th century, when the London & North Western Railway (L&NWR), which had absorbed the L&BR constructed a line, via Nassington and King's Cliffe to Seaton, below Harringworth Viaduct. This turned Wansford, previously an unimportant village station, into a major junction. Its importance was increased a few years later when the Great Northern Railway constructed another line, via Sutton, Southorpe and Barnack to Stamford, on the Midland Railway line. In 1884 the line received a royal visit when the royal family travelled between Peterborough and Barnwell, some 13 miles beyond Wansford, to visit Barnwell Manor, home of the then Duke of Gloucester. The station building is now preserved at Wansford station on the NVR, and is known as the Barnwell building.

Between the turn of the century and the 1960s, the line formed an important connection from Norwich, Cambridge and eastern England to Northampton and the Midlands. The line was generally acknowledged to be a secondary mainline and regularly saw large engines such as Black 5s and B1s. However, the NVR was one of the last passenger line closures of the Dr Beeching era, services to Northampton and Rugby having ceased in 1964 and 1962 respectively. It remained open until 1972 for freight traffic only.

The Nene Valley Railway has a full-scale 'replica' of Thomas the Tank Engine working for passenger and freight service on Thomas events. The Nene Valley Railway's Thomas is considered the 'official' Thomas The Tank Engine, because it was named by the fictional characters creator the Rev. W. Awdry in 1971. For this (and other) reasons, the Nene Valley Railway does not host official 'Days out with Thomas' events like most railways do. The Nene Valley Railway run Thomas at various special events, weekends and bank holidays.

In 1968, the Reverend Richard Paten had bought British Railways Standard Class '5' 4-6-0 locomotive, number 73050, for its scrap value of £3,000. His intention had been to exhibit it outside Peterborough Technology College as a monument to Peterborough's railway history. However, there was one problem - the locomotive was found to be in good working order. Because of the engine's condition there was a large amount of opposition to the idea of the engine being 'stuffed'; many people pressed the idea of the locomotive being restored to full working order.

On 28th March 1969, the Peterborough Branch of the East Anglian Locomotive Society was formed, with the intention of purchasing and restoring the BR Pacific locomotive, number 70000 'Britannia'. By 1970, the group was sufficiently strong to form its own group - the Peterborough Locomotive Society (PLS). In 1971, 73050 was moved to the British Sugar Corporation's sidings at Fletton, where it was joined by Hunslet 0-6-0 locomotive 'Jack's Green'. Later that year, the PLS held a meeting at which the group's name was changed to 'Peterborough Railway Society' and the idea of the Nene Valley Railway was formally launched. In Spring 1989 the rock band Queen shot a video at the railway called "Breakthru" that reached number 7 in the British charts. They are videoed on a steam train that was given the name 'Miracle Express' after the title of their 1989 album The Miracle.

In 1974 the Peterborough Development Corporation (PDC) bought the Nene Valley line between Longville and Yarwell Junction, and it began leasing it to the PRS to operate the railway - a major milestone in the society's history.

• BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0 No 73050 "City of Peterbourough". Returned to traffic in 2005 following a major restoration; now in regular service.
• LNER Thompson Class B1 4-6-0 No 1306 "Mayflower". Operational and works passenger trains regularly. Currently on loan to the Battlefield Line Railway in Shackerstone.
• Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T No 1800 "Thomas". Painted up in Thomas colours and in service on its special operating days. Sometimes used to shunt stock.
• Polish 0-8-0T No 5485. In regular service following a year out of service with a hole in one of the steam pipes.
• Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 No 34081 "92 Squadron". On long-term loan to the North Norfolk Railway.

• Danish F class 0-6-0 T No 656 "Tinkerbell". Undergoing a major Restoration which is going well, the loco is now completely dismantled and work is going to start on the frames soon. It has a special carriage that awaits restoration and once finished it will operate services to Yarwell Junction and Back.
• Swedish S class 2-6-2T No 1178. Undergoing major restoration. Work on the frames is going well with the needle gunning now complete and also replacement of the rods and bearings on the pony truck has also been completed. Making new pins for the brake rigging is underway and new angles have been made and are now welded onto the frames.
• Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST No 1308 "Rhos". Undergoing a major restoration.
• Cockerill 0-4-0WT Tram Engine. Nearing the end of its restoration, due to be complete in 2007.
• Avonside 0-6-0ST No 1945. Undergoing major restoration thats going well, the wheels have been remove and are going to be sent off for repair soon, the finishing work will be done on the frames which is blasting away the rust and painting it in primer. A new smokebox is needed.

• Swedish B 4-6-0 101. Withdrawn in 2005 for overhaul and is currently stored awaiting an overhaul.
• Austerity 0-6-0ST 75006. Awaiting overhaul after being withdrawn in 2004.
• Kriegslok 2-10-0 No 7173. Awaiting major overhaul after being withdrawn.
• French DeGlen Compound 4-6-0 NORD No 3,628. Awaiting overhaul, currently stored in the Locomotive yard.
• German class 64 2-6-2T No 64305. Overhaul of this engine will start once 1178 is complete as lots of people want to see this engine in service.
• Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST No 1539 "Derek Crouch". On display in the yard at Wansford.
• Hunslet 0-6-0ST No 1953 "Jacks Green". On display awaiting overhaul. Its cab is accessible to visitors.

• BR Class 40 1Co-Co1 No D306 "Atlantic Conveyor". In service and in regular use on diesel services.
• BR Class 56 Co-Co No 56057 "British Fuels". In regular service after overhaul and repaint.
• BR Class 56 Co-Co No 56003. On open ended loan period to the line, in regular service.
• BR Class 56 Co-Co No 56098. Visiting the line for the March 3/4 diesel gala.
• BR Class 31 A1A-A1A No 31271 "Stratford 1840-2001". On long term loan from the Midland Railway Butterley, in regular use.
• BR Class 14 0-6-0 No D9516. Sometimes used on passenger trains.
• BR Class 14 0-6-0 No D9520. Arrived from the Great Central Railway in 2004 and is now in use on freight and passenger trains.
• BR Class 14 0-6-0 No D9523. Sometimes used on passenger trains.
• Sentinel 4 wheeled No 11. A regular shunter in the yard.
• Yorkshire Engine Co. No D2654. A regular shunter.
• Sentinel 4 wheeled No 10202 "Barabel". In regular use in the yard.
• BR Class 117 3 car DMU Nos 51367 / 59508 / 51401. In regular use on DMU services.

• Yorkshire Engine Co. No D2670. Nearing the end of its repair.
• Hibbert 0-4-0 No 2896 "Frank. Undergoing a major restoration.

• Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 No 2969. Stored awaiting major restoration.
• English Electric 0-4-0 No 1123. On display awaiting overhaul.
• Sentinel 0-6-0 No DL83. On static display following a splendid repaint.
• BR Class 14 0-6-0 D9518. Arrived from the Rutland Railway Museum and awaiting major restoration, probably the next one to be restored.

When the PRS acquired the line, the intention was to work the line with British locomotives and stock. However, enthusiasts from other railways and preservation societies had already acquired almost all of the serviceable ex-BR locomotives - all that was left was a collection of rusting hulks. Apart from 73050, the society's locomotives were mostly small, industrial shunting engines and therefore not suitable for the 11 mile round trip. Ex-BR rolling stock was also in very short supply following the disposal of most pre-nationalisation (pre-1948) stock. The PDC, having paid out a considerable sum of money for the line, was anxious that trains should start running as soon as possible - certainly before the opening of the new Nene Park in 1978. However, with the PRC's lack of stock and locomotives this looked highly improbable.

In 1973, PRS member Richard Hurlock had approached the society for a home for his ex-Swedish railways 2-6-4T class S1 oil-fired locomotive, number 1928. Because the engine was higher and wider than British stock it was to be a static exhibition only. During 1974 it was realised that the use of foreign stock and engines could answer the NVR's prayers. After a feasibility study was carried out it was discovered that only one bridge would have to be demolished to allow the running to continental loading gauge. Some reductions would also have to be made to the width of the platforms. In 1973 BR gave PRS permission to use Wansford signal box and in September of that year, the first items of stock arrived at the PRS depot.

Before the stock could be moved from the BSC depot to Wansford, the missing 400 yards of the Fletton Loop had to be rebuilt, allowing access to the Nene Valley line. The track was completed in March 1974, and the stock moved to Wansford in time for the Easter weekend, when the new 'Wansford Steam Centre' opened for the first time. Between 1974 and 1977, the line was upgraded to passenger-carrying standard and the first passenger train ran on 1st June 1977, hauled by the 'Nord' - a French locomotive and '1178' - another Swedish tank engine, pulling a set of ex-BR electrical multiple unit coaches owned by the Southern Electric Group.

In 1986, the NVR decided to extend its running line, which then terminated at Orton Mere station, along the route of the original NVR to a new station west of the East Coast Main Line, adjacent to the new Railworld Museum. This extended the length of the NVR to its current length, 7.5 miles. Since 1999, there has been talk of the 'crescent link' project - a scheme to allow the NVR to run trains through the westernmost end of the Nene Park, across the river Nene into the Peterborough mainline station to connect directly with GNER, Central Trains and First Capital Connect services. It is thought likely this might be done in accordance with the proposed redevelopment and modernisation of Peterborough station. However, no fixed date has been set for this development, and it is uncertain if the project will ever go ahead.

Stations currently on the Nene Valley Railway:

Formerly the junction between the lines to Nassington and Kings cliffe, it is the current terminus of the NVR's operating line. During April 2006 a track realignment was conducted, allowing for the construction of a platform at Yarwell junction during 2007 (there was never previously a station on the site). The new station will be served by footpaths to Nassington and the mill village of Yarwell, but there will be no vehicular access. Yarwell junction is situated approximately 1 mile west of Wansford station, at the other end of Yarwell Tunnell.

Wansford station is the home of the railway. The current building was opened in 1995 and contains a ticket office, shop, cafe and toilets. The engine sheds are located at this station. Also at the station there is a picnic area and children's playground.

The waiting room on platform two is referred to as "The Barnwell Building" due to it having been moved from Barnwell station to Wansford on April 5th 1977. The building is of special interest, having been built in 1884 for use by members of the Royal family when visiting Barnwell Manor, home of HRH Duke of Gloucester.

The original Wansford station is located on platform three and was built in 1844/1845 in Jacobean style for the opening of the railway. This building does not belong to the railway, though the railway is trying to acquire this building.

The signal box was built in 1907 by the London & North Western Railway to replace three smaller boxes. It was originally built with 60 levers and is one of the largest preserved signal boxes in its original location.

The turntable, is located behind the new station building, and was built by Ransomes & Rapier of Ipswich in 1933. Originally it was 60 foot long and was installed at Bourne in Lincolnshire for use on the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway. It continued in use here until 1959 when Bourne shed closed and the turntable was moved to Peterborough East; its last duties being to turn Travelling Post Office (TPO) coaches for use on the East Anglian TPO. In 1977 the turntable moved to Wansford where it was extended by 7 foot to make it 67 foot in length and was commissioned in September 1978. The turntable has been in use ever since to turn the locomotives and carriages at the NVR.

On platform 4 there is a model railway which has been put together by enthusiasts over 5 years, housed in a converted rail coach. this coach is a BR Mk2e FO ex 'londons burning' coach number W3227. the main layout is called hammerton junction is mainly an 00 gauge layout but one end is raised up and has a OO9 gauge on it. Also they have a small layout called iron sidings built on top of an ironing board.

Ferry Meadows station accesses the nearby country park. The current building was moved brick by brick from its previous location of the old goods yard at Fletton Junction on the east Coast Main Line, it replaced a portable building desperately in need of repair. NVR plan to add a canopy. The station building was offered to the NVR for £1 plus transportation costs.

• Also see Ferry Meadows Country Park

Orton Mere is a two platform station with a station building and signal box. Until 1986 this was the terminus of the line. Most trains depart from platform one. Just outside of the station towards Peterborough is the Fletton Loop which links the NVR to the mainline. The signal box controls the passing loop and had to be adapted from 1 lever to three.

Peterborough (Nene Valley) station is the end of the line. Here there is a platform and small office. It is a 10 minute walk from here to Peterborough City Centre. Railworld is next to the station with a wide variety of rolling stock on display.

• Official Nene Valley Railway website

Peterborough, Cambridgeshire			Unitary Authority
Areas of Peterborough	Historic county boundaries of Northamptonshire Bretton | Dogsthorpe | Eastfield | Eastgate | Fengate | Fletton | Gunthorpe | Hampton | Longthorpe | Millfield | Netherton | Newark | New England | The Ortons | Parnwell | Paston | Ravensthorpe | Stanground | Walton | Werrington | West Town | Westwood | Woodston
Places of interest	Peterborough Cathedral | Burghley House | Longthorpe Tower | Flag Fen | Nene Valley Railway
Transport	Green Wheel | Railway Station  Trunk Roads: A1 | A15 | A47