I am off to England and have plenty of time to visit English Railway museums and ride any steam operation in wales or scotland. Can anyone suggest any good ones to ride and see. I am going to York to see the National Railway Museum there, (I am also going to York Pa for tca) but what other railway museums and trips can anyone suggest. Thanks BillVas |
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Strong recommendations for the Festineog and Talilyn narrow gauge operations, also the Vale of Rhydol if still ruinning. Mt Snowdon cog railroad is the British Mount Washington, still steam. The Bluebell Railroad for standard gauge steam. Located about hal way between London and Brighton. The ride up the Cambrian Coast on regular trains is interesting and scenic, and one can stop off and ride the Ravenglass and Ecksdale mineature (semi scale model) steam common carrier up its mountain line. If you can, visit the Isle of Man, ride the narrow gauge steam there from Douglas (I think to Port Erin), also a genuine horse car line in Douglas, connecting with a preserved 1898 interurban line to Ramsey along the scenic coast with only preserved original wood closed and open equipment. All these operations are part of the transportation system and not just museums on the Isle of Man. For a taste of what traditional British tram (streetcar) operation was like, Blackpool is it, with its “balloon” double-deckers some 60 years old. Crich is the national tram museum, but Blackpool is real preserved operation. Not the Crich isn’t worth a visit also. The Isle of Man is truly railfan heaven.
The National Railway Museum in York is amazing. So is the London Transport Museum at Covent Garden in London.
http://www.nrm.org.uk/home/home.asp
Mark
Preserved railways you should try and visit, in addition to those already mentioned, include :-
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The Severn valley Railway - arguably Britain’s premier preserved line with the biggest collection of locos and rolling stock.
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The N. Yorkshire Moors Railway - probably the most scenic preserved line
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The West Somerset Railway - very scenic seaside line, and the longest preserved line in Britain
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The Great Central Railway - the only standard gauge preserved line with a double track section where you can see trains passing at speed
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The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch - truly a main line in miniature! This 15in gauge line is mostly double track and has the only 4-8-2’s that ever ran in Britain.
Besides these there are many more places worth visiting if you’ve got the time.
Beamish near Durham is worth a visit particularly if you have a partner who is not totally devoted to things railway. Good transport museum in Glasgow If you want something esoteric The Leighton Buzzard light railway is a preserved narrow gauge industrial railway.
Billvas - loads and loads, because I live in Britain.
See if this link works:-
Failing which feel free to e-mail with your itenary and I’ll give you some suggestions.
Being British myself and both an enthusiast and railway worker I could name many places which would be worth a visit however the thing is that the British railway scene, both modern and heritage varies hugely. Do you have any particular aspect of railways or trains that interest you? If you love big main-line steam engines then an industrial railway museum with 0-6-0 tanks may, whilst interesting be not quite your thing or vice-versa.
Likewise if you want to see some variety of preserved and mainline trains then a country branch may be a long way from the nearest main-line operation while places like Didcot or the Nene Valley Railway are also very close to busy main lines.
There are a lot of good suggestions already but it depends on what you want from your holiday and how much time you have to spend watching trains. If you just want to see any steam operation there is one in practically every part of the country.
Also where will you be based? Although our country is very small it can be deceptive when it comes to travelling times to places particularly if heading into the countryside by either car or train.
Just my personal view but one thing I love about many British preserved lines (and also many main line stretches) is the little details that complete the picture. I work on the railway so it’s not just about the trains to me. I also love the variations in signalling, the signage, the architecture etc. If you find yourself stuck further for ideas I, as with the guys who’ve posted before will be happy to give my personal opinion on what’s best to see but really it’s up to you to match your tastes to what’s on offer as there is something for everyone out there.
I visited the NRM in York and it was simply amazing! especially if you are and 8 year old american… And if I had the chance to go again, I would go in a heartbeat.
I’m sure the guy above -Simon Reed- will back me up on this too. Don’t visit anywhere that advertises itself as having locomotives of classes 24, 25, 44, 45 or 47. [:D]
(Just joking- couldn’t help it having noticed his ‘location’)
Quite Right! You want to see somewhere with a PROPER diesel loco (ie Class 55!).
…or 26, 27, and 33…[:)]
Can I add class 52 to the ‘proper’ loco list ? [:)] (the way things are going, Valenta-engined HST power cars might have to be added to the ‘all time classic loco’ list soon !)
Tony
By all means visit the museum at York, it’s free and very convenient to the main York station (which has several good photo locations both from the platforms and from overhead stairs). At the museum, one can’t miss the 4-8-4 built for China. Imagine if any of the British railways had used that arrangement!
As Simon Reed said, let us know roughly which areas you intend visiting / passing through / dates / etc., I’m sure enough of us can point you in the right direction.
Martin
So Little time to see so much.
That is what you will be saying as you return home.
If you can go to the south coast.
1st-- North of Portsmouth in Alresford, Hampshire
2nd-- East of Bournemouth in Swanage, Dorset
Swanage Steam Railway
I got a ride in the cab of the Steam Engine
no Webinfo
Take time to spend in the city stations.
the railroad traffic and switching is EXTRAORDINARY.
See
http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk
Finally, as volunteer worker on the Avon Valley Railway, near Bristol, please visit our line. We dont have many locos but we are a friendly bunch. If you visit us in October you may be lucky enough to see visiting ex Somerset & Dorset 2-8-0 #53809 which will be visiting us in October and we will have all available locos running on the last Sunday in October –more info at
I prefer them small! 24-27 for me, and looking forward to Keighley and Worth Valley diesel gala which is June 15th-18th.
It should feature 25059, 26010 and 26024 amongst others but best of all it’s only 15 minutes from home!
For something abit different, I went to the Underground Transport Museum in London and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I never knew up until that time, that steam motive power was used at one point-it was fascinating to compare to U.S operations and history. Mind The Gap!
Yes, the original ‘sub-surface’ underground lines (the present day Metropolitan, District, Circle, and Hammersmith & City lines) used special ‘condensing’ steam engines to minimise the steam and smoke problems, and most of the stations on those lines are in the open air (but below ground level) - it’s just the tracks between them that are in tunnels.
Also several parts of the current ‘tube’ system were originally part of the main railway system e.g. the eastern end of the Central line, and would have been steam operated until their transfer.
Tony
I rented an apartment in London for a week for a respite before moving on to Ireland…and used “the tube” to go everywhere. I was very suprised to see the elaborate luxury, “first class” coaches that were originally used, as well as the amazing depth of some of the lines…the escalators seemed to roll downward so deeply, I could see how effective they must have been as shelters during "The Blitz’…I know it’s abit off topic…but Churchill’s underground war room is definitely worth a visit…I was again, surprised to see the shabby little cot in the tiny room he would sleep in afew steps away from the Map Room…you get an erie, very real feeling what it would have been like to be under siege…what a great city…I plan to go back later this year so I read these posts with interest. The UK is light years ahead of us in steam preservation and operation…If it were’nt for family here, I would move there in a heartbeat…I already had one of my unmarried childhood freinds do so about a year ago for that reason…and loves it. Lucky guy.