The "Heritage Circuit" is a term used to describe the railway preservation network we have in the United Kingdom. Preserved locomotives which go around to different heritage railways are often said to be "going around the heritage circuit".
The main point of this blog post is to share my opinions on some of the heritage railways around the country and why I may and may not like about them. These opinions are mine and do not reflect those of anyone else; if you don't like my opinions, please stop reading and don't bother filling this place with negativity.
Bodmin and Wenford Railway
This small heritage railway in Cornwall is an amazing railway. The two different branches provide a lot of ways to enjoy the railway and have a nice day out. Another good aspect of this railway is the link to the mainline at Bodmin Parkway; this national network link means that people who live in that area of Cornwall could easily get to the B&WR by rail.
However, the location of this railway is not the best for those who do not live in the area. Yes, for many people, such as those living in Bodmin itself, the railway is perfectly placed, but for anyone else, such as myself, it is a lot of work to get to the railway. A holiday in the area provided the way for me to get to the railway; however, many people may live further away from Bodmin than me and therefore trying to get there can easily take a few days to get there, have a nice day out, and get back, as accommodation overnight will be necessary.
The railway has some quite interesting locomotives based there; a Class 50, a Class 121, and two small quarry steam engines. There are many engines here which are quite interesting and writing about the railway's stock here won't do it justice. I reccomend you go and read this Wikipedia article which contains a list of all the rolling stock based on the railway:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_stock_of_the_Bodmin_and_Wenford_Railway
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway
This railway is longer than the B&WR and provides a lovely day out for families and enthusiasts. The 14-miles of track provide a different and nice way of seeing some amazing Cotswold scenery. Running from Cheltenham Racecourse, via Winchcombe and Toddington, to Broadway, this railway connects two well-known places and makes the day even better for visitors.
The GWSR is known across a wide area for being a longer line with a wide range of rolling stock. However, many of the people who have heard about this railway may not be able to get to it as there is no mainline connection. Rumours about a national network connection at Honeybourne have been going around ever since the railway extended to Broadway last year, but this has not been confirmed by the railway yet.
A lot of the rolling stock at the GWSR is older engines; steam locomotives bring in a lot of the railway's money and the diesel locomotives which are based there can, along with some visiting engines, can bring in massive crowds for a Diesel Gala. As with the B&WR, I would like you to read the railway's website to see the wide range of rolling stock the GWSR has:
https://www.gwsr.com/
^Please use the "Enthusiasts" section of the drop-down menu to find the locomotives section.
Severn Valley Railway
The SVR is, like the previous two railways, an amazing heritage railway. The line runs from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth, via Bewdley, Highley, Arley, and Hampton Loade, providing a long ride. The Galas which are held throughout the year provide an even better way for enthusiasts to see the railway; a wide selection of locomotives and plenty of track to run them on makes a gala day a day to remember and enjoy.
The railway is easily accessible from across the country as a mainline connection at Kidderminster makes the SVR a good place for a day out. However, the SVR does not actually run to Kidderminster National Rail station, and those going from the mainline station to the heritage railway have to change between the two across the shared car park. Improvement works at the mainline station are making the area better for passengers.
The SVR has a wide range of rolling stock and plenty of areas to keep it all in; special depots at Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, with a visitor centre containing engines at Highley, mean that the engines the railway has are safe. They are all very well looked after and I would like all those who are interested in the line's stock to read the following webpage:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rolling_stock_preserved_on_the_Severn_Valley_Railway
I don't want this blog post to become too long so I'll end it here. Next post, I'll probably talk about the Great Central Railway and some other lines.
Thanks for reading.
-Peter
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