Preparing for the Santa Trains

It’s that magical time of year again on the West Somerset Railway, and this week we spent the afternoon decorating all nine carriages ready for the Santa Trains. It’s always a lovely atmosphere behind the scenes — baubles, tinsel, fairy lights and volunteers laughing as we work our way through the coaches one by one.

I love being part of this each year. Seeing the children’s faces light up as the festive carriages roll into the stations makes all the effort worthwhile. It’s a completely different side of the railway from photographing steam engines, but just as full of character and charm.

I’ll be volunteering on the Santa Train on December 6th, so look out for more photos and moments on my Railway Photography page as the season gets underway.