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Best Real Ale Trains (UK)?

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Dudds

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10 Apr 2012
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Does anyone have any recommendations for which are the best UK heritage line Real Ale Trains? Many thanks.
 
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sprinterguy

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The Severn Valley do a smashing range of bottled ales from Bewdley Brewery onboard their trains - Named after the locomotives that work or are associated with the line, and rotated regularly.
 

Jonfun

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Not quite the question, I'll admit, but the East Lancs have a real ale trail leaflet that you can download with information on plenty of pubs local to the railway, and there are guided ones you can do as well touring round a number of different locations with a trained tour guide. Bottled beers are available from the on-train buffets.

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/...12/01/Rail-Ale-Trail-leaflet_web-friendly.pdf
 

fireftrm

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NYMR also have a range of bottled beers, all labled and named for the railway. None are bottle conditioned, so don't actually count as real ale, but are well worth drinking!
 

D841 Roebuck

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The Gwili railway has (or had in 2010, so hopefully its still about) a most impressive bar car, complete with bar stools and the general ambience of a pleasant pub. Just the trick for trundling up and down behind various shunters.

As far as the beer goes, it was dark and bottled, and sufficiently "moorish" for me to forget what it was called... :)
 

sprinterguy

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SVR have a good pub on the platform at Bridgnorth as well, with a great collection of BR totems on the walls.
The "Railwaymans Arms" at Bridgnorth truly is a marvellous little establishment, though I felt that it fell outside of the initial scope of this thread - Even though it is undoubtedly linked!
 

STEVIEBOY1

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I Think the Watercress line have done RATs (Real Ale Trains) in previous years, may be worth checking with them. The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light railway have also done something similar too, again check with them

Shepherd Neame, a Kentish Brewer have run in the past few years, main line steam trains fron London to Faversham and also a local trip in Kent in Septemebr to co-incincide with their Beer "Hop" Festival and sometimes in May too in relation to a vinatge/classic car event, but I am not sure if these are running this year.

I did go with them several times and the real ale was being served almost as soon as we left London fairly early in the morning.
 
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30 second walk from Frodsham station is the Helter Skelter pub with good food and a large selection of local and UK real ales. No toilets at Frodsham station though so go before you leave. :)
 

Laurencew

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I can fully recommend the real ale trains on the Llangollen Railway, having participated (to excess) last Saturday. Very friendly and efficient and a super selection of local ales. I believe they run several times a year, leaving at 18.30, two return trips, back at 21.30. Details are on their website.
Posted as a satisfied customer.
 

STEVIEBOY1

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. No toilets at Frodsham station though so go before you leave. :)

Yes, a very important point to note, nothing worse than having to travel with crossed legs, unless your train does have a WC on board of course.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There is a very small little bar on one of the stations on the narrow guage railway at Cleethorpes and I understand a real ale pub near Cleethorpes main line station.
 
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