A Christmas present for 2024

[railfan99]

Confining it to the United Kingdom, if you were to receive a Christmas present of a ticket (perhaps for two persons) for travel on a preserved standard gauge line that you've yet to travel on, which one would it be and why?

You have to be able to afford to travel to the railway in question, and it must be feasible to reach it by rail alone, or rail plus a local bus (as I don't promote travel by car).

It should be at least 50 miles (80 kilometres) from your home by rail (or rail plus bus), so that horizons are widened.

My choice would be Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway (via National Rail's Cheltenham Spa station, then bus to Cheltenham Racecourse and a c.800 metre walk) as I'd planned to do it on my last day in UK in September 2023 prior to catching the Eurostar to Brussels, but changed my mind.

 

[Iskra]

I’d visit the Wensleydale, 66 miles away but fairly plain sailing up the motorway. I did buy tickets online to visit a couple of Christmas’ ago but I unfortunately caught Covid so was unable to go. I’d try and go on a day when loco’s are running (ideally a 37) rather than railcar’s and also when it’s possible to complete as much of the line as possible as the timetable varies. It looks a scenic line in a nice area and is also long enough to justify a bit of travel to.

Another I wouldn’t mind a trip to is the Severn Valley but the drive is a bit more complex.

 

[A S Leib]

Also Wensleydale or possibly Weardale; I haven't done the NYMR either (the last of the long-ish ones in the North East and Yorkshire I haven't) and I would like to go to Grosmont, Goathland and Pickering but I've already been to Whitby, so for scenary and length it would be a railway beginning with W to the weeast of the ECML between York and Newcastle (although I am going to Bishop Auckland tomorrow anyway, which would put Wensleydale ahead of Weardale).

Leadhills and Wanlockhead is another I'd like to go on, but I'm fairly certain it's only open on Sundays which makes it nearly impossible to reach without a car (a three hour walk from Sanquhar as there's no buses on Sundays, which itself can't be reached before 14:00 from Newcastle on Sundays).

 

[xotGD]

Well I require the 37 at Paignton, so that's my nomination, but only if the Syphon is out.

Annoying that it worked two days after I visited the town on the Class 50 tour earlier this year.

 

[railfan99]

Interesting that two of you have mentioned Wensleydale and one Weardale: these are on my list (see my travel report in the applicable section) if I am fortunate enough to visit UK, but not my first choice.

They are in what as a foreigner I'd consider rather 'non-touristy' areas of the UK, which doesn't diminish their appeal, but neither are quite as easy to reach by public transport as some of the larger, better known preserved railways.

 

[Calthrop]

I''d go for the Keith & Dufftown -- it's all-diesel; but while I like steam, same is not the be-all and end-all for me. A preserved line of decent length, and in fine scenery; Keith is reachable by normal passenger service. (I live in Birmingham -- so no worries about the 50-miles factor.) And a line which I have certainly never visited before -- have essentially never experienced that whole stretch of Scotland between Aberdeen and Inverness.

In fact, the OP has me now entertaining thoughts of a pilgrimage to those parts anyway; even without any putative Christmas present to allow of the preserved-line bit...

 

[A S Leib]

Interesting that two of you have mentioned Wensleydale and one Weardale: these are on my list (see my travel report in the applicable section) if I am fortunate enough to visit UK, but not my first choice.

They are in what as a foreigner I'd consider rather 'non-touristy' areas of the UK, which doesn't diminish their appeal, but neither are quite as easy to reach by public transport as some of the larger, better known preserved railways.

Apart from the NYMR, most of what I'd consider the most touristy ones – Ffestiniog, Mid Hants, Swanage, Bluebell, Great Central, Severn Valley, Keighley and Worth Valley, East Lancashire – are ones I've already visited, whilst living in Newcastle means Bishop Auckland's easy to get to and Northallerton's close enough that even a relatively infrequent bus service isn't massively annoying.

 

[Iskra]

Interesting that two of you have mentioned Wensleydale and one Weardale: these are on my list (see my travel report in the applicable section) if I am fortunate enough to visit UK, but not my first choice.

They are in what as a foreigner I'd consider rather 'non-touristy' areas of the UK, which doesn't diminish their appeal, but neither are quite as easy to reach by public transport as some of the larger, better known preserved railways.

The Wensleydale is situated right between the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and has a principle station just off a major motorway. It’s in principle tourist territory, but probably doesn’t attract as many as it could due to not being seen as one of the ‘big’ railways, not consistently running steam, operating pacers frequently and having the North Yorkshire Moors Railway nearby. You are correct that it’s not the easiest to reach by public transport however.

 

[Trackman]

Myself and Mrs Trackman received a gift card one year, used it for the NYMR.
It wasn't a NYMR gift card but seemed to be from a company that do 'days out' things. I am sure you could choose which preserved railway you could go on.
If I received another one I think it would be the one in Wales - name escapes me but they have diesels.

 

[Trainguy34]

Myself and Mrs Trackman received a gift card one year, used it for the NYMR.
It wasn't a NYMR gift card but seemed to be from a company that do 'days out' things. I am sure you could choose which preserved railway you could go on.
If I received another one I think it would be the one in Wales - name escapes me but they have diesels.

Llanberis?

 

[Ken H]

Has to be the Keighley and Worth Valley. Its an easy train ride from home to Kly and it looks a nice busy line. The East Lancs would be another but public transport from home to there is a nightmare.
But if I was in N Manchester I may well visit the Heaton Tramway as well as the ELR

 

[Trainlog]

My choice would be Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway (via National Rail's Cheltenham Spa station, then bus to Cheltenham Racecourse and a c.800 metre walk) as I'd planned to do it on my last day in UK in September 2023 prior to catching the Eurostar to Brussels, but changed my mind.

Good choice - the Gloswarks was a very nice line when i went on it last year.

For standard gauge, i will have to say NYMR as its a line that is quite far for me to do in a day - but i have heard good things about it from those that have visited it. If it was a narrow gauge line then it would have to be the Ffestiniog line - i have always liked the loco fleet there and the line has great views.

 

[Harvester]

Have visited most of the well known preserved lines but one that has escaped me is the Swanage Railway, even though I holidayed close by at Bournemouth in the early eighties. It’s an attractive ex SR branch with ex SR locos, that I still hope to visit.

 

[Jetglo]

I may be a bit biased but the North Norfolk is always a nice trip and easy to get to by train. Also Keighley never disappoints.

 

[railfan99]

The East Lancs would be another but public transport from home to there is a nightmare.

Obviously you have to get to Manchester Piccadilly, and that may be to what you are referring, but on my Eurailpass in September 2022 my first trip on a Saturday morning was to there from London, using the Manchester Metrolink tram to Bury and then the connecting bus for one stop to the Bolton Street preserved railway station. I found this easy given Metrolink departs from underneath Piccadilly station.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Nov 2023 ==

I may be a bit biased but the North Norfolk is always a nice trip and easy to get to by train.

In September 2022, my impression of NNR was it was underrated. Excellent volunteers, plus the elderly GER steam loco and best of all, a 1960s DMU where one could sit up the front.

 

[xotGD]

Has to be the Keighley and Worth Valley.

Good choice! (Says the KWVR member!)

A wander into Haworth while visiting is a must for any first time visitor to the area.

A chance to sample Timothy Taylor ales too.

 

[railfan99]

Good choice! (Says the KWVR member!)

A wander into Haworth while visiting is a must for any first time visitor to the area.

The Carriages Museum is a great example of railway preservation as apparently all these historic vehicles can operate on heritage lines.

I was privileged to visit in September 2023: terrific way to spend half an hour.

 

[xotGD]

The Carriages Museum is a great example of railway preservation as apparently all these historic vehicles can operate on heritage lines.

I was privileged to visit in September 2023: terrific way to spend half an hour.

The "Vintage Trains" run on summer weekends. You can travel in some beautifully restored old stock, and normal fares apply.

 

[Ken H]

Obviously you have to get to Manchester Piccadilly, and that may be to what you are referring, but on my Eurailpass in September 2022 my first trip on a Saturday morning was to there from London, using the Manchester Metrolink tram to Bury and then the connecting bus for one stop to the Bolton Street preserved railway station. I found this easy given Metrolink departs from underneath Piccadilly station.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Nov 2023 ==

I am coming from further north. Somewhere near Settle.

 

[Trackman]

Llanberis?

Not there, I actually drove passed there once, I stopped to investigate and it was shut. Anyway it's narrow gauge isnt it?
I'm not 100% I think it was Llangollen.
The more I think about it, I'm sure it was near(ish) Llanberis as I was going to Snowdon. Why would I drive back to North Wales via Llangollen?
The only way I'm going to find out is to look at pictures of the route - to be precise, the terminating stations.

 

[Bevan Price]

I’d visit the Wensleydale, 66 miles away but fairly plain sailing up the motorway. I did buy tickets online to visit a couple of Christmas’ ago but I unfortunately caught Covid so was unable to go. I’d try and go on a day when loco’s are running (ideally a 37) rather than railcar’s and also when it’s possible to complete as much of the line as possible as the timetable varies. It looks a scenic line in a nice area and is also long enough to justify a bit of travel to.

Another I wouldn’t mind a trip to is the Severn Valley but the drive is a bit more complex.

You gan get to the SVR by rail to Kidderminster, or to Wolverhampton then bus to Bridgnorth. One problem is that the buses to Bridgnorth are only hourly, and often seem to just fail to connect with SVR departures from Bridgnorth.

 

[xotGD]

the buses to Bridgnorth are only hourly, and often seem to just fail to connect with SVR departures from Bridgnorth.

Well there's a surprise.

 

[D6130]

a railway beginning with W to the east of the ECML between York and Newcastle

I think you'll find that both the Weardale and Wensleydale railways are located to the West of the ECML.

The East Lancs would be another but public transport from home to there is a nightmare.

I am coming from further north. Somewhere near Settle.

By train: Settle/Giggleswick-Skipton, Skipton-Bradford FS, walk to Bradford Interchange then train to Manchester Victoria and tram to Bury.

Alternatively:

By train: Settle/Giggleswick-Skipton; then bus Skipton-Burnley and Burnley to Rawtenstall (Some buses may still run directly SKN-Rawtenstall).

Obviously you have to get to Manchester Piccadilly, and that may be to what you are referring, but on my Eurailpass in September 2022 my first trip on a Saturday morning was to there from London, using the Manchester Metrolink tram to Bury and then the connecting bus for one stop to the Bolton Street preserved railway station. I found this easy given Metrolink departs from underneath Piccadilly station.

There are far more trams from Manchester Victoria to Bury than from Piccadilly....and more useful for people coming from North of Manchester.

There are also frequent buses (every 15 minutes on a weekday) from Rochdale station to Bury, passing within a ten minute walk of Heywood station. I wouldn't bother taking the bus from Bury Interchange to the ELR station, unless it's absolutely pouring down....it's only a 6-7 minute walk.

 

[Iskra]

You gan get to the SVR by rail to Kidderminster, or to Wolverhampton then bus to Bridgnorth. One problem is that the buses to Bridgnorth are only hourly, and often seem to just fail to connect with SVR departures from Bridgnorth.

Appreciated, but that would involve getting ripped-off by XC or a circuitous route with an interesting combination of tickets. I will probably do it on a spare Saturday in the next couple of years.

 

[Calthrop]

the buses to Bridgnorth are only hourly, and often seem to just fail to connect with SVR departures from Bridgnorth.

Well there's a surprise.

My impression from visiting said location, is that the bus arrival-and-departure points are anyway, quite a distance from the station: on a different level of the town, as it were -- I might be wrong there...

 

[norbitonflyer]

Having already visited most standard gauge lines, I would probably go for GCR, Peak Rail or Llangollen, as Classes 44 and 109 are two of the very few I have never experienced, and they are all quite scenic. I have only been on part of the GCR, not been on the Peak Rail route since 1966 (when it was run by British Railways, and we travelled all the way through to Miller's Dale), and never on the Llangollen Railway.
East Lancs is a possibility, although difficult to get to: maybe wait until the 15 and/or 28 are running.

 

[DaventryRabbit]

Also Wensleydale or possibly Weardale; I haven't done the NYMR either (the last of the long-ish ones in the North East and Yorkshire I haven't) and I would like to go to Grosmont, Goathland and Pickering but I've already been to Whitby, so for scenary and length it would be a railway beginning with W to the weeast of the ECML between York and Newcastle (although I am going to Bishop Auckland tomorrow anyway, which would put Wensleydale ahead of Weardale).

Leadhills and Wanlockhead is another I'd like to go on, but I'm fairly certain it's only open on Sundays which makes it nearly impossible to reach without a car (a three hour walk from Sanquhar as there's no buses on Sundays, which itself can't be reached before 14:00 from Newcastle on Sundays).

Leadhills has occasionally operated on Saturdays (and presumably will do so in the future). It can be reached by Bus 35 from Lanark which, whilst not that frequent (aprox every 2 hrs, and an Hours Journey) is do-able