Heritage / preserved railways high on one's "list", but not yet covered

[Calthrop]

There was a thread in "Railtours & Preservation" back in 2009, on the subject of heritage / preserved railways which people have always intended to visit, but have not yet done so for various reasons. I don’t know whether new threads on a past and closed subject – along the lines of “maybe another round, would be fun” – are frowned on by these Forums; if so, I presume that mods will take appropriate action – but hoping that what I’m doing here is acceptable, I’m essaying opening this thread.

The above paragraph basically explains all. I feel that it might be interesting to hear about the as-yet unaccomplished such visits which people hanker to do, given the opportunity. Starting with three of mine:

The Spa Valley Railway – which I never travelled on while it was still part of the national system: could very easily have done so, but now-regretted sloth and apathy meant that it didn’t happen.

Dartmoor Railway – route travelled over twice when part of BR, 51 years ago, and not since: strikes me as miraculous that this stretch is still there and traversable on passenger workings – would love to do so again.

Keith & Dufftown Railway – have never, to my regret, been to that part of Scotland: would greatly like to discover it, and travel over a what is a remarkably long stretch of line to have been saved from the general holocaust; and it’s impressively scenic, into the bargain.

 

[Cowley]

Lots!
I've been on quite a lot of lines over the years and luckily Mrs Cowley quite likes a trip on one from time to time. There are however some glaring omissions and I'd have trouble whittling it down to a top three so I'll have to do a top five in order of desperation - number one being the one I want to go on the most desperately...

1 The North Yorkshire Moors.
2 The East Lancs.
3 The KWVR
4 The Llangollen
5 The Welsh Highland

There's loads more on the secondary list though, like the Isle of Man, Strathspey, Churnet Valley etc. The trouble is a lot of them are a long way from here and I've done most of the ones that are within reach.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Same here! Must do's are...

1 West Somerset
2 NYMR
3 Gloucestershire & Warwickshire
4 Welsh Highland

Calthrop I really envy you if you mean by Dartmoor Railway the whole of the route as it was from Exeter to Plymouth via Tavistock.

 

[steamybrian]

The top five Heritage Railways that are on my "to do" list are..
1. Chasewater Railway
2. Middleton Railway, Leeds
3. Rushden Transport Museum
4. Keith and Dufftown Railway
5. Caledonian Railway, Brechin

 

[Cowley]

Calthrop I really envy you if you mean by Dartmoor Railway the whole of the route as it was from Exeter to Plymouth via Tavistock.

He did the lucky so and so! He even slept in some empty carriages in Bere Alston station overnight so that he could get the early train to Callington in the morning. It's in Railroving 1970s - 1990s in the trip report section.
I swear I was born thirty years later than I should've been...

 

[Ash Bridge]

He did the lucky so and so! He even slept in some empty carriages in Bere Alston station overnight so that he could get the early train to Callington in the morning. It's in Railroving 1970s - 1990s in the trip report section.
I swear I was born thirty years later than I should've been...

Cheers for that, must take a look at that thread, i think I'm a tad older than you although still not quite enough to have sampled some of my all time favourite lost lines, please don't tell me he traveled the North Cornwall as well!

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

I'll go on the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway when they finish relaying the track.
Same with the Wyre Railway to Fleetwood. Those would be awsome.

Current heritage routes I haven't travelled but want to, include East Lancashire, Great Central, Nene Valley, the dozen in Norfolk, & Birkenhead's Tramway.

 

[Cowley]

Cheers for that, must take a look at that thread, i think I'm a tad older than you although still not quite enough to have sampled some of my all time favourite lost lines, please don't tell me he traveled the North Cornwall as well!

Yep. I just checked to remind myself. Also all the ones around here - Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidmouth need I go on..?

Oh well on with the thread. I forgot one, I still haven't done the Kent and East Sussex which I reckon I could just about do in a day from here. Not done the new bit of The Bluebell either or the Spa Valley which looks nice.
Unlimited money and a month off in summer should cover what's needed.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Done lots (maybe most?) of them.

Top targets out of those left would include:
Welsh Highland (long ride, scenery, Garratts)
Dartmoor
Isle of Widget (preferably when the rods are out to play)
Seaton Tramway
Vale of Rheidol
East Kent
Keith and Dufftown

Goes into trip planning mode, to see how feasible the above are on a seven day ALR...

 

[sprinterguy]

The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway has always remained high on my list: The notion of third scale Gresley Pacifics racing along a miniature mainline has greatly appealed to me ever since I became aware of the railway through the "Classic Trains" TV programme in 1997, but it's a long way too far south just for a casual visit.

I've been meaning to have a look at the East Lancs for years now as well, but for the past eight years having the attractions of the Severn Valley Railway right on my door step has rather put it on the back burner. Now that I'm living somewhat more locally it shouldn't be too long before I get a chance for a visit, though.

Seeing as they're not a huge distance away now either, then I'm also curious to take a look at the Foxfield Railway and the Churnet Valley Railway at some point.

Wouldn't mind a gander at the Vale of Rheidol, too, though it's not a priority.

 

[Ianno87]

I call myself a railway enthusiast, but I've still yet to visit The Bluebell Railway, West Somerset Railway, Llangollen, Bo'ness & Kinneil, nor *any* Welsh narrow gauge railway...

 

[alexl92]

I call myself a railway enthusiast, but I've still yet to visit The Bluebell Railway, West Somerset Railway, Llangollen, Bo'ness & Kinneil, nor *any* Welsh narrow gauge railway...

Of those, Ive only been on the Bluebell and visited a station at Llangollem. I have work to do too. It's hard to narrow it down to just 5, actually.

My list is as follows:
1. Wensleydale
2. East Lancs
3. Talyllyn
4. Yorkshire Wolds
5. Tanfield

I have done the NYMR but I was a young lad so it's on my list to do again, properly. Would be interested to do one of the Scottish ones too, and the GCR.

 

[45rpm]

I have never visited Teifi Valley Railway,Rocks By Rail,Cambrian Railways Trust,Helston Railway or Plym Valley Railway. There are several which have extended since I visited them & a few which I did pre-preservation.

 

[Calthrop]

Interesting reading, about people's ongoing "wants". I note that a fair few posters still need, and are keen to do, the Welsh Highland -- can be dauntingly distant, I'd guess, unless one lives in the right area to begin with; and travel on it, is on the pricey side. I had the good luck to cover Porthmadog -- Caernarfon and back, four years ago.

...please don't tell me he traveled the North Cornwall as well!

Yep. I just checked to remind myself. Also all the ones around here - Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidmouth need I go on..?

If it makes people feel any better; a frustration of my West Country bash was being a few months too late for Torrington – Halwill Jun., which would have been an absolute gem.


I’m rather choosy about lines-wished-for; so of those I haven’t done, there aren’t all that many which I’d particularly dearly like to get in the bag. For some reason, the East Lancs doesn’t appeal to me much: I may do it at some stage, should I happen to be up that way, but don’t see particularly seeking it out. Besides the three outfits mentioned in my OP; others (interpreting “preserved / heritage" maybe quite broadly) which I haven’t done -- or not in their “preserved” incarnation – and would definitely like to do, are:

Seaton Tramway – interesting curiosity, though I’ve travelled its route in BR days.

Mid-Norfolk – IMO one of our more worthwhile preserved lines.

Wells & Walsingham – again, for its curiosity value; and for me, Garratts “of any shape or make” are a joy.

I travelled on the above two under BR in the mid-1960s: revisiting would be a pleasure. (Sorry -- I’m probably becoming a pain, with bragging about what the accident of a late-1940s birthdate, enabled me to do. Perhaps we need a septuagenarian or octogenarian poster to show up and cut me down to size...)

Bo’ness & Kinneil.

Kirklees Light – which I feel tends to get overlooked, perhaps for its being 15in. gauge: but it’s of a fairly decent length, on the course of a former standard-gauge branch – and its locos are of interesting “classic narrow-gauge” aspect.

Wensleydale, and Weardale, lines – for the sake of the routes traversed.


The 2009 thread which inspired this one, contains several mentions – with a mixture of opinions -- of the railway on Alderney: a desired goal for several posters in that thread. A line which I wouldn’t mind doing – the draw being its sheer daftness and weirdness (sparse service, running on not all that many days of the year, diesel shunter plus former London Underground stock) – but not on my “must-experience” list. I did spend a few hours on Alderney a couple of years ago, in the course of a holiday in Guernsey; this was in spring, outside the railway’s operating season. I walked along a stretch of the track at the St. Anne end: it seemed highly overgrown and in poor repair; but we are assured that in high summer the line does run, on its very undemanding schedule. (For reasons of finances, visiting the Channel Islands again looks unlikely for me.)

 

[Trainfan344]

My top 5 would be

1. Romney, Hyth and Dymchurch railway
2. Nene Valley railway
3. West Somerset
4. East Lancs
5. Spa Valley

 

[Harbornite]

Gloucs and Warks, Bo'ness, LLangollen among others.

 

[TukayAway]

1. Vale of Rheidol
2. Snowdon Mountain Railway
3. Welsh Highland Railway
4. Llangollen Railway
5. NYMR

1-4 I hope to visit in one trip next year.

 

[Calthrop]

1. Vale of Rheidol
2. Snowdon Mountain Railway
3. Welsh Highland Railway
4. Llangollen Railway
5. NYMR

1-4 I hope to visit in one trip next year.

The Snowdon tends to be a problem, because of its notorious "arm-and-a-leg" fares. I managed to do the line in the mid-1980s, context of of a day trip run by the much-lamented LNER Society, which did all kinds of amazing and varied London-based rail day-excursion things, at reasonable prices. This effort gave as an option, the SMR, at a less-than-crippling cost -- of which, advantage taken. My lifetime reckoning with the SMR, I -- with some regret -- feel.

 

[Cowley]

The Snowdon tends to be a problem, because of its notorious "arm-and-a-leg" fares. I managed to do the line in the mid-1980s, context of of a day trip run by the much-lamented LNER Society, which did all kinds of amazing and varied London-based rail day-excursion things, at reasonable prices. This effort gave as an option, the SMR, at a less-than-crippling cost -- of which, advantage taken. My lifetime reckoning with the SMR, I -- with some regret -- feel.

I did it once in the 90s (must have had some money that day), diesel up and steam back, entirely the wrong way round...
Glad I did it though, it was a beautiful sunny and oh so clear day and it felt like being in the Alps.
Can't remember how much it cost but I've remembered the view for ever.

 

[Calthrop]

I wasn't too lucky with the Snowdon view -- it was a bit of a "blocked-in" day -- we saw only the fairly-closely surrounding bits of North Wales. Still -- as discussed in the "lines of sight" thread on General Discussion -- this is something which can't be ordered or regulated: "you get what you get on the day".

 

[AJM580]

Top of the list for me would be the Welsh Highland, closely followed by the Bluebell from East Grinstead.

 

[Crawley Ben]

Severn Valley, West Somerset, Ravenglass & Eskdale, Welsh Highland, Ffestiniog, would prob be my choices as yet to do any of them.

Also need to do the settle Settle and Carlisle once that's open again (I'm aware that doesn't count in this thread)

Cheers

Ben

 

[nferguso]

Might I suggest the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in Derbyshire?

• 8 miles long
• Cross-platform interchange at Duffield on MML
• Through ticketing from national network
• Regular heritage DMU services
• Wirksworth is a lovely destination with several good real ale pubs
• We're really very friendly.

Definitely worth a day of your time.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

My top five that I want to get done are the North Yorkshire Moors, Mid-Norfolk, Bluebell, Welsh Highland and Gloucestershire Warwickshire (and presumably Worcestershire when Broadway opens :P) Railways.

 

[Calthrop]

...Gloucestershire Warwickshire (and presumably Worcestershire when Broadway opens :P)...

A mildly curious bit of trivia touched on here, which had not previously occurred to me. This heritage line's name "Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway" looks and sounds to me, rather awkward and contrived; but plainly it was done -- and one takes the point -- so that the undertaking's initials could be "GWR". The functioning heritage line has been since its beginning, all in Gloucestershire -- only on reaching Broadway can it get into another county; which as noted here, is Worcestershire.

As we know, in an ideal world (and probably achievable only there), the GWR would wish ultimately to run Cheltenham -- Honeybourne -- Stratford-upon-Avon. Only the northernmost five or six miles of this envisaged route, is in Warwickshire. However: in the line's choosing its name, it would seem that probability -- and some geographical accuracy -- were sacrificed for the sake of a modicum of dignity. Officially calling the line the "Gloucestershire Worcestershire Railway", would sound downright goofy !

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Might I suggest the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in Derbyshire?

• 8 miles long
• Cross-platform interchange at Duffield on MML
• Through ticketing from national network
• Regular heritage DMU services
• Wirksworth is a lovely destination with several good real ale pubs
• We're really very friendly.

Definitely worth a day of your time.

A very good shout for me, not been...