About the calendar image

LNER A2 No.60532 ‘Blue Peter’ hauls ‘The Lakes Express’ over the famous Settle & Carlisle Railway on the 9th September 2025, seen passing Langcliffe.

The Lakes Express was a multi-day railtour organised by Steam Dreams, day 1 saw the train travel from London Victoria to Oxenholme.

Locomotive history:

Built at Doncaster Works in 1948, LNER Peppercorn Class A2 No.60532 ‘Blue Peter‘ was designed by Arthur Peppercorn as a powerful 4-6-2 express passenger locomotive for British Railways’ East Coast Main Line services. The final survivor of the 15 Peppercorn A2s built, it spent its working life based at depots including York, Haymarket, Aberdeen and Dundee, hauling some of the country’s most prestigious express trains before withdrawal in December 1966.
Purchased for preservation in 1968, ‘Blue Peter‘ became one of Britain’s most recognisable steam locomotives after its restoration was supported by the BBC children’s programme of the same name. Returning to main line service in 1992, it worked numerous railtours before a major wheel slip incident in 1994 required extensive repairs. Following a further major overhaul, the locomotive returned to steam in 2024 and continues to represent the pinnacle of Peppercorn’s Pacific locomotive design.