With many parts of the country, mainline and heritage, hosting ‘The Polar Express Train Ride’ it wasn’t going to be long before the capital would follow suit, and 2024 would see the first London based Polar Express trips, operated by West Coast Railways.
The trips would start at London Euston, hauled by a WCRC Class 47 to ‘The North Pole’, or as its mainly known, Willesden Up & Down Relief sidings, where after a short break, Black 5 44871 would return the train to Euston. Passengers onboard would be treated to a show by actors featuring characters from the famous film, with the coaches filled with speakers and lights, playing some familiar tunes. The Black 5 would also see the addition of a high intensity headlamp, and the number 1225 and ‘Polar Express’ on the fireman’s side of the engine and tender respectively.
The route would pose a challenge in finding locations to capture the five runs that took place throughout the day, with little lineside locations or stations to capture the charter. Nonetheless, to make a record of the events, I set out on the second day of operations to capture the trips. Filming would be made even more challenging on the day in question, with Storm Darragh hitting the UK, and the weather featuring strong winds and light rain, making for more difficult filming conditions where able.
Starting out at Hanwell on the GWML, we see the ECS heading to Euston from Southall, which shows the Black 5’s additions for the trips to make it look as close to the film as possible. The first run was then captured at Kensal Green, firstly with the diesel, followed by the Black 5 half an hour later, where the rain was at its strongest and filled the lens. The second trip was then captured from Kilburn Priory, as the five passes Kilburn High Road station. By now the rain had begun to die down. With the light beginning to fade, the third run is captured from Chamberlayne Road near Kensal Green. The fourth run would have a pathing stop at Kilburn Up & Down Goods Loop, next to Queens Park, so we headed to South Hampstead station in the hopes of getting some acceleration from the five as it came out the loop. We weren’t disappointed, with the train, now in complete darkness, lighting up the surroundings with the high intensity lamp and the colourful lights from the coaches. For the final run, we went back to Kensal Green in the hopes of getting a better shot than before, and we were rewarded so, with less rain and more power from the Black 5 as it headed back to Euston for the last time.
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