Santa Special Steam Trains

8, 9th & 15,16th DECEMBER 2012

Rudyard Station, Rudyard, Nr. Leek, ST13 8PF

Santa will come again and see us and our Santa Special steam trains in 2012. So dress up warmly and come along with your children for a unique Santa steam train experience.

All the Children who take the Special Santa steam train experience with us receive a very good quality present from Santa and the adults have sherry and mince pies before or after seeing Santa.

Father Christmas Special Steam Trains depart from Rudyard Station only. You will enjoy a scenic steam train ride before alighting to see Santa in his Grotto by the Lake. The Grotto is inside in the warmth and dry of the lake activity centre. After seeing Santa you will then catch a later train back to the Car Park at Rudyard Station.

Santa often sails past in his boat on his way to the Grotto & meets the trains by the lake and talks to the children having parked his sled at the end of the Lake. We cannot guarantee that this will happen but every effort is made and we achieved 100% success in the last 2 years. In 2010 it was touch and go as the lake was frozen for 2 weeks before. Santa's helpers and Captain Perry managed to break a path through many inches of ice by working every day over the mid December period. An exceptional heroic effort for which we are very grateful.

Santa Special express train in the snow in 2009

View across Rudyard lake with santa's sleigh at jetty

Santa steam Special ran in snow in 2009 & 2010

Children receive a good quality present from Santa and the adults enjoy complimentary seasonal refreshments (sherry and mince pies). Each child and family get a quality opportunity for the children to speak to Santa & for the family to take photos. There are very good family photo opportunities to photograph or video the children with Santa as only one family group at a time meets Santa. We limit numbers of passengers on each train to try to ensure this. Our aim is a high quality, pleasurable experience for adults as well as the children.

Only ticket holders can travel on the trains and see Santa. Please arrive 15 minutes before your booked departure time. The train will NOT be able to wait if you are late because this would cause delays to all the other passengers for the rest of the day. The experience takes about an hour and a quarter from the time the train departs until the train returns you to Rudyard.

SANTA NEW FOR 2012

Our Santa trains have been very well received for the last 8 years and we try to enjoy the day as much as the children. But we plan to improve the day further by: Reducing the train size so there is more time with Santa, all glazed carriages, more covered waiting areas at the stations etc

Click here to go to our printable booking form.

This can then printed out and posted to us.

Santa gives a gift to one of his favourite children

SANTA TRAIN FARES for 2012 ( no increase on 2011)

Adults £10 complimentary sherry and mince pies

Children (age 2-12) £10 with quality gift

Children (under 2) £10 with quality gift

Seats will be reserved for you and prior booking is essential as the train capacity is limited and we endeavour to ensure that all the children have plenty of time to talk to Santa. There will be the opportunity for photographs with Santa.

Santa Special Train Times from Rudyard

11.00am, 12.00 noon , 1.00pm, 2.00 pm, 3.00pm

We are sorry if you were disappointed in 2011 because all trains sold out. Please book as early as you can to avoid disappointment.

SANTA TRAIN AVAILABILITY:

Santa Trains will run again on December 8th ,9th & 15, 16th 2012.

Email us now and we will register your interest then email you back when bookings open!

Santa visited Rudyard lake in the snow in 2010

The view up Rudyard lake December 19th 2010 when Santa visited Rudyard in snow

Bookings in 2012 will start in August but you can register your interest by emailing santa@rlsr.org

You can email us at santa@rlsr.org to book for the 2012 Santa trains. We will also take bookings by phone with a debit or credit card.

The ultimate Christmas or birthday present is our steam engine driver experience course where you are taught how to drive a real steam engine on our railway.

Also consider our Children's Birthday Party Express for a really special birthday party.

Background Information

The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway is in the North Staffordshire Peak District and our steam trains give a great 3 mile return trip along the side of the lake. The railway uses real coal fired narrow gauge steam engines to pull its trains. The railways 5 steam engines all have names linked to the tales of King Arthur.

Feedback from Sunday Dec 12th 2010

"I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing santa special steam train today. My little boy is two and had such a lovely time. He especially loved seeing santa on his boat so thank you for the effort to clear a path to ensure that was possible I know there were a few parents who were also grateful.

We will definately be booking for next year and recommend it to as many people as possible. Its the first time he's seen santa this christmas and not cried and the quality of gifts was brilliant."

Thank you again its a fantastic experience

Kim and Thomas

Debbie Graham

We enjoyed it very much ! Thanks to all the staff

12 December 2011 at 17:35

Santa Express on December 2009

Santa steam special steam trains ran in December 2009 & 2010 despite the snow with steam engines King Arthur and Pendragon pulling the trains.