Heritage railways

  • Appleby Frodhingham Railway
    Operates alongside the Corus Scunthorpe steel works; 3 steam and 2 diesel locos; footplate experience; 15 mile tours


  • Avon Valley Railway
    Six mile return train ride; former Mangotsfield to Bath Green Park branch of the Midland Railway (1869); range of locomotives including Battle of Britain class No. 34058 Sir Frederick Pile nearing completion


  • The Battlefield Line
    Former Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway from Shackerstone via Market Bosworth to Shenton, Leics; 7 saddle and side tanks, 23 diesel locos


  • Bluebell Railway
    "Largest collection of Southern steam locomotives"; Sheffield Park to Kingscote, East Sussex


  • Bodmin and Wenford Railway
    Former GWR line from Bodmin Parkway to Boscarne Junction; 11 steam locos incl. SR West Country Class No. 34007 Wadebridge


  • Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
    Greenfield site by the south shore of the Firth of Forth, from Bo’ness to Manuel, linkingh with mainline; several historic buildings re-erected; 5 steam and 6 diesel locos


  • Bowes Railway
    Former colliery railway carrying coal from pits in NW Durham to the Tyne at Jarrow; 1826 section between the Black Fell bank head and Springwell bank head preserved, the only working standard gauge rope hauled railway in the world


  • The Caledonian Railway
    Junction on the former Strathmore main line; Brechin to Bridge of Dun; 9 steam engines and 10 diesel locos


  • Chasewater Railway
    Former Midland Railway, Brownhills West to Chasetown, West Mids; 5 steam 13 diesel locos; standard and narrow guages


  • Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway
    Former GWR branch; Chinnor to Thame junction, Oxon; Pannier tank No. 9682 and 6 diesel locos


  • Churnet Valley Steam Railway
    Cheddleton to Kingsley and Froghall, North Staffs; 4 steam, incl. Nos. 7821 Ditcheat Manor and 92134, and 13 diesel locos; virtual guide here


  • Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway
    Former mineral line (1862) linking Workington to Durham; project is disused trackbed between Keswick and Penrith, a project designed as much to be a commuter, as a heritage, railway;


  • Colne Valley Railway
    Former Colne Valley & Halstead Railway at Castle Hedingham, Suffolk, now a loop; educational visits (brochures here and here); driver experience courses; 9 steam and 10 diesel locos


  • Dartmoor Railway
    Former Southern Railway 15 mile section in Dartmoor National Park (1862); Exeter to Meldon; tank engine Austerity, and several diesel locos


  • Dean Forest Railway
    Former Lydney to Parkend branch line (Glosc); ex. GWR Pannier Tank Engine No. 9681 and 1450, 4 Class 108 DMUs; train operating experience


  • Derwent Valley Light Railway
    Former (private) Derwent Valley Railway; operates as part of the Yorkshire Museum of Farming; 2 steam and 6 diesel locos (1 and 2 in service, respectively)


  • The East Lancashire Railway
    Former Manchester to Bolton link, Bury to Rawtenstall section (1846); variety of steam and diesel locos; list of events here; site tours and driver experience


  • The East Somerset Railway
    Former GWR branchline running through the Mendip hills near Shepton Mallet, Somerset (1855); 5 mile return trip; 6 steam and 2 diesel locos; footplate courses


  • Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
    Duffield to Wirksworth, 17 miles return trip in the foothills of the Peak District; 2 saddle tank, Class 37 and 31 diesels, 6 shunters, single and two-car DMUs (stock list here); video here


  • Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
    Former Midland Railway Skipton to Ilkley branch, Embsay to Bolton Abbey section through the Yorkshire Dales; 20 steam (4 operational) and 13 diesel (5 operational) locos; archive of tickets, handbills, timetable here


  • Foxfield Steam Railway
    Former coal line through Staffordshire Moorland scenery; 23 steam, 15 diesel and electric locos; stock list here


  • Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
    Former GWR branchline, 20 mile round trip between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse stations through the Cotswolds; 12 steam locos incl. BR 9F class No. 92203 Black Prince, No. 3440 City of Truro and No. 7903 Foremarke Hall, 8 diesel locos


  • Great Central Railway
    Former GCR line, Loughborough Central to Leicester North section; double track; 15 steam (6 operational) and 22 diesel/electric (14 operational) locos (stock list here); driver experience


  • Gwili Steam Railway
    The only steam standard gauge railway operating in SW Wales; Former GWR Carmarthen to Aberystwyth branch, Bronwydd Arms to Danycoed; steam locos include Austerity 0-6-0 saddle tank No. 71516 Welsh Guardsman and Panier Tank No. 6430


  • The Isle of Wight Steam Railway
    Part of the former 51 mile island railway system, runs 5 miles from Wootton, through Havenstreet and Ashey, to Smallbrook Junction; 8 steam and 3 diesel shunter locos; timetable/diary here


  • Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
    Former Midland Railway branch (1867), 5 mile section through Brontë country from Keighley (mainline) to Oxenhope via Howarth; starred in the 1970 film of Edith Nesbit’s classic story "The Railway Children"; 7 steam locos (stock list here) and 11 diesel locos (stock list here)


  • The Kent & East Sussex Railway
    Former Rother Valley Railway line(1900), Tenterden Town to Bodiam Castle section via Northiam; virtual tour of Rolvenden Engine Worshop here; engines at Rolvenden here; Bodiam station here; Northiam Station here; Rolvenden Station here;Tenteden Town station here


  • The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
    Former Furness Railway section (1846) Haverthwaite to Lakeside (link with Windermere Cruises); timetable here; operates the oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive in Britain, Furness Railway Number 20 (1863 - history here and here) as well as Austerity 0-6-0ST Cumbria, GWR 4-6-0 No. 4979 Wootton Hall and GWR 0-6-2T No. 5643


  • Lincolnshire Wolds Railway
    Former GNR Boston to Grimsby line section, Ludborough to North Thoresby; footplate, fireman and signal box experience; Peckett 0-4-0 Fulstow No. 2, Peckett 0-4-0ST Lion and 5 diesel shunters


  • The Llangollen Railway
    A section of the former Ruabon to Barmouth route in North Wales, 7.5 mile track along the Dee Valley from Llangollen to Carrog; timetable here; 13 steam locos (7 operational, incl. GWR No. 7822 Foxcote Manor)


  • The Middleton Railway
    The world’s oldest working railway (1758); 1 mile track from Moor Road to Park Halt (Leeds); timetable here; 15 steam (4 operational) and 11 diesel locos;


  • Mid-Hants Railway
    "The Watercress Line"; runs 10 miles from Alresford to Alton, Hants, via Ropley and Medstead & Four Marks; timetable here. Videos: No. 35005 Canadian Pacific arrives at Ropley here; Bodmin up 1-in-60 here; Wickham trolley at Hampshire Hunt Bridge here; Three small locos pass through Ropley here; and many others here


  • Nene Valley Railway
    Former LNWR (1845, then LMS) line, section of seven and a half miles between Yarwell Junction and Peterborough, Cambs; HQ at Wansford beside the A1; station guide here; 5 operational steam locos incl. BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0 No. 73050 City of Peterborough, Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34081 92 Squadron and LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 1306 Mayflower; variety of diesel locos and shunters (stock list here); timetable & events here


  • Northampton & Lamport Railway
    trackbed from Northampton to Lamport via Spratton and Brixworth, currently operational over 2 miles between Pitsford Sidings and Merry Tom Crossing; timetable here; stock list here


  • The North Norfolk Railway
    "The Poppy Line"; 10.5 mile round trip by steam train, Sheringham to Holt; timetable here; 9 steam locos (1 operational)and extensive diesel stock; driver experience; webcams -Sheringham Station here, Weybourne Station here, Holt Station here


  • The Mid-Norfolk Railway
    Former Great Eastern Line (1847) operational between Dereham and Wymondham, Norfolk; timetable here; 7 diesel electric locos, visiting steam locos; driver experience


  • North Tyneside Railway
    Former colliery line from Killingworth, used latterly as the Tyne & Wear Metro test centre, close to North Shieldsr; stocklist here; timetable here


  • North Yorkshire Moors Railway
    Former NYMR Pickering to Whitby line (1836), now 18 Miles of preserved steam railway running through the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, from Pickering to Grosmont; timetable here


  • Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway
    Former GWR line, now 7 miles from Paignton to Kingswear (links to harbour ferry); 5 steam locos incl. GWR Class 4500 No. 4555 Warrior, and D7535; timetable here;


  • Peak Rail
    Formerly part of the Midland Railway’s line between Manchester Central and London St.Pancras, now matlock to Rowsley; timetable here; extensive stock list, incl. LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 8624, here; driving courses


  • Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
    Former LNWR line (1866) carrying coal to the Midlands, the line northwards is the steepest standard gauge preserved passenger-carrying line in Britain; now Furnace Sidings to Whistle Inn; timetable here; 6 ex GWR steam locos, non operational; 7 industrial diesel locos and 7 DMUs


  • The Royal Deeside Railway
    Former GNSR line (1853, now between Banchory and Milton of Crathes; stocklist here


  • The Severn Valley Railway
    Former GWR branch line (1862) from Hartlebury to Shrewsbury, now between Kidderminster, Worcs and Bridgnorth, Salop, a distance of 16 miles, closely following the River Severn; steam stock list, incl. LMS "Black 5" No. 45110 RAF Biggin Hill and LNER A4 Class 4-6-2 No. 60009 Union Of South Africa, here; diesel stock list here; timetable here; educational experience; driver experience


  • The South Devon Railway
    "The Primrose Line", former GWR line (1872) from Ashburton to Totnes, now 7 miles from Buckfastleigh to Totnes (Littlehempston); timetable here; stocklist has many ex GWR locos, incl. 4-6-0 No. 4920 Dumbleton Hall, here; driver experience


  • The Strathspey Railway
    Aviemore to Broomhill, close to the Cairngorm Mountains; currently home to 7 steam and 6 diesel locos - recently returned to traffic is LMS 2-6-0 No. 46512 E.V. Cooper, Engineer; timetable here


  • Swanage Railway
    Located on the Isle of Purbeck, former (complete) LSWR branch line from Wareham to Swanage (1885), an 11 mile track; timetable here; railway brochure here;


  • Swansea Vale Railway
    Former Midland Railway link (1868) to Neath and Brecon Railway; train runs from the recently constructed Six Pit Station to Cwm Crossing, a distance of two thirds of a mile, which is the halfway point within the Forest Park, hauled by 1914 built Peckett steam loco Mond Nickel No. 1; stock list here; timetable here


  • Swindon & Cricklade Railway
    Former Midland & South Western Junction Railway section, now Based on the site of Blunsdon Station between Swindon and Cirencester; timetable here; driver experience


  • Tanfield Railway
    The Tanfield Railway was opened in 1725, the world’s oldest operating railway, constructed to take coal from Stanley and Marley Hill to the River Tyne; currently several miles of track between Sunniside and East Tanfield; line calls at Causey Arch (1725-6), the oldest surviving single-arch railway bridge in the world; video here; range of steam locos


  • Telford Steam Railway
    The first section of the Severn Junction Railway from Ketley to Horsehay (1859), now Telford Horsehay to Doseley Halt; stock list, incl. GWR Class 56XX 0-6-2T No. 5619, here; driving experience


  • Vale of Glamorgan Railway
    Based on the former Taff Vale Railway station of Bute Road (1840)on Barry Island, with 2 miles of track; stock list, icl. BR 4-6-0 No. 7927 Willington Hall and 9F 2-10-0 No. 92245, here


  • West Somerset Railway
    Heritage Railway of the Year; former GWR country branch; Bishops Lydeard to Minehead; 12 steam and 9 diesel locos; unofficial site here; RSS feed here


Narrow gauge
Narrow gauge railways are listed here.

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