Legendary Flying Scotsman recreates Jolly Fisherman excursion from London to Skegness

The special trip takes place on Saturday, September 25,and will pass through Peterborough, Boston and Wainfleet before reaching its destination.

It is one of three special excursions passing through Lincolnshire to Skegness this summer.

West Coast Railways will run their beautifully restored vintage land cruise train 'Spirit of The Lakes' excursion Skegness to Llandudno on Wednesday, September 29.

Vintage Trains Ltd, who are part of the Tyseley Locomotive Works in Birmingham, will also operate a Jolly Fisherman excursion on August 4, using the same type of diesel loco which operated this service (from Brum and Burton on Trent) in the 1980s.

The Jolly Fisherman experience was a popular excursion planned by the Great Northern Railway.

Passengers on the Railway Touring Company excursion will leave London King’s Cross in the morning of Saturday, September 25, and head northwards along the ECML, picking up at Potters Bar, Stevenage and Peterborough.

Here, they will leave the ECML at Werrington Junction and head across rural Lincolnshire along the former Great Northern line towards Spalding.

They will then continue along the Great Northern & Great Eastern Joint line via Helpringham to Sleaford, where the train will pause to run round the steam locomotive.

Following a reversal, it will head eastwards along the former Great Northern line towards Boston.

It will take take remaining section of the former East Lincolnshire line that once went through to Louth and Grimsby, but now it only runs as far as the junction at Firsby with the Skegness line.

The line is very straight and flat for miles and is pleasantly rural in outlook as passengers head for Firsby, where there is a sharp curve towards Skegness on all that is left of the remaining side of a former triangular junction.

There will be a stop at Wainfleet for anyone wanting to visit the attractive town with its interesting Batemans Brewery. It is then just a short distance to the afternoon destination at Skegness.

Time will be available to visit the resort's many attractions, including the promenade, the Clock Tower and the Jolly Fisherman statue and fountain. There are ample restaurants and many typical seaside shops to visit, or just have a quiet stroll along the sea front.

After an afternoon in Skegness, we Royal Scotsman will retrace the earlier route back to Sleaford, where it will continue to Grantham and join the ECML.

It will make a spirited climb up to Stoke tunnel towards Peterborough, before heading back to London.

For details and to book with the Railway Touring Company visit https://www.railwaytouring.net/the-jolly-fishermanTo book with Vintage Trains, visit https://vintagetrains.co.uk/For more on the West Coast Railways trip visit https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/-