To banish the post-Christmas blues, the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway is holding its Winter Diesel Gala on Monday, 29th December.

Three heritage diesel locomotives will be running, including Class 37 No. 37403 Isle of Mull, Class 26 No. 26038 Tom Clift, as well as a mainline guest locomotive yet to be announced. The heritage Class 117 diesel multiple unit (DMU) set will also be running.

Day Rovers tickets for the gala will be valid on all services throughout the day, and cost £35 for adults, £20 for children aged 5 to 15, and free for infants. For visitors arriving after 14:30, the cost is £20 for adults and £11 for children.

An intensive timetable will operate all day, with trains running from 09:00 to 18:30. The railway travels on a ten-mile return journey along the Forth Estuary and through woodlands, past waterfalls, and over the Avon Viaduct to Manuel.

As well as running heritage train services, the railway is also popular as a film and television location. The most recent was the television adaptation of author Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, which was filmed entirely on location in Scotland. For the film, Bo’ness Station was transformed to resemble a railway station in wartime London, where Claire and Frank, two of the main characters, said their farewells. During the filming, Class 49 No. 62712 Morayshire was used to haul some of the railway’s teak coaches dating from the 1930s; they are normally housed in its Reserve Collection building.

In the run-up to Christmas, Santa Steam Trains will be running next Saturday, 20th, Sunday, 21st, Tuesday, 22nd, and Wednesday, 23rd December. The trains, with festively decorated historic carriages, depart from Bo’ness station at 10:00, 11:30, 13:30, and 15:00 each day, returning to North Pole South (Birkhill) after about 60 minutes. Santa will meet every family on board the trains and will present a quality gift to all children, infants, and babies. Also on board the train will be entertainment with festive singers and a magician.

On the same day as the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway is holding its Winter Diesel Gala, further south, the Severn Valley Railway is holding a Winter Diesel Day.