List - Heritage Railways Operation Railcars

[Gostav]

For the past year I have been looking for heritage rail systems in the UK that offers a forward view through cab partitions.

Now l have a incomplete list and l haven't visited any of small heritage lines such as Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

I wonder if I missed other heritage railcar trip on long line?

Name	Single Trip time
East Lancashire Railway	1 hour
Swanage Railway through train	40 min	Class 117
Great Central Railway Mainline	30 min
GCR Mountsorrel Branch	25 min	Derby Lightweight
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway	40 min	Class 101, Pacers
Llangollen Railway	40 min	Class 127/108 (To Llangollen direction need pay £1 for 1st class seat)
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Rly	1 hour 20 min	Class 117
Kent and East Sussex Railway	50 min	Class 108, GWR Railcar
Isle of Wight Steam Railway	40 min	Ryde Pier Tram
Embsay and Bolton Avenue Railway	20 min	Class 103
North Norfolk Railway	20 min	Class 101
Gwili Railway		Class 117
Heritage tramways
Blackpool Heritage Tram Trip	1 hour	Double Decker fleet
Manx Electric Railway	1 hour

 

[cav1975]

For the past year I have been looking for heritage rail systems in the UK that offers a forward view through cab partitions.

Now l have a incomplete list and l haven't visited any of small heritage lines such as Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

I wonder if I missed other heritage railcar trip on long line?

East Lancashire Railway	1 hour	Class 108
Swanage Railway through train	40 min	Class 117
Great Central Railway Mainline	30 min
GCR Mountsorrel Branch	25 min	Derby Lightweight
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway	40 min	Class 101 Class 143
Llangollen Railway	40 min	Class 127/108 (To Llangollen direction need pay £1 for first class seat)
Heritage tramways
Blackpool Heritage Tram Trip	1 hour	Double Decker fleet
Manx Electric Railway	1 hour

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is about the same length as the Worth Valley.

Former SR Ryde Pier Tram, Drewry Railcar no. 2, has forward views and is run as a timetabled extra on certain days. Round trip about 50 mins including stops.

 

[railfan99]

Embsay and Bolton Avenue Railway: 20 minutes each way, railcar 103 - the first self propelled railcar worldwide.

North Norfolk Railway: 20-25 minutes each way, Class 101 railcar.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Helston Railway use a 117 Driving motor ( steam pushed ) as its front coach.

 

[ac6000cw]

Epping Ongar Railway has an operational DMU (cl. 117 + 121), which I've travelled on a few times - https://www.eorailway.co.uk/the-railway/rolling-stock/multiple-units/

 

[xotGD]

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

40 min

Class 101 Class 143

There is also M79964 Waggon & Maschinenbau Diesel Railbus. The 143 won't be operating again, but there is a 144.

M79964 should be out tomorrow.

 

[david l]

ELR doesn't have a 108, but does have 104, 105, 110, 121, 122 (although the last 3 are currently out of traffic), would suggest full round trip is nearer 1 hr 40 min.

 

[43055]

For the past year I have been looking for heritage rail systems in the UK that offers a forward view through cab partitions.

Now l have a incomplete list and l haven't visited any of small heritage lines such as Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

I wonder if I missed other heritage railcar trip on long line?

East Lancashire Railway	1 hour
Swanage Railway through train	40 min	Class 117
Great Central Railway Mainline	30 min
GCR Mountsorrel Branch	25 min	Derby Lightweight
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway	40 min	Class 101 Class 143
Llangollen Railway	40 min	Class 127/108 (To Llangollen direction need pay £1 for first class seat)
Heritage tramways
Blackpool Heritage Tram Trip	1 hour	Double Decker fleet
Manx Electric Railway	1 hour

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway has 121 W55034 which occasionally makes it down the line.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Swanage Railway also has a 121 which it adds to the 117 on busy days.
Llangollen has four 2-car units, used either singly, or in pairs to form a 4-car train. They are of classes 104, 108, 109, and a class 127/108 hybrid.

In BR use 127s could not work with other classes (except the mechanically similar class 113) because of potential damage to the transmission of a trailing dmmu if the lead vehicle was a 127 (which is a dhmu) and the driver forgot to operate the gearchange. This is not an issue with Llangollen's hybrid as the 108 car is a trailer so has no transmission to damage. I don't know if the 127/108 hybrid is allowed to work in multiple with the other units at Llangollen and, if so, whether it has to be formed with the 127 vehicle in the middle of the formation.

The 109 is unique, the sole survivor of a class of only five units - two were returned to the manufacturer to allow it to fulfil an export order to Trinidad. Around the same time the one now preserved was transferred to departmental use as an inspection saloon.

 

[paul1609]

At the K&ESR we have a 108 which is regularly in service, our line is currently 11 miles long and in the process of being extended to 13. It's about 50 mins each way. We also have GWR railcar W20 on which restoration is progressing well.

 

[Trainlog]

We also have GWR railcar W20 on which restoration is progressing well.

Out of curiosity, when do you reckon it will be finished? I'll probably go and see it when its up and running.

 

[renegademaster]

Not strictly a railcar but Spa valley run quite regularly a class 207 DEMU 3 car set

 

[norbitonflyer]

Not strictly a railcar but Spa valley run quite regularly a class 207 DEMU 3 car set

The OP was looking for units from which you can see out the front.

 

[paul1609]

Out of curiosity, when do you reckon it will be finished? I'll probably go and see it when its up and running.

The target was sometime next year 2024 which is the railways 50th year since reopening. Obviously such a massive rebuild hits obstacles with supply and recommissioning and training of staff will be a huge task so it's still a case of watch this space atm but (relatively) soon is the positive response

 

[Gostav]

At the K&ESR we have a 108 which is regularly in service, our line is currently 11 miles long and in the process of being extended to 13. It's about 50 mins each way. We also have GWR railcar W20 on which restoration is progressing well.

Ah, l will add it on my list, so the line would be extend to Junction Road Halt right?

 

[paul1609]

Ah, l will add it on my list, so the line would be extend to Junction Road Halt right?

Generally the railway operates Tenterden to Bodiam which is 10.25 miles. The line however is currently complete to the site of and occasionally operates to Junction Rd 11 miles. Modern risk assessment prevents the reinstatement of Junction Rd Halt on the original site due to passenger egress on to a fast limited width national speed limit road. The site is constrained by its position alongside the River Rother.
Work on the missing section to Northbridge Street, Roberts bridge will start next year connecting back to the mainline at Robertsbridge Junction which is 13.3 miles in total.

 

[30907]

There is also M79964 Waggon & Maschinenbau Diesel Railbus. The 143 won't be operating again, but there is a 144.

You can't see out of the front of the 144

 

[unslet]

There's a class 121 bubble car at Wensleydale.

 

[Trainlog]

I would recommend the South Devon railway - some good DMUs that will offer a forward facing view through the cab.

The line also puts its GWR autocoaches to work albeit they don't use them for a push-pull operations often - they will put it at one end of the train so that you can get to see the views out the back of the train.

I done both DMU and autocoach on that line and tbf i had good experiences from both of them.

 

[John Webb]

Mid-Norfolk railway (9 miles long at present) has two sets of class 101 DMUs, but both sets are currently out of use being repaired/restored.
They also at one time had a class 122 'bubble car' but that's no longer listed on their website and may be the one now at the Great Central Railway.

 

[jupiter]

When I was there in the "summer" Peak Rail at Rowsley had a class 108.

 

[co-tr-paul]

If its the view that's important, can we add brake van rides ? Sadly due to increase in capacity requirements, these are getting less and less and the open air experience is missed
( does that bring into play the balcony converted mk1 ! ) .

 

[WalesRail]

For the past year I have been looking for heritage rail systems in the UK that offers a forward view through cab partitions.

Now l have a incomplete list and l haven't visited any of small heritage lines such as Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

I wonder if I missed other heritage railcar trip on long line?

Name	Single Trip time
East Lancashire Railway	1 hour
Swanage Railway through train	40 min	Class 117
Great Central Railway Mainline	30 min
GCR Mountsorrel Branch	25 min	Derby Lightweight
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway	40 min	Class 101, Pacers
Llangollen Railway	40 min	Class 127/108 (To Llangollen direction need pay £1 for first class seat)
Kent and East Sussex Railway	50 min	Class 108, GWR Railcar
Isle of Wight Steam Railway	40 min	Ryde Pier Tram
Embsay and Bolton Avenue Railway	20 min	Class 103
North Norfolk Railway	20 min	Class 101
Heritage tramways
Blackpool Heritage Tram Trip	1 hour	Double Decker fleet
Manx Electric Railway	1 hour

add Cranmore who have a DMU running during certain days.

 

[Parham Wood]

add Cranmore who have a DMU running during certain days.

Yes the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore has Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) L231 which runs occasionally. It is owned and operated by the separate Mendip Traction & Rolling Stock Group. Operating times are on the ESR website. Look out for the burger night specials these have been very popular with the food being provided by the excellent and popular independent cafe at the ESR which is open even when the railway is not running but do check before going.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Nov 2023 ==

The S&DJR at Midsomer Norton has a Class 107 Diesel Multiple Unit which runs on some days. Check roster for dates,

 

[Richard Scott]

Gloucestershire Warwickshire regularly use the 117 unit. Look out for a blue timetable for full length runs of the line; around 14 miles. Also a green timetable where it does shuttles mostly between Toddington and Winchcombe but also has one trip to Broadway.

 

[12LDA28C]

The CPRR (Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway) operate two 'bubble cars', pictured:

 

[Egg Centric]

Weardale Railway practically exclusively uses 1st gen DMUs and Pacers

 

[Western 52]

Gwili Railway has a 3 car class 117 which runs now and again.

 

[raafif]

Used to ride these back in 1964/5 - are many preserved as I would like to ride one again just for nostalgia.
What is the right name for these ? Can't find any photos of these early ones on the net, only the later versions.

 

[cav1975]

Used to ride these back in 1964/5 - are many preserved as I would like to ride one again just for nostalgia.
What is the right name for these ? Can't find any photos of these early ones on the net, only the later versions.

None of this exact type (Built by Park Royal) survive there are four railbuses of the German built Waggon und Maschinenbau type and two of the A C Cars type. Of these 6 I think that only two are opertional, one each at the Ribble Steam railway and at the Worth Vallley Railway. You can find a lot of information towards the botom of this page https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/ . The preservation info is here - https://preserved.railcar.co.uk/DRB.html