Britain's Heritage Railways
Britain's Heritage Railways
Britain was the birthplace of modern railways. The first inter-city railway connected Manchester and Liverpool way back in 1830.
Engineers such as Stephenson, Trevithick and Brunel were the grandfathers of a rail network that was once the pride of the world.
However, the Beeching Cuts of the 1960s saw a number of lines closed. Many of these have now been reopened as heritage railways owned and operated by volunteers and non-profit organisations. Several operate steam trains as well as diesel engines.
There are well over 100 heritage railways in the UK. Here are some of the best.
Snowdon Mountain Railway
Starting service in 1896, the 4.7-mile (7.2-km) Snowdon Mountain Railway has transported passengers from Llanberis, a little hamlet at the foot of Snowdon (the highest peak in Wales), to the 3560-foot (1085-metre) summit of the mountain. On clear days the views over the surrounding Snowdon Massif are simply spectacular.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway is Britain's only rack and pinion mountain railway, and also boasts the nation's highest station, perched just below Snowdon's summit. An interesting new visitor centre has recently opened at the top station.
Given the local geography it comes as little surprise that the railway is operated in some of Britain's harshest weather conditions. Services are stopped in cases of extreme weather, with the line remaining closed in the winter season from November through to mid-March.
Steam and diesel locomotives hauling individual carriages take about an hour to complete the journey from Llanberis along a single track narrow gauge line. Those lucky enough to have tickets on "The Snowdon Lily" or newer "The Snowdon Mountain Goat" carriages will be pushed by one of the railway's original 1896 steam locomotives.
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway Line was constructed between 1858 and 1862, and connected Hartlebury in Worcestershire, with Shrewsbury in Shropshire. For most of its history it was a part of the Great Western Railway, and then the Western region of British Rail. The line was closed in 1963 leaving Bridgnorth without a railway connection.
In 1965 a group formed to reopen a section of the line as a heritage railway. Now the 16 mile section between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster operates steam trains and sometimes vintage diesel trains that run mostly along the scenic Severn River. Throughout the year special dining services operate and also numerous events take place at the Bridgnorth Station depot.
Rheidol Railway
The Rheidol Railway (Rheilffordd Cwm Rheidol) in Wales is known as one of the "Great Little Trains of Wales".
The Vale of Rheidol Railway travels 20 kilometres from the town of Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge, climbing nearly 200 metres to reach Devil's Bridge Station, nestled deep within the Plynlimon Mountains.
The railway began in 1902 to carry timber to and lead ore from the mines of the Rheidol Valley. The railway has been in continuous operation as part of the nationalized railways from 1948, then the privatized railways since 1989, and now as a heritage railway.
The lead mining in the area went into decline soon after the opening of the railway and more so with the onset of World War I. So as a result the railway switched to mostly passenger traffic serving tourists from the industrial cities of Liverpool and Manchester.
Dartmouth Steam Railway
The Dartmouth Steam Railway (formerly known as the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway) runs from Paignton along the Torbay coast to Churston and on through the Dart Estuary to Kingswear.
As rural railway routes faced closure in the 1960's and 1970's, the Dart Valley Railway company, made up of rail enthusiasts and concerned individuals acquired the track and began running services in 1973.
The original line was built between 1857 and 1864 and affords fine views of the sea and the wooded Dart Valley.
Bure Valley Railway
The Bure Valley Railway runs from North Walsham Station on the Bittern Line, in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, nine miles to Wroxham. It opened in 1990.
After North Walsham, the line passes quaint villages and rolling fields, before arriving at the beaches of Cromer and the onward dogleg to Sheringham. The single journey takes 45 minutes on a miniature steam train.
Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
The Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is a one-third-sized railway that runs through Romney Marsh in East Kent, southeast England.
The RH&DR runs for 13 and a half miles from Hythe to Dungeness. There are stations at Hythe, Dymchurch, St. Mary's Bay, Romney Warren, New Romney, Romney Sands, and Dungeness.
The RH&DR opened in 1927 and was the fulfillment of the dreams of two rich, model train enthusiasts of the day - Jack Howey and Count Louis Zborowski (the latter tragically killed in a motor racing accident before the railway opened).
Llanberis Lake Railway
Llanberis Lake Railway in Llanberis begins at Llanberis Station but runs in the opposite direction to the Snowdon Mountain Railway (see above). It runs along the north shore of Llyn Padam.
The track is very narrow, a tad under 2 feet wide, and runs to Penllyn about 2.5 miles way. The railway was built on the route of a former quarry railway that transported slate to the coast, and the original terminus was Gilfach Ddu.
After the quarry closed some of the steam engines that ran on the quarries internal railway were bought and plans made to create the new tourist train.
Later the line was extended from Gilfach Ddu to Llanberis. The terminus of the railway is Penllyn which provides access to the Padarn Country Park. You can also get off at Cei Llydan where there is a picnic area with fantastic views of the lake with towering Mount Snowdon behind. Gilfach Ddu Station is right in front of the National Slate Museum.
Llangollen Railway
The Llangollen Railway (Rheilffordd Llangollen) in Llangollen, Wales is a 10 mile-long heritage railway between Llangollen and Corwen. The train line to Llangollen closed in 1965. A few years later volunteer groups began plans to renovate and re-open a section of the Ruabon to Barmouth Line up the Dee Valley from Llangollen. The Llangollen Railway's collection of heritage trains include several steam locomotives, some diesel locomotives, and diesel carriages.
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Isle of Man Railway
The Isle of Man Railway (aka Isle of Man Steam Railway) is a narrow gauge railway that connects Douglas, Castletown and Port Erin on the Isle of Man. In total the line is 24.6 km long and uses both authentic rolling stock and steam locomotives. The initial line owned by the Isle of Man Railway Company opened in the 1870s. The line is the longest narrow gauge steam line in the UK that still uses its original locomotives and carriages. Other historic railways and tramways on the Isle of Man include the Manx Electric Railway (the Douglas-Laxey-Ramsey Electric Tramway) and the Laxey-Summit Snaefell Mountain Railway that goes up to the island's highest point, Snaefell at 620.9 meters and connects with the Electric Tramway in Laxey. Also the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway is one of the few surviving horse tramways in the world.
Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway (L&HR) is just over 5 km long and connects Haverthwaite Station with Lakeside at the southern end of Lake Windermere in the Lake District. The line is a former branch of the Furness Railway that opened in 1869 and ran from Ulverston to Barrow-in-Furness. The picturesque railway features in the Thomas the Tank Engine series of children's books.
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway runs 17.7 km in Sussex from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead with stops at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote stations. The stations have been restored to reflect various periods in their history. The railway was one of the first heritage railways in Britain and began operating in 1960. It operates a number of special services including dining trains and real ale evenings. East Grinstead Station has trains to both London Victoria and London Bridge stations in London.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) runs 29 km through the North York Moors National Park from Whitby to Pickering. Altogether the line has six stations and carries more passengers than any other heritage railway in Britain. Both steam and to a lesser extent heritage diesel locomotives run on the line. The NYMR hosts a variety of special events throughout the year. Presently the six stations are Whitby, Grosmont, Goathland, Newtondale Halt, Levisham and Pickering. The line connects with the Esk Valley Railway which runs trains from Middlesbrough to Whitby.
Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways
The Ffestiniog Railway (Rheilffordd Ffestiniog) is a 21.7 km-long narrow-gauge heritage railway in Gwynedd, North Wales. It connects Porthmadog and the former slate quarries at Blaenau Ffestiniog in the Snowdonia National Park. Porthmadog is also the junction for the Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) running to Caernarfon. Steam locomotives began running on the line in the 1860s and after the demise of the original slate railway in the 20th century the line was painstakingly rebuilt by volunteers.
Bala Lake Railway
The Bala Lake Railway also in Snowdonia is a 7.2 km narrow-gauge railway running along the southern shore of Lake Bala. Like the Ffestiniog Railway it was originally built in the 1860s for the extraction of slate. It closed in 1968 and reopened as a heritage railway in 1972. The line runs from Llanuwchllyn Station to Bala Pen-y-bont Station. The Llanuwchllyn Heritage Centre at Llanuwchllyn is a museum dedicated to Welsh narrow-gauge railways and the slate industry in general.
Isle of Wight Steam Railway
The Isle of Wight Steam Railway on the Isle of Wight runs a scenic five and a half miles from Smallbrook Junction (connects with the Island Line from Ryde Pier Head to the seaside town of Shanklin) to Wootton Station, through the pleasant village of Havenstreet. Altogether the heritage railway has four stations at Wootton, Havenstreet, Ashey and Smallbrook Junction. The Train Story Discovery Centre, museum and workshops are all at the 1940's Havenstreet Station.
Strathspey Railway
The Strathspey Railway in the Scottish Highlands runs 10 miles (16 km) from Aviemore Station to Broomhill via Boat of Garten. The line was formerly part of the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway (Highland Railway). The railway operates various seasonal rides including Halloween and Christmas specials. Broomhill Station was Glenbogle in the BBC TV series Monarch of the Glen. Various vintage steam and diesel locomotives operate on the line including the Caledonian Railway 812 Class 0-6-0 steam train and a BR 0-4-0 North British shunter. The carriages are also vintage mainly from the 1940s and 1950s. Aviemore Station is on the Highland Main Line between Perth and Inverness.
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway near Leicester is Britain's and indeed the world's sole double track, main line heritage steam and diesel railway. It runs 8.25 miles (13.28 km) between Loughborough and a the Leicester North terminus. There are four stations Loughborough, Quorn & Woodhouse, Rothley and Leicester North. Loughborough Central is preserved with original 1950s period details and includes a museum and gift shop. The railway and its stations have appeared in several movies and on TV. Trains run on every weekend throughout the year, on bank holidays and some week days in the summer months. Special events include Bonfire Night, Fish & Chips Trains, Santa Steam Trains and Winter Wonderlights. The line's rolling stock inclludes a dozen steam trains and British Rail era diesels with original livery.
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway runs 14 miles from Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway through some beautiful countryside in the Cotswolds. The volunteer-run railway offers 28 mile round trips on both steam and heritage diesel trains. The present GWSR route was once part of Great Western Railway's Cheltenham - Stratford-upon-Avon - Birmingham line which closed in 1976. Trains run seasonally beginning in March.
The Jacobite & the West Highland Line
The West Highland Railway Line in Scotland is generally considered to not only be one of the most scenic train rides in the UK but also on the whole planet. Combined with a ride on what is almost certainly the most famous steam train in the world and you have a recipe for a trip of a lifetime.
Named after the rebellion that took place in a part of the highlands of Scotland through which the train passes, the Jacobite has become an iconic steam train due to it being seen in the Harry Potter series of movies where it is known as the Hogwarts Express.
The Jacobite runs from Fort William to Mallaig, with a round trip of 82 miles. There are two return services on many of the days that the train runs, with a one-way journey time of about four and a half hours, plenty of time to take in the dramatic scenery.
Visitors flock to see the train crossing the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct.
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