Look out for steam trains on King’s Cross passenger concourse

Steam trains are usually found on the rail tracks, but for one week, two locomotives will be sitting in the middle of the passenger concourse at King’s Cross.

The restored heritage line, the Ffestiniog Railway are bringing two of their light engines to London to promote their Welsh railway to visitors.

The two ‘Quarry Hunslet’ locomotives from the Victorian era — Hugh Napier and Velinheli will be making the trip from Wales where they originally transported slate around the local quarries. Following a period of dereliction, they have now been lovingly restored to working order.

The locomotives will be rolled into King’s Cross Station at 1am on Saturday February 10th, and will be on display in the ticket hall until Sunday February 18th.

For the duration of the visit, staff and volunteers will be on hand to talk to the public and answer questions.

There will also be the opportunity to win a short break in North Wales, staying at Portmeirion and including visits to Zip World and first class tickets on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways.

The Ffestiniog Railway opened 182 years ago and was initially used to carry slate from the quarries to the sea at Porthmadog, where it would be loaded on to ships which sailed all over the world.

The present-day railway is very different… today, the Ffestiniog and its sister railway the Welsh Highland form the longest heritage line in the UK, stretching 40 miles coast to coast.