Saturdays: 31st January, Valentines Day 14th February,Mothering Sunday 22nd March,Saturdays 18th April,16th May,Fathers Day Sunday 21st June,Saturdays 18th July,22nd August,12th September,31st October,21st November & 12th December

‘The Cotton Mill Express’ really hit the television and newspaper headlines when it ran as a ‘pilot’ in November 2007 – and Manchester’s first regular steam-hauled passenger train for more than 40 years went ‘live’ in 2008! 
Threading together many of Lancashire and Yorkshire’s former cotton and textile mills on a breathtaking 100-mile circular route, the ‘Cotton Mill Express’ embraces some of the most wild and rugged hill country the Pennines has to offer. 

Plucking steam locomotives and coaches straight out of the 1950s and 1960s – before ‘Coronation Street’ even (!) – the ‘Cotton Mill Express’ scampers up steep hills, rumbles across lofty viaducts and dives into dark, sooty sulphurous tunnels, virtually within touching distance of many of the old cotton mills which still stand as proud monuments to a great industrial past.  How many can you spot? 

In this unashamedly nostalgic glimpse back at Britain’s ‘workshop of the world’, you won’t find it difficult to imagine the ceaseless clatter and chatter of the looms and weaving machinery at full tilt on the busy factory floor, or conjure in your mind’s eye the endless succession of tall, smoking, red-brick chimneys which punctuated the mills, or indulge in memories of the days when the railway went everywhere, and every train was a steam train. 

For those who know their steam locomotives. ‘The Cotton Mill Express’ will be hauled by engines completely authentic to the route and 1950s/1960s era – LMS ‘Black 5’ No. 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier or BR Standard Class 4 No. 76079.
   
Starting in January and running once a month throughout 2009 ‘The Cotton Mill Express’ is a real adventure for passengers, and a challenge for our footplatemen who are ‘hard up against it’ right from the platform end at Manchester Victoria station, on the severe 1 in 59 climb of Miles Platting bank, which sets the pattern of hill-climbing for the day.  Expect to hear those engines doing some serious talking! 

Our journey takes us due east out of Manchester and via Stalybridge into the Pennines for the tough slog up to Diggle, and via the long Standedge Tunnel, down into Huddersfield. From here we turn north and west, and head up through the glorious Calder Valley, passing former textile towns such as Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, en route to Burnley and Blackburn, via the spectacular and testing ‘Copy Pit’ route. 

Our engine will top up with water at Blackburn before starting out on the final leg of our circular loop via Darwen and Bolton, and back into Manchester Victoria, for around 4 pm.  You could even be home in time for the football results and ‘Sports Report’ on the BBC Light Programme!

Along with our usual Standard Class and First Class seating we are pleased to announce that we now have limited Silver Service Dining Seats available.  Silver Service Dining passengers will be seated in First Class carriages and receive a four course brunch on the outward journey followed by a cream tea on the return.

 

Special Dietary  requirements can be catered for if advised at the time of booking.  Wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks can be  ordered from the wine list and are charged as extras. Our usual fully licensed  buffet car will still be available for Standard and First Class passengers.