I'm hoping to head over to Britain some time early next year, and am planning to visit a few of the preserved railways. However, i don't have much of an idea of locations. Could anyone suggest a good point that's centralised around a few preserved lines (with some LNER locos running would be an added bonus)?
Advice on where to base yourself really depends how you intend travelling around. York's as good a place as any with easy access to the rail and road network, as well as being the location of the National Railway Museum. It's within easy reach of the NYMR and the K&WVR (see below). And besides, it's a fascinating city historically in non-railway terms. Will you be hiring a car?
My personal favourite preserved line (of the ones I've visited), and the one with by far the strongest LNER credentials, is the North Yorkshire Moors Railway between Grosmont and Pickering. I'm a life member, and visit every year. This summer there will be through trains operating into Whitby from Grosmont, so you can visit the Magpie Cafe for the best fish and chips in Britain! The Severn Valley Railway is good, too, and I enjoyed a visit to the Bluebell Railway last year: this had real period atmosphere, and is expanding dramatically. The Llangollen is OK; so is the North Norfolk; so is the Keighley & Worth Valley (and the Bronte/"Railway Children" links are worth exploring). I wasn't very impressed by the South Devon or the one whose name I've forgotten which goes from Torquay to Kingswear - possibly simply because they're a bit too twee and GWR-ish for my taste. I'd like to have a look at the Swanage some time; also the Great Central. Disloyally for someone who's lived in Scotland for almost 25 years I wouldn't really recommend the Bo'ness and Kinneil, as - although they have the only surviving D49 - the line isn't very interesting, and pretty much all you see through the train windows is fly-tipped rubbish and burned-out stolen cars. The Aviemore Strathspey is lovely, though, if you don't mind going that far North; if you travel by train, there is a simple cross-platform interchange at Aviemore station.
This website is quite a useful summary of what's available, if you aren't already familiar:
Bullhead wrote:
I wouldn't really recommend the Bo'ness and Kinneil, as - although they have the only surviving D49 - the line isn't very interesting, and pretty much all you see through the train windows is fly-tipped rubbish and burned-out stolen cars.
They won't be hiring you to promote the line any time soon But just to reiterate what Bullhead said the NYMR is a brilliant line with LNER A4 Sir Nigel Gresley and an array of locomotives from LNER, GWR, SR and BR.
Regards
Karl
Last edited by karlrestall on Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Britain also has a lot of smaller lines - so if you choose the York & NYMR area, as well as the KWVR, you have easy reach to:
The Middleton Railway, South Leeds
- small line, specialises in industrial engines. Has a new building/museum that I hear has a lot about Leeds' place in the story of steam engines.
Has a claim on the oldest railway in the world (earliest Act of Parliament, and operated the first commercially successful steam locomotives).
For LNER, has one of only two surviving Y7s, and the only surviving ex-LNER Y1/Y3 Sentinel (another similar ex-GWR survives elsewhere).
The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway - nr Otley, Dales (north of Bradford)
- now goes to Bolton Abbey, so it could be a good day trip. The closest to an LNER engine is the Austerity masquerading as an ex-LNER J94. They are home to quite a collection of ex-LNER coaches (mainly GER iirc), and I think, if I remember correctly, they're the base for the NER Petrol-Electric Autocar restoration project.
Beamish - open air museum - heading north towards Newcastle
Haven't been for a very long time, but they were home to the J21 (now down at the North Norfolk for restoration), and they had the surviving Hetton locomotive on loan when I was there.
Tanfield Line - not too far from Beamish iirc
Not been but heard that they have a lot of small industrial engines in varying condition.
Has a claim on being the oldest railway in the world, almost certainly operates the oldest track route still in operation, and has access to Causey Arch - the oldest surviving single arch railway bridge anywhere in the world.
Whilst everyone has underlined the NYMR, might I also underline the NRM - this is probably the best railway museum in the world. I haven't seen anything like it anywhere. Yes the collection is large so much of it is on loan, but everything is undercover, and looks the business. They also operate some of the collection. They have recently opened "Locomotion" up at Shildon - that is within reach of York. I've not been but it has a lot of the more NER-flavoured items in the collection.
richard wrote:Tanfield Line - not too far from Beamish iirc
Not been but heard that they have a lot of small industrial engines in varying condition.
Has a claim on being the oldest railway in the world, almost certainly operates the oldest track route still in operation, and has access to Causey Arch - the oldest surviving single arch railway bridge anywhere in the world.
I helped lay track there, many years ago.
Interestingly, though not LNER-related, the oldest railway-carrying bridge in the world is between Hawkhead and Paisley (Canal). This is the former aqueduct which once took the Glasgow and Ardrossan Canal (which never got beyond Johnstone) over the River Cart and which now carries two class 156 Sprinters every hour - and me, on my way to work.
So - did anyone dare tell Stephenson, "It's not Rocket science"?
thanks everyone for what you've given me.
That map of the heratige website was fantastic, i have to give it more consideration now. I was hoping to travel by rail a lot, but i may hire a car. The only thing is i don't know how that laws will go (i'm still a probationary driver over here in oz, so will that have any affect?)
But just to reiterate what Bullhead said the NYMR is a brilliant line with LNER A4 Sir Nigel Gresley and an array of locomotives from LNER, GWR, SR and BR.
