Full steam to festive fun

Father Christmas arrives courtesy of the Ribble Steam Railway as the Docklands tourist attraction fires up for the first of their annual Santa Steam Specials this weekend.

From tomorrow, Saturday December 7, Santa and his friendly elves will be travelling with excited children and their families on regular trains running along the steam railway’s tracks from 10.30am until 3.30pm each Saturday and Sunday. It’s a festive favourite with children who flock to the Chain Caul Road railway each year.

Families can sing along to Christmas carols and enjoy some tasty festive snacks and refreshments while enjoying the winter scenery from the windows of the cosy, steam heated carriages.

And, during the journey, Santa will seek you out in your seat to bring you a personal Christmas present.

When the journey is over, children and their parents can explore the Steam Railway’s museum, which will be decked out in all its Christmas glory by the dedicated staff.

They can take a trip on the fascinating indoor miniature railway and warm up with a delicious cup of hot chocolate and some seasonal mince pies at the Whistle Stop cafe, or shop for gifts to delight the train buffs in your life at the revamped gift shop.

The Santa Steam Specials run every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas Eve but are very popular so pre-booking your ride is essential. Call Preston Visitor Information on 01772 253731 between 10am and 5.30pm from Monday to Saturday.

Train rides last around 40 minutes but staff suggest a two hour visit to allow visitors to take in all the activities on offer.