I visited brilliant Greater Manchester steam train attraction where kids can meet their TV heroes

The East Lancashire Railway is one of Greater Manchester’s best-loved attractions, offering steam train trips through the beautiful Irwell Valley. Its Bury Station base is also home to Bury Transport Museum. Together they host a varied programme of events for all ages, from dining experiences and ale trail pub crawls to Halloween ghost trains and themed family fun days where kids can meet their favourite TV characters.

I took my mum for a birthday meal on board their Red Rose Diner train for her 60th a few years ago and we loved it. But I’d never actually visited the museum before. Now I’m a mum myself, to a three-year-old girl, I’m always looking for fun ways to spend our Fridays together.

Like most preschoolers, she thinks getting on a bus or train anywhere is the biggest adventure ever. So I was sure she’d love hopping on board an ‘olden days train’ and looking at the museum’s vintage vehicles. When I saw they were hosting a Peppa Pig Fun Day, it was the icing on the cake.

Tickets were priced at £20 for adults and £17 for children (under-2s free) and included admission to the museum and a ride on any of their train services on the day. It also included the meet and greet with Peppa, as well as unlimited funfair rides, face painting and a miniature petting farm in the museum courtyard.

We arrived around 11am to see the museum before our pre-booked 12pm meet and greet. Based inside an old goods warehouse dating from 1845, it’s crammed with cars, trucks, buses and trains that transport visitors back through the 20th century. My daughter especially loved pretending to drive one of the buses and dressing up in the period costumes.

But her favourite activity was the themed craft sessions running upstairs, where she got to make a Peppa crown and wand. You’ve got to look the part to meet your idol, haven’t you? And of course, she chose a Peppa Pig stencil from the very impressive face painters - all included in the price.

When it was time to meet Peppa, it was like royalty had arrived as dozens of kids formed a snaking line around a velvet rope. Some were too starstruck to move, others cried and clung to their parents, terrified. But for most - my daughter included - there was pure joy on their faces as they got to give the giant mascot a cuddle and a high five.

After prising her away, we went outside where a miniature petting farm had been set up in a corner of the courtyard with bunnies to cuddle and ducks, sheep, goats and a calf to meet. The funfair was only tiny - just a carousel, swing ride and teacups - but it was great to be able to say yes to them all, knowing they were all covered by our tickets.

After a quick picnic, we headed over the road to the railway station to catch a train. The friendly staff at the museum were very helpful and went over the timetable with me to find the best services to suit us.

There are both steam and diesel trains and you can travel the whole distance of the line if you like, which is around a three hour round trip. Instead, we hopped on board the shortest steam service, to Heywood and back, which took around 20 minutes and was the ideal length for a three-year-old’s attention span.

We enjoyed watching the locomotive puffing steam as it pulled our train into the station, before climbing on board and settling into one of the old-fashioned carriages as it chugged along the line.

While not a cheap day out, it felt like good value for money considering the attraction’s standard prices. Advance fares for an East Lancashire Railway day rover ticket, which allows any travel on the line and includes museum entry, normally costs £17 for adults and £11.

At just £3 more for adults and £6 more for kids, the additional activities were worth it considering I’d expect to pay at least a fiver for face painting and probably a few quid for each ride at somewhere like a funfair.

We’ll definitely return as a family in future to explore more of the 12-mile line, which stops at destinations including Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall, and to experience their other events. Family events on the programme over the next few months include a Wizarding Adventure perfect for Harry Potter fans, Thomas the Tank Engine themed days and, of course, the return of their Santa specials from November onwards. Visit eastlancsrailway.org.uk for more information and tickets.