least toured railway line?

[Waddon]

Hi,
All the major mainlines in the UK see rail tours, but I was curious - which bits of line in the UK see the least railtours/special workings? Are there any bits on which charters are totally banned?

 

[90019]

I'm guessing the Fife Circle probably does't get many.

 

[NSEFAN]

Probably many branches that don't get charters. That's why Buffer Puffer 7.0 is running at night, as there are no available paths for charters during the day.

 

[mumrar]

My local line to Redditch saw one years ago, but I bet the Stourbridge branch hasn't had one, and no a headboard on a 153 doesn't count lol

 

[EM2]

No evidence for this at all, but I'd be surprised if the Medway Valley gets very many

 

[GNERman]

small freight branches don't get a right lot, the swinden quarry branch hasn't had one in ages...

 

[CCF23]

Compared to most London Terminals Fenchurch Street sees very few.

 

[theblackwatch]

small freight branches don't get a right lot, the swinden quarry branch hasn't had one in ages...

Compared to a lot of freight branches, Rylstone has done quite well over the last 10 years or so. NENTA visited 2 or 3 years ago, and I can recall HRT and Pathfinder also doing the branch. I even did the line 3 times on the same day back in 1997!

Quite close to Rylstone, I'm not aware of a railtour visiting Ilkley since the 1980s. Pathfinder attempted to go there around three years back but the tour was cancelled.

As for Stourbridge which someone mentioned, not a railtour I know, but a friend of mine has done the line on a loco hauled service train!

 

[GNERman]

ilkley probably hasn't had one in quite a while, or bradford forster square, and what about liverpool local lines, southport etc...

 

[richa2002]

St. Pancras and the Midland Mainline in general get very few tours compared to the ECML and less so, the WCML. The last tour into St. Pancras as far as I know was the Buffer Puffer in 2007!

 

[37372]

ilkley probably hasn't had one in quite a while, or bradford forster square, and what about liverpool local lines, southport etc...

Southport was visited by 66957 and 60004 on a railtour late last year, but I agree about the local lines around Liverpool.

The Deepcar freight branch doesn't get visited very often, the one tour in the past few years to my knowledge was the tour from Barrow Hill in '06 I believe.

 

[yorksrob]

No evidence for this at all, but I'd be surprised if the Medway Valley gets very many

I've been on the Kingswear Castle and the End of an Era railtours, both of which travelled this line. This was in the early 1990's so I'm not sure if there have been any others since then.

I'm guessing Thameslink North of Blackfriars doesn't get many.

 

[furryfeet]

when was the last railtour on the sinfin branch ?

 

[theblackwatch]

when was the last railtour on the sinfin branch ?

I did one to there in late '99 with Pathfinder, I think the BLS may have been since.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Southport was visited by 66957 and 60004 on a railtour late last year, but I agree about the local lines around Liverpool.

The Deepcar freight branch doesn't get visited very often, the one tour in the past few years to my knowledge was the tour from Barrow Hill in '06 I believe.

The BLS did a comprehensive tour of the MerseyRail network a few years ago, doing a few rare crossovers, sidings, etc. With regard to Deepcar, UK Railtours are going there in December, so not long to wait for the next one!

 

[yorksrob]

I've not heard of any on the Angersteins Wharfe branch - unless anyone can enlighten me

 

[me123]

Some weird ones in my area. Despite Coatbridge being named as the ****est town in Scotland (by Frankie Boyle), all the lines through here have seen rail tours. They're hardly scenic, either.

I've never heard of a railtour to Lanark, which has some tourist appeal (New Lanark and Lanark Loch). And I've rarely, of ever, heard of a train via the Tay Coast Line (either Ladybank-Perth or Perth-Dundee).

 

[JammyJames08]

I've not heard of any on the Angersteins Wharfe branch - unless anyone can enlighten me

59206 and 67005 visited the branch on a HRT tour in April 2005

 

[Spaceflower]

Teesside freight lines?

 

[The Planner]

59206 and 67005 visited the branch on a HRT tour in April 2005

Wont be anything going down there now, classified OOU.

 

[Bittern]

Argyle Line's Hamilton Circle.

 

[MCR247]

Robin Hood Line
Marston Vale Line
Watford-St Albans line

 

[Mike395]

Interesting you should mention the Marston Vale line - it does get a few railtours (theres one running through early next year at least!) - although the speed limit on most of the line is quite slow! I presume it's used when the tour company can't get a path straight through on the MML so can use the WCML and join the MML at Bedford

 

[theblackwatch]

Watford-St Albans line

Pathfinder 'Slug and Slog' in 1998, with 73128+73131 and 47245.

 

[4SRKT]

I'm guessing the Fife Circle probably does't get many.

The mini-tour extension to Perth of Spitfire's Celtic Growler Preston --> Edinburgh tour in March took in the Fife Circle on the way back, including the harder to get Markinch --> Thornton side of the triangle Some of those places between Thornton Junction and Dunfermline are seriously grim BTW.

 

[90019]

Some of those places between Thornton Junction and Dunfermline are seriously grim BTW.

Yeah, they're not particularly nice.

 

[Aictos]

Last time a charter came though the Hertford Loop (Think it was a ECS) was back in 2007.

Pity really as back before 2005ish, steam charters used to come though and water up at either Hertford North or Watton at Stone.

Still, the only reason why charters don't go via Hertford is in case they break down and block the line, which doesn't make sense at all - what about the possibility of any other train breaking down, they would block the line too.

No real reason why charters can't come though be it diesel, electric or steam.

 

[4SRKT]

Last time a charter came though the Hertford Loop (Think it was a ECS) was back in 2007.

Pity really as back before 2005ish, steam charters used to come though and water up at either Hertford North or Watton at Stone.

Still, the only reason why charters don't go via Hertford is in case they break down and block the line, which doesn't make sense at all - what about the possibility of any other train breaking down, they would block the line too.

No real reason why charters can't come though be it diesel, electric or steam.

The Capital Whistler on 15th November last year went back north via Hertford. This was the stage of the tour when everyone was very mellow and happy, before the punch up later on.

 

[MCR247]

Inverness - Aberdeen?
Cardiff Bay branch
Marshlink

 

[4SRKT]

Inverness - Aberdeen?
Cardiff Bay branch
Marshlink

I'm sure I saw something advertised recently featuring a slimline thumper and a 73 that was going over the Marshlink. Can't remember the operator tho, which is a shame given my love of thumpers.

 

[Aictos]

The Capital Whistler on 15th November last year went back north via Hertford. This was the stage of the tour when everyone was very mellow and happy, before the punch up later on.

Did it, I had no knowledge of it doing so - certainly nothing from my sources down south mentioned anything of it.

Pity because if I did have knowledge of it, I most certainly would have tried to get photos or a video of it.