Favourite Railway Journey

[SprinterMan]

What is your favourite single railway journey ever and why? What journeys do you have the best memories of, what route/stock/etc. and what made it so good.

Mine was doing Paddington to Plymouth in late 2010. I was going to Plymouth to look round the uni and it was the 1st long journey I had done alone. I got to Paddington about an hour early and got on the "Cornish Riviera", I had a seat in coach D so I had one of FGW's superb televisions to play with. The moving map kept me amused for the whole journey. I loved every inch of the Berks & Hants route and it is still one of my favourite lines, and Dawlish Sea Wall was very good indeed. It was my first time on the GWML, my first time along Dawlish Sea Wall, my first time on a HST and the first long distance journey I did alone so I will always remember it.

Please add your favourite journeys.
Adam

 

[317666]

'The Shambles' railtour up to York and back was brilliant, an entire day of 317 (and a bit of 315) haulage

 

[rail-britain]

Southbound Glasgow Central to London Euston shortly after the Class 390 were introduced and permitted to tilt for the entire journey
For some reason travelling north is not as enjoyable, I suspect it is the seatng layout in First Class that causes this

WSR in 2009, between London Marylebone and Wrexham
Excellent high quality service, leisurely journey, shame about the rolling stock
Disappointed I couldn't manage two trips

 

[junglejames]

Toronto to Vancouver. Amazing scenary, nice comfortable journey, amazing food (comparable to food on the best cruise liners), lovely little towns to stop off at enroute, lovely friendly staff, a good bunch of fellow passengers. An all round amazing journey.
In comparison Emeryville to Chicago pales into insignificance.

In the UK. For a regular journey, Inverness to Wick, and back a couple of days later. Or for a single journey I always remember. London to Glasgow when we ended up getting diverted via Brum, S&C, and the GSW. Lovely comfortable journey (makes it obvious it wasnt a bendy pendy i think!), fantastic traction. 87s and 47s. I even turned down a compensation/ complaint form. Unlike some who seem to think its a god given right to compensation if they are delayed by 30secs, I actually thought the delays made the journey better, so it wasnt right to claim compensation.

 

[exile]

Innsbruck to Seefeld - fantastic scenery with a great view across the Inn Valley.

 

[RobShipway]

Mine was back in 1976 aged 7, being in the drivers cab of a Class 101 from Erdington into Birmingham New Street seeing the drivers view of the line.

Other than that it has to be driving a class 101 back in the 1990's on the Swanage line which brought back the memories of a seven year old boy.

 

[tsr]

The best short journey I have ever done had to be on the Circle Line recently, where an extremely funny Scottish man had the whole carriage in stitches for my journey between Liverpool Street and Blackfriars - plus the train was surprisingly well-kept for the line and class, and there were some interesting ECS workings here and there.

As for the best longer-distance journey, I really can't decide. I have had a few good Eurostar trips, if that counts, but the scenery was hardly relevant to that. I also had a great short ride on a Meridian between St Pancras and Bedford recently - the staff were excellent and the train managed to feel very civilised. There are, of course, many more journeys I could shortlist.

 

[Requeststop]

Switzerland; Martigny-Châtelard.

It’s not just the scenery when you are up in the mountains but the traction used as well. Pantograph, rack and pinion, and 3rd rail, and is of 1 metre gauge.
You start in Martigny under wires and race along side the road and Rhône to Vernayaz.
Then you climb and pass through twisting dark tunnels to get up to a pretty village called Salvan. Around a couple of curves to Marrecottes, with a cable-car to take you to a much under-rated ski resort called La Creusaz. Spectacular views back down to Martigny and up the Rhône valley back towards Sion.
Onto Méddetaz and Le Trétien with great views of the Trient valley, especially in winter.
Finhaut with great summer walks, and finally under wires again at Le Châtelard on the French border with a really lovely station straddling the borderline, and a fantastic view of Mont Blanc.
It is truly a great ride and well worth stopping for a day or two along the way to make a holiday of the journey.

 

[Train Pilchard]

Denver - San Francisco

Took about 50 hours in total, great views through the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada, big comfy seats, viewing car, quality.

 

[Liam]

East Coast London to Edinburgh/Kirkcaldy. Going home.

 

[trentside]

Mine has to be the WAG Express from Cardiff to Crewe back in June 2011. Great scenery, great rolling stock and free food from the people sitting opposite me (that they insisted I share, not taking no for an answer!). A great way to end an excellent day out.

 

[lilib]

If you carry on the Paddington-Plymouth line all the way to Penzance it's even better!

 

[4SRKT]

Mine was on the 08:00 Belfast Central > Dublin Connolly and 18:20 return on 1st April 1986. In the cab of NIR GM no 112

 

[cogload]

Taieri Gorge Railway. Pukerangi - Dunedin in NZ.

Worth every dollar.

 

[Prometheus]

The Glacier Express in Switzerland. It was on a family skiing trip, and I don't ski so I got to take some great train trips instead. The Glacier Express was particularly impressive in the deep winter snow.

I am glad I went on it when I did, as I couldn't afford to make the trip now.

 

[Michael.Y]

I do love the run from Swansea to Carmarthen through Pembrey and Ferryside when I'm working the Fishguard Flyer.

As a passenger, nothing beats the run through Cornwall and Dawlish Sea Wall on an HST.

 

[island]

I have fond memories of the 2150 Dublin Heuston to Cork of a Sunday night up to around 2007. Used to run on an 071 and Cravens stock, no stupid announcements, and generally you could get a double seat to yourself, and with no gap between the two seats they were very comfortable.

The Berner Oberland Bahn + Wengener Alpbahn + Jungfraubahn from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch is also pretty awesome.

 

[Michael.Y]

Noticing "island"'s username, I forgot how much I enjoyed the Island Line run. I even insisted to my other half we should ride it all the way to Ryde Pier Head.

 

[ThomasC]

a sleeper train from Vienna to Paris. I was in my late teens and was romanced!

 

[Clip]

Paekakariki - Masterton and return (NZ) going through some spectacular countryside behind an old NZ steam Loco and through the Manawatu gorge which was just stunning. Mentioned it a few times but a highlight of my life for sure.

 

[ex-railwayman]

Outside of European rail travel, my most memorable tour was the Kuranda Scenic Railway in Cairns, Queensland. Travellling for nearly 2 hours through 100 year old rainforests getting wet from the dripping leaves in the open window coaches, gawping at the ''skinny'' bridges as you cross deep gorges and ravines, not for the faint-hearted that's for sure, but, you never forget the trip.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

 

[4SRKT]

a sleeper train from Vienna to Paris. I was in my late teens and was romanced!

By a femme fatale?

 

[Clip]

Outside of European rail travel, my most memorable tour was the Kuranda Scenic Railway in Cairns, Queensland. Travellling for nearly 2 hours through 100 year old rainforests getting wet from the dripping leaves in the open window coaches, gawping at the ''skinny'' bridges as you cross deep gorges and ravines, not for the faint-hearted that's for sure, but, you never forget the trip.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

I was gutted I couldnt do this trip. A train had derailed due to a landslip the day before so was going to be shut for a week or so and I just didnt have the time to wait around.

 

[chuckles1066]

Please add your favourite journeys.
Adam

Back as a boy I went on a train excursion (do they even do those sorts of things these days?) to somewhere up north.

We got held up by a red light out the back end of somewhere called Wath.....it was the sort of place you go to die (and I mean that in a nice way).

Fields, cows, horses, absolutely no sound at all except the noise of the engine.....perfect.

Part of me wants to say it was Bristol Temple Meads to Cleethorpes but that one definitely went through Toton yard as a passenger service (rare I was told) so I don't know for sure.......may have been Bristol - York?

 

[NSE]

Gonna be outside the box I know, but I love the stretch from Victoria to East Croydon. Must be starting from platforms 15-19 at Victoria, run Victoria-Clapham Junction-East Croydon, arriving in platform 3. This is simply because as a kid, I did this route and calling pattern week in, week out going to London. I often switched to Caterham or Tattenham Corner trains at East, but I always did this route. When I go back to the area now, I love traversing it, going straight through the stations on route. And, I love the 377's, so I'm more than happy to sit back and watch as South London slides past.

Recently, (I did post a thread about traction some of you may recall) I ventured out of Paddington for the first time. On my first ever HST to Temple Meads, changed to a 150 (for the first time) and headed down on one of the last trains to Exeter. It was late at night, but travelling on what quickly became an empty train after Yatton/Weston-Super-Mare it was somehow cool to be adventuring out, following a spectacular sunset. I also enjoyed shooting over the viaduct with the line from Reading at Taunton. After that I arrived at Exeter at a dead station to see my mate, and it was just a really lovely trip through stations and traction I'd never been to before. Coming back was also brilliant, as I could see it in the daylight

I also managed to get Cambridge-London-Birmingham-Crewe-Manchester (2 days later) Manchester-Stoke (ALton Towers, then two days after) Stoke-Birmingham-Peterborough-St. Neots. All that Train travel for £24. Yeah yeah yeah, I know you all hate the train line, and I could have saved £1, but meh. Me and a mate took all that on together and had a cracking time pottering about the country. Lovely views on the WCML, nothing spectacular, but nice enough to be able to see new countryside. Also nice to see different railway scenery and urban landscapes around Manchester and Birmingham etc.

 

[LE Greys]

I've said this before, but the run on the Didcot demonstration line where I got to drive Pannier No. 3738!

In terms of an actual journey, the miles and miles of eastern Canada from Halifax to Montreal (which is longer than Wick to Penzance) aboard the Ocean would be one. I've only ever done that once, but it was still amazing. Stevenage-Bellinzona via Lille and Basel in the middle of winter would be another, including a jaunt from Strasbourg to Basel behind an ancient SNCF loco on vintage SNCF coaches and a late-night change at Arth-Goldau in a foot of snow. Staying strictly UK-based, it would either be my Skipton-Appleby run behind a 31 in 1988 (I remember it being fun) or that somewhat mad railtour I took to and from Bristol behind Earl Bathurst, where the lights were not switched on, and nobody realised before we went into a tunnel. The first and last time I have been in total darkness.

 

[mac]

two for me Toronto to Vancouver or Washington to San Francisco food best in canada

 

[LE Greys]

two for me Toronto to Vancouver or Washington to San Francisco food best in canada

That's agreed. I'm hoping to do the whole way one day, Halifax to Vancouver with a break of journey in Toronto.

 

[mac]

Now that will be a trip,didn't think much to Toronto to much concrete

 

[60163]

Crewe-Chester & return (scenery, and going past the EMD!)
Kidderminster-Bridgnorth on the SVR (being hauled by Bittern, on my 20th birthday, that was pretty damn special)
I enjoy Walsall-Rugeley Trent Valley as well.