Best sights by rail

[YorkshireBear]

Any drivers/staff/enthusiasts. What is the best sight you've seen from the railways.

Example sunrise after snowfall over settle and carlisle? anything else really amazing.

And what is the best route for seeing stuff like this?

Preferably UK as i know europe is awsome

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Any drivers/staff/enthusiasts. What is the best sight you've seen from the railways.

Example sunrise after snowfall over settle and carlisle? anything else really amazing.

And what is the best route for seeing stuff like this?

Preferably UK as i know europe is awsome

Vale Royal Viaduct between Crewe And Weaver Junction

 

[tirphil]

Sun rising from behind Durham Cathedral as you drop towards Durham station.

Line stretching ahead of you towards Arten Gyll and Dent Head viaducts after passing through Dent Station.

Dropping down past Blea Moor box towards Ribblehead and the view of Pen y Ghent and Ingleborough ahead of you (snow covered even better)

Always thought the lights of the refineries at Immingham were spectacular at night too when departing Immingham HIT.

 

[Tin Rocket]

Any drivers/staff/enthusiasts. What is the best sight you've seen from the railways.

Example sunrise after snowfall over settle and carlisle? anything else really amazing.

And what is the best route for seeing stuff like this?

Preferably UK as i know europe is awsome

waiting to depart brum new st i watched with pleasure 8 leicester city youths generally abusing passers by and who had watched to many danny dyer films by the look of it get a proper hiding of 3 carlisle lads who looked twice their age at about 40 and were minding their own,very amusing sight.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

January on the Hope Valley line around Hathersage, Pure white almost needed sunglasses with the low sun relecting off the snow (shame the heating was cack) (well it was a 142 after all) lol

 

[YorkshireBear]

January on the Hope Valley line around Hathersage, Pure white almost needed sunglasses with the low sun relecting off the snow (shame the heating was cack) (well it was a 142 after all) lol

At least the heating was on! i got on a failed 142 at hope (when i say failed one engine and doors kept turning brakes on) at hope at 7 pm on one of coldest days i think it was about -14.... poor guard that day dint even bother with tickets she dint care

 

[strange6]

Going across the sea estuary near Grange-Over-Sands. Magnificent

 

[Tracked]

Most of the West Highland Line, difficult to pick a highlight really - maybe going round the side of Loch Treig - but it's all good between Helensburgh and Oban/Mallaig

Hope Valley line early in the morning, with the mist round Mam Tor

The ECML where it runs alongside the A1 @ Granthouse.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Going across the sea estuary near Grange-Over-Sands. Magnificent

Yep done that looks great, however you ask one of my colleagues and they will tell you after a few trips they dont even notice it lol

 

[chefchenko]

the last leg of the run into kyle of lochalsh in the evening, when your hugging the rocky coast and the sun is setting over the cuillin mountains, awesome and breathtaking

 

[Matt Taylor]

Taking an empty train into the depot is always a good sight as it means I'm about to book off duty.


The Gower Estuary, the run along the coast from Workington to Barrow In Furness, the Lake District, the Hope Valley, there are so many great vistas to be seen from our railways.

And Alicante to Benidorm is really stunning.

 

[LE Greys]

Crossing the Forth Bridge in a howling gale with the windows open. The road bridge was closed, and the Forth looked absolutely insane, but the train stayed rock-steady. Then maybe the Highland Main Line in thick snow on the way to Aviemore, on the Sleeper, the only train running. Perhaps the Sea Wall on a bright, sunny day.

 

[Hydro]

Horseshoe viaduct on the WHL, at any time of day, any time of year. Just awesome.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The crossing of the high moorland on the North York Moors Railway.

 

[tirphil]

Taking an empty train into the depot is always a good sight as it means I'm about to book off duty.

Aye, thats not a bad one! Or the sight of your relief standing in the cess/by the peg/on the platform!

 

[pendolino]

A bit different to all the suggestions made so far, but I must admit I quite like the view while driving South Londons (Vic to London Bridge via Denmark Hill). Much of it runs at rooftop level - you can look down on the busy streets of Brixton & Battersea, Clapham & Peckham, at the people below who are oblivious to your inquisitiveness. And there's a great view across the rooftops towards the skyscrapers on the City.

 

[Soupdragon]

How about the run along the sea wall at Dawlish, going through the set of small tunnels there with the red cliffs on one side and the sea on the other always looked spectacular to me.

In the days where a train could have up to a dozen carriages the loco could be 2 tunnels ahead of the last carriage!! also been on one trip along there where it was a case of shut all the windows quick as waves were hitting the side of the train

 

[66526]

Chesham branch in the thick snow on a de icer. Was my sweat day and loved every minute of it!

 

[Rhydgaled]

The most scenic line I've been on (not that I've covered much of the network) is the Cambrian Coast. I recently snapped a blue and sliver liveried 158 pulling into Harlech, looking up at the castle behind.

 

[Minilad]

Travelling between Aston and Witton Look to your left and you can see the majesty that is Villa Park
I must admit I am a sucker for spying football grounds from trains. Not so easy now as not many grounds have proper old fashioned floodlights anymore

 

[Tracked]

the last leg of the run into kyle of lochalsh in the evening, when your hugging the rocky coast and the sun is setting over the cuillin mountains, awesome and breathtaking

did it last night, I agree

 

[chefchenko]

did it last night, I agree

fantastic isnt it !! then the midges get you on the way to the chippy gggrrr

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Crossing Barmouth viaduct on a summer afternoon.

 

[kylemore]

Two memories one a very early one when I was about 6 seeing one of the big cunarders the Queen Mary or the Queen Elizabeth in drydock in Greenock around 1966/7ish, the line to wemyss bay climbs up the hill behind Greenock and it was dark and the ship was all lit up, oh and it was a steam train!
Second memory was when there was still sleepers on the ECML waking up tired and weary in the seated accom and seeing an amazing sunrise over the North Sea from the clifftop section north of Berwick.

 

[Barrett M95]

South of Peterborough on the ECML where it crosses the fens. It was a cold winter morning a couple of years ago and the sun was rising orange in the sky. There was a very unusual misty, frosty, fog hanging about 3 or 4 feet above the ground and because the ground is so low and flat the railway is on a small embankment for most of the section, it felt like the train was flying above clouds with the sun rising on the horizon. Very unusual but completely spectacular.

 

[Tracked]

fantastic isnt it !! then the midges get you on the way to the chippy gggrrr

Missed them, thankfully, the only time I've ever really been annoyed by scotch midges was driving up near Braemar a few years ago, stopped to have dinner and by the time I'd taken the key out the ignition there was a load flying around the car waiting for their dinner to get out.

I moved on, lucky really cause I found a more scenic place further down the road

 

[RichmondCommu]

The views of Dent Dale after bursting out of Blea Moor tunnel.

 

[43106]

A few memories come to mind...
1) Going northwards on the ECML through Tweedmouth. Facing north, the line bends to the left, and you see a lot of the Royal Border Bridge. If you're unfamiliar with the line, it slowly dawns on you that you are going to go onto the bridge. The line gently climbs and bends to the right, then you're on it. The view of the Tweed estuary is good, sometimes with a family of swans on that side of the line, and with fishermen feeding worms to the fish on the other side. If you're not stopping there, you come off the bridge and immediately whip through Berwick station.
2) On the WAB (Wenger Alpen Bahn) in Switzerland from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen. Sheer spectacle!
Although not from a train, standing on Andermatt station (again in Switzerland) admiring the line going eastwards, as it hairpins up the side of the mountain.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Any drivers/staff/enthusiasts. What is the best sight you've seen from the railways.

Example sunrise after snowfall over settle and carlisle? anything else really amazing.

And what is the best route for seeing stuff like this?

Preferably UK as i know europe is awsome

Bellarena-Londonderry is far and away better than the Cambrian / Cumbrian Coasts, S&C, Shap etc, and is only just behind, if not equal to Kyle and the West Highlands. Deffo better than anything in England or Wales.

 

[YorkshireBear]

South of Peterborough on the ECML where it crosses the fens. It was a cold winter morning a couple of years ago and the sun was rising orange in the sky. There was a very unusual misty, frosty, fog hanging about 3 or 4 feet above the ground and because the ground is so low and flat the railway is on a small embankment for most of the section, it felt like the train was flying above clouds with the sun rising on the horizon. Very unusual but completely spectacular.

Ive ahd that further north on ECML, was runied by the wires comign down just north of peterbrough as we pulled into grantham.