In my previous post about heritage railways (called "The Heritage Circuit", and linked here), I talked about the Bodmin and Wenford, Gloucestershire Warwickshire, and Severn Valley railways. I gave a small description of each of them and tried to be as neutral about each one as possible. I didn't give much information about each station on each railway, and that was because I don't think that I am any good at giving a full-on review of each line. And that's how it's going to stay.
Great Central Railway
The GCR is a long railway running between Loughborough and Leicester North. These two termini both serve towns which are served by the national network, which means that getting to them by rail is not as difficult as it is with some other railways.
The GCR is known for being the only heritage railway in the United Kingdom to have double tracks as part of its running line. This feature makes for some very interesting photo opportunities and more operational flexibility for the line. The large yard at Loughborough provides plenty of space for storing locomotives, especially during the galas which the railway holds.
This railway has a wide range of rolling stock, so please go and read the following website for more information. I am not qualified to say anything more about the railway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Great_Central_Railway_locomotives_and_rolling_stock
Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway
This small railway running between Chinnor and Princes Risborough is a relatively small and not very famous line. But it is a very good railway for its length; running through the hills, past a cricket field, and into the national rail station at Princes Risborough, it is the perfect place to go for a railway enthusiast in the area.
As mentioned earlier, this railway is connected to the national network in the form of a cross-platform connection at Princes Risborough. A Chiltern Railways service can take you to the C&PRR from pretty much anywhere in the Chiltern Mainline area.
The railway, being a lot smaller than those such as the GCR, GWSR, or SVR, does not have a lot of locomotives, but the engines and rolling stock it does have are very interesting. I would recommend you read this website, from the railway:
https://www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/article.php/8/locomotives
And that's it for now. I may cover some more railways in the future, but for now this is good enough.
Thanks for reading.
-Peter
Showing posts with label Heritage Railways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heritage Railways. Show all posts
Thursday, 1 August 2019
Wednesday, 31 July 2019
The Heritage Circuit
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)