preserved railways

 

scotland | north west | north east | wales | west midlands | east midlands | east anglia | south west | london and south east | ireland |

please use the links above

 

Scotland

Boeness and Kinneil Railway

The Scottish Railway Preservation Society operates the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, which has been developed since 1979 on a green-field site by the south shore of the Firth of Forth

 

Summerlee Heritage Park (Museum)

Summerlee possesses a small but significant collection of rail vehicles, embracing locomotives (steam, diesel and electric), wagons, self propelled cranes and a commuter train which ran in the area for the best part of half a century.

 

North West

East Lancashire Railway

Very professional, well up to date and user-friendly site. Its worth a look even if your not interested in this line.

 

Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway

Situated apporoximately a mile and a half away from the ruins of the 12th Century Priory, Bolton Abbey Station is the ideal starting point from which to visit the quaint village and surrounding countryside.

 

Museum of Science and Industry (Museum) 

Only a very small section dedicated to steam and locomotives, but if you want to know about these kind of topics take a look...

 

West Lancashire Light Railway

The West Lancashire Light Railway is a two foot gauge passenger carrying railway located in the village of Hesketh Bank midway between Preston and the resort of Southport.

 

Windmill Farm Railway

Operated and run by a small group of volunteers. This website is well designed.

 

North East

Beamish Open Air Museum

Beamish Station recreates a typical branch line country station. The passenger building, which includes a ticket office and waiting room for ladies only, dates from 1867 and came from Consett in County Durham

 

Bowes Railway

The world's only operational preserved standard gauge rope hauled railway

 

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

One of the big railways in the UK. Its definitely reflected in the design of the site - excellent.

 

Kirklees Light Railway

The line runs through varying countryside from the village of Clayton West through deep cuttings and steep embankments with wonderful views of the countryside. From the edge of Scisset to Skelmanthorpe the railway is the only means of transport in the valley, with only footpaths and and a bridleway sharing the area which is populated with many different species of bird and animals.

 

Middleton Railway

It became the first standard gauge railway to be taken over by a preservation society in 1960. The Trust is now a registered charity and has acquired a selection of industrial locomotives and stock in keeping with its long history of service.

 

National Railway Museum (NRM)

The best railway museum in the county. A must see, This is a very big website. The centre is based in York, England.

 

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

This is the best preserved line in the UK for scenery. It is long at 18 miles. It is most famous for appearing in the ITV long running series Heartbeat.

 

Tanfield Railway

Most lines offer a trip in B.R.’s 1950s big steel cast off carriages, at Tanfield the carriages are a variety of small four and six wheeled vehicles dating back to the 1880s, with Victorian hardships like wooden seats but the pleasure of opening windows and, if you wish, the choice of a small compartment.

 

Vintage Carriages Trust (Museum)

The Vintage Carriages Trust (VCT) is a volunteer body, based on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. It was formed in the late 1960s by a group of volunteers whose interest was in wooden bodied carriages. They could see that there was a need to concentrate on the preservation of these historic items which were in grave danger of disappearing due to the weather and vandalism damage and unsuitability for regular use on preserved railways of the day.

 

Wales

Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway

What can I say - a superb website, even if it is on a miniature railway. The railway itself is based in Wales, near Caernarfon. 

 

Llangollen Railway

Trains operate at weekends for most of the year, and daily from June to the end of October. During the summer, most trains are steam-hauled; at other times diesel locos or railcars may be used.

 

Rheilffordd Talyllyn Railway

The railway is an historic narrow-gauge steam railway, set in the beautiful Mid-Wales countryside. Running from Tywyn to Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol, the line passes the delightful Dolgoch Falls and there are excellent forest walks at Nant Gwernol.

 

Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog)

There is plenty for all the family and the enthusiast to see and do on the Railway today. Enjoy the short train ride to Pen-y-Mount to see a replica WHR Halt being constructed as it would have been in 1922.

 

West Midlands

Chasewater Railway

Although the focus is on industrial steam locomotives, the railway also operates heritage diesel locomotives on its passenger services, which run on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from Easter to mid-October. Santa Specials normally operate on the three Sundays immediately before Christmas.

 

Churnet Valley Railway

The Churnet Valley Railway is a volunteer-run organisation. The operating company, the Churnet Valley Railway (1992) plc, is supported by the North Staffordshire Railway Co (1978) Ltd., a Charitable Trust.

 

Foxfield Steam Railway

The Foxfield Railway is a preserved Steam Railway in North Staffordshire. Formerly built to carry coal, it now carries visitors on a five mile round journey through the picturesque Staffordshire Moorland scenery

 

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway 

Running through the heart of the beautiful Cotswold countryside, the line commands wonderful views of the sleepy hamlets and villages that can only be enjoyed to their full extent whilst travelling along this former part of the Great Western Railway's mainline from Birmingham to Cheltenham via Stratford-upon-Avon.

 

Railway Age (Museum)

Situated just outside Crewe station, this museums contains many interesting railway memorabilia and locomotives such as the APT, 70000 Britannia and L&NWR Steam Locomotive Cornwall

 

Severn Valley Railway

In just over three decades, the Severn Valley Railway has graduated from relative obscurity to great prominence in British railway preservation. Nowadays, the initials SVR are not solely part of the specialist jargon of keen railway enthusiasts - although the line is still happily invaded during the popular Enthusiast Weekends. Increasingly, the general public has visited the line, thanks partly to extensive TV coverage which has ensured that very few weeks pass without Severn Valley steam trains appearing on TV screens across the nation.

 

Telford Steam Railway

Located in the West Midlands, 20 miles west of Wolverhampton, Telford Steam Railway is a preserved railway operated by a small and friendly team of volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas.

 

East Midlands

Appleby-Frodingham Railway Preservation Society

The society was formed in 1990 with the aim of preserving the railway heritage of the area with 60 members at present. The society owns 2 diesel locomotives and 3 steam locomotives with several types of rolling stock. All railtours are free of charge and are held at Corus, Scunthorpe (one of the major metal companies)

 

Barrow Hill Roundhouse Museum

Barrow Hill and its famous "Roundhouse" is located North East of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, England. It is situated between New Whittington and Staveley just off the A619. It is close to the M1 from either junction 29 or 30.

 

Battlefield Line

In the summer of 1969 a small group of railway enthusiasts got together to try and preserve a Jubilee Class engine 'Leander' which was in Woodham's yard at Barry in Wales. For various reasons this scheme did not get off the ground, but it formed the basis for a railway preservation Society in the East Midlands.

 

Great Central Railway

This is my favourite preserved line in the UK. The website is massive.

 

Irchester Narrow Guage Railway Museum (Museum)

Situated in Irchester Country Park, Northamptonshire, the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum is home to a collection of working steam and diesel locomotives.

 

Lincolnshire Wolds Railway

Ludborough Station is now open to the public, with steam trains running on specified dates. The first Sunday of every month is a static Open Day when the buffet car and shop are open between 11am and 3pm for visitors. On Tuesdays and weekends there are working parties and visitors are welcomed.

 

Midland Railway Centre

The Midland Railway Centre operates a comprehensive series of events during each year concentrating on our varied activities. One of the most popular visitors is Thomas The Tank Engine.

 

Nene Valley Railway

The Nene Valley Railway is located in Peterborough and has a length of 7½ track running from Wansford to near the East Coast Main Line. The railway owns many locomotives, with most being European but also many British Locomotives that are on loan from other railways.

 

Northampton and Lamport Railway

The Northampton & Lamport Railway is a steam and heritage diesel operated tourist railway located in the Northamptonshire countryside just 5 miles from Northampton, within easy reach of the motorway network.

 

Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre

Along with access to nearly 10 miles of the ex GC Main Line in Nottinghamshire, the Centre is host to a Road Transport Collection, the Nottingham Society of Model & Experimental Engineers, a Model Railway and the GCR Rolling Stock Trust.

 

Peak Rail

This line was built as the Midland Railway's route into Manchester. Leaving the St.Pancras to Sheffield main line at Ambergate, it initially ran to Rowsley, opening in 1846. A later extension completed in 1867 saw it through to Manchester. The line to Buxton is essentially a branch, leaving the main line at Millers Dale.

 

Railworld (Museum)

Promoting rail at the heart of a sustainable integrated transport system.

 

East Anglia

Bure Valley Railway

NORFOLK'S LONGEST NARROW GAUGE HERITAGE STEAM RAILWAY

Colne Valley Railway

A pretty line, relocated station buildings, signal boxes and bridges all lovingly restored and rebuilt. A large and varied collection of operational vintage steam and diesel engines, carriages and wagons that represent much of our Railway Heritage is available to explore around.

East Anglian Railway Museum

The Museum has a wide collection of locomotives and rolling stock, some of which are fully restored and others are undergoing repair and restoration. The Restoration Shed was built in 1983-4, prior to which most work had to take place in the Goods Shed or in the open.

Mangapps Railway and Museum

 

Mid-Norfolk Railway

 

North Norfolk Railway

 

South West

 

Avon Valley Railway

Not as professional as it could be, but still if you plan to visit, its worth a look

Bodmin and Wenford Railway

 

Dartmoor Railway

 

Dean Forest Railway

 

East Somerset Railway

Up-to-date website of the line, with times, history and of course prices...

Eastleigh Lakeside Railway

 

Gorse Blossom Minature Railway

 

Oldown Minature Railway

 

Plym Valley Railway

 

Steam - Museum of the Great Western Railway (Museum)

 

Swanage Railway

 

Swindon and Cricklade Railway

 

West Somerset Railway

The longest preserved railway in the UK. The railway also owns some very large engines, so the site is worth a visit.

London and South East

 

Yeovil Railway Centre

 

Bluebell Railway

One of the "semi sized" preserved lines in the country but if your in the area, its worth a look. Website's good as well....

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

 

Didcot Railway Centre

 

East Kent Railway

 

Kent and East Sussex Railway

 

Kew Bridge Steam Museum (Museum)

 

Lavender Line

 

Leighton Buzzard Railway

 

Mid-Hants Railway

Otherwise known as the Watercress Line, it has wonderful stations and scenery. This website is well worth a look.

Old Kiln Light Railway

 

Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway

 

Royal Victoria Railway

 

Ireland

 

Cavan and Leitrim Railway

 

Downpatrick Railway Museum

 

Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway

 

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland