On track for Christmas
Father Christmas is getting a special helper at his grotto at a heritage railway this year.
Paddington Bear named after the station in London, is hopping on a train to visit Santa in Oswestry.
The little bear will be welcoming children to Santa's grotto at the Cambrian Heritage Railway's Oswestry Station on Saturdays, December 2, 9, 16 and 23.
Youngsters will be able to ride the Santa Special train and visit the grotto, receiving a present from Father Christmas. Festive food and mulled wine will also be available.
The Cambrian Heritage Railways group also runs the Llynclys Station south of Oswestry. Here Santa will also be in his special ice grotto off the A483 at Llynclys crossroads, on Sundays December 10 and 17.
All tickets cost £8 and trains will be runnning from 11am until 4pm each day. Booking is advisable, for more details visit www.cambrianrailways.com.
Volunteers at the railway are working to extend the Oswestry line to Weston on the edge of the town.
Cambrian Railways owned 230 miles of track over a large area of mid-Wales, with its headquarters at Oswestry railway station. The station opened on May 1, 1860, and the last passenger train ran on November 7, 1966. The last freight train ran in 1971.
The Cambrian Railways Society was set up in 1972 based on part of Oswestry goods yard, with the goal to reopen part of the line as a heritage railway.
The Cambrian Railways Trust was formed in 1998.
