Thinking about trying a Heritage Railway in England next year...

[Bittern]

But there are a few factors I would like to bring into play.

The first of which I have to be able to make it a day out, which means coming from home into Glasgow, then out to the heritage railway, back to Glasgow and back home in one day. If necessary, a taxi might be in order to get into Glasgow Central for an early morning departure, but is out-of-the-question for returning home that evening. So, I wish to be back in Glasgow before 23:00.

I would like to have time to enjoy the heritage railway (ie. not only spending 2 - 3 hours before having to return home). I would also like to make at least one of the journeys by Pendolino if at all possible. This is just a preferance, so is quite flexible. I understand I would not get a direct train, which is just fine.

So, with that info, can anyone recommend any heritage railways in England to me?

Thanks.

 

[bangor-toad]

Well if you really don't mind an early start, there's always the Bluebell Railway in Sussex...

Sample Itinerary:
Glasgow, dep 04:28
London Euston arr 09.05
Cross London
London Victoria dep 09.47
Haywards Heath arr 10:30
Taxi to Bluebell (15 mins)

On the way back you need to get the 18:30 from Euston (Leave Haywards Heath about 5pm) which arrives in Glasgow at 23:02.

A loooong day out but with about as much Pendelino action as possible...
Cheers
Jason

 

[Bittern]

Yeah, but that's too early, sadly. I didn't even know there was a Glasgow departure at that time.

Thanks though.

 

[Soft Mick]

Yeah, but that's too early, sadly. I didn't even know there was a Glasgow departure at that time.

Thanks though.

Pendo to Carlisle. 158 or 156 to Keighley for Worth Valley. Back to Glasgow via either Lancaster and pendo home, or via Leeds and Edinburgh.

 

[Bittern]

Pendo to Carlisle. 158 or 156 to Keighley for Worth Valley. Back to Glasgow via either Lancaster and pendo home, or via Leeds and Edinburgh.

Oooh that sounds good.

 

[12CSVT]

How about the East Lancs Railway - Pendolino to Preston, local service either to Manchester Piccadilly or Victoria (it doesn't matter which), and then tram to Bury. Its about 5 min walk from Bury Interchange to the East Lancs Railway.

 

[ainsworth74]

It won't involve a Pendo, but you might also consider the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. It would be Edinburgh -> Darlington -> Middlesbrough -> Grosmont. Only problem might be the sparse service on the Whitby Line.

 

[YorkshireBear]

my instinct was keighley and worth valley railway but soft mick beat me too it.

They run one train on a saturday and two on a sunday, so itd be better to go sunday, but that onyl gives you like less than 4 hours there, and you gotta go from queen street and travel via leeds.

On saturday though you can leave central at 6:30, arrive 10.05 with change at carlisle. Then the second train of day to leave keighley is 10:40

make sure your on second to last train heading towards keighley and youll be in central for 22:05

but its a right faf on way home you gotta go to bradford walk across town to other bradford station so to be honest after all that id go for east lancs seems by far best for you
on way home you need to leave piccadilly at 18 46 to be back before 11 much better

 

[Bittern]

It won't involve a Pendo, but you might also consider the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. It would be Edinburgh -> Darlington -> Middlesbrough -> Grosmont. Only problem might be the sparse service on the Whitby Line.

I don't know about this one. It would involve a cross-city walk at Glasgow, then is quite a number of change, and the sparse service (which on it's own is a turn-off for a one day trip).

 

[ainsworth74]

I don't know about this one. It would involve a cross-city walk at Glasgow, then is quite a number of change, and the sparse service (which on it's own is a turn-off for a one day trip).

Yeah I thought that it might be a bit much to make it for a day, which is a shame as it is well worth a visit. Perhaps put it on a long term "to-do" list

 

[Bittern]

Oh I definitely plan to do the NYMR at some point. Same with Great Central and SVR.

 

[E&W Lucas]

Catch a train to York, then change onto a local service to Malton. Bus or taxi to Pickering, then spend a day on the NYMR. Don't try and get there via Darlington.

But if you're going all that way, for pity's sake book a b&b and stay for a couple of days. A normal peak season day on the NYMR is like a Gala anywhere else, usually with 4 - 5 locos in traffic.

 

[Multiple Unit]

MY tip would be to do an overnighter ie..catch the last train to somewhere like Birmingham then have a few hours in Burger King then catch an early morning train to say the Dean Forrst Railwayat Lydney Changing at Cheltnam Spa or go the other way via Worster Stations.

Realy for anyone to help you you need to take alook at varoius heritage raiklway web sites and choose where you want to go an easy one for you would be East Lancs Railway Manchester...

Your Jorney would be to catch the first train from Glasow to Manchester

ie...

04:26 Glasgow Central 06:55 Preston Train VIRGIN TRAINS 02h 29
07:03 Preston 07:56 Manchester Piccadilly Train TRANSPENNINE EXP 00h 53


Have Breakfast

09.00 or Before Tram form Man Pic Bury Then abt 5/10 min Walk to Bury Bolton St ELR Station.

Youd easy make it back to Glasgow in time for your last Bus home even if you have to laeve slighly before the end of the day but you will still have a good day out.

 

[Greenback]

I would go for the NYMR or the ELR. I think the Dean Forest Railway would be a very long trip which might be a little disappointing in terms of length of the line and the effort to get to it!

I would also consider the Keighley and Worth Valley, but as I haven;t been on it yet I can't really comment too much!

 

[Tomnick]

If you're making the effort to travel such a long way, then it'd be well worth waiting for a special event and making a weekend of it. Most railways run a much more intensive (and usually much more interesting!) service with more locos out to play, and there's often some sort of Saturday evening service too.

In terms of a worthwhile day out, any of the well-established lines fit the bill, I think. Watch out for a heavily reduced service over the winter though (the GCR must be one of very few lines to run a service every weekend of the year, but the winter weekend timetable's still noticeably quieter than the summer equivalent), and particularly Santa trains!

 

[12CSVT]

If you're making the effort to travel such a long way, then it'd be well worth waiting for a special event and making a weekend of it. Most railways run a much more intensive (and usually much more interesting!) service with more locos out to play, and there's often some sort of Saturday evening service too.

Several railways do run a mixture of steam and diesel on normal operating days, especially during summer. Great Central, Severn Valley and East Lancs are some examples that do this. Others such as Bo'ness & Kinneil, North Norfolk, and Gloucestershire Warwickshire tend to run steam for most of the day then use a DMU or diesel loco for the last trip.

 

[Tomnick]

We certainly have a regular diesel diagram, with a DMU on the first one of the day. The normal weekend service is still far less 'interesting' than a special event - we normally run an hourly passenger service with a few light locos thrown in (driver experience). That's nothing compared to the service (in excess of 4tph each way some hours) we ran last weekend .