South Devon Railway - 'The Polar Express' 21/11/2021

It feels strange to be talking about 'The Polar Express' while there's still so much colour in the trees, but winter is almost upon us, and with it comes the festive season. The sound of bells jingling is on the horizon once again, as preserved railways across the UK gear up for Christmas with a variety of special services. While the vast majority are operating iterations of the train of lights concept, the South Devon Railway is playing host to 'The Polar Express'. The 2004 film has become a modern classic, as such its recreation is proving to be incredibly popular; all scheduled Polar Express trips on the SDR have sold out, despite the high volume of spaces offered. To recreate the look of the locomotive from the film, 7820 "Dinmore Manor" has received some modifications: A cow-catcher, headlamp, bell, and mild identity changes have all been carried out, with the 'Manor' displaying 1225 and 'Polar Express' on the fireman's side. In addition, both 7820 and 5542 have been fitted with chime whistles for the duration of the event. Locomotives: GWR 4575 'Small Prairie' Class - 5542 BR(W) 7800 'Manor' Class - 7820 "Dinmore Manor" All footage filmed on Sunday the 21st of November 2021.