It’s that time of year when the final services of 2023 are running across most heritage railways. Today we’re at the South Devon Railway for their Winter Steam Gala. The ~6.5 mile line runs from Buckfastleigh down to Totnes Riverside with a passing loop at Staverton. There’s a wide selection of locomotives on offer today. […]
Author: Andrew Brooke-Reid
Bluebell Railway – Golden Arrow Lunch Service
Now this is something a bit different. The Bluebell Railway was one of the first preserved railways in the country which means over time it has amassed a large collection of locos and carriages. It just so happens that some of those carriages are original Pullman coaches. Along with a converted Mk1 saloon coach, coaches […]
Fawley Hill Railway & Museum
Fawley Hill is unique and this was such a brilliant day out. This is a private estate owed by Lady Judy and the late Sir William McAlpine. The site has it’s own standard gauge railway and is open to the public by invitation only on specific running days in the year. Sir William was a […]
Leighton Buzzard Railway
Leighton Buzzard Railway is one of the last surviving light railways in Britain which has been in continued operation since 1919. Originally opened to transport sand, the line itself crosses countryside, housing estates and roads today. It is one of, if not the ONLY railway in Britain where staff are legally allowed to stop road […]
Coleford GWR Museum
There were two lines which used to serve Coleford, both of which had their own stations. The Coleford Railway, whose main sponser was the GWR (line closed in 1917) and the Severn and Wye Railway (Coleford Branch) closed in 1916. Although nothing remains of the former two stations, the museum sits on the site of […]
Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway
It’s another day in sunny Yorkshire and we’re visiting the Embsay and Bolton Abbey railway. The line originally ran from Skipton but closed in 1965. Interestingly, the adjacted railway line which serves Swinden Quarry was never closed and is still in operation today with around 4 trains a day. The grand plan of the railway […]
The Settle to Carlisle Railway
This is a stunning section of line to travel on and i’ve been excited to photograph it for some time. This is my first time and what an incredible journey it was. The history of this line is an interesting one and bounced back from the brink of closure due to problems with the Ribblehead […]
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
If you wanted to visit Yorkshire, you would certainly have no shortage of reasons to do so. Whether it’s to visit ‘Bronte County’, the Yorkshire Dales or to take a ride on the iconic railway which featured in the film version of ‘The Railway Children’, you are guaranteed to have a memorable trip. We’re travelling […]
Crewe Heritage Centre
The Crewe HC is somewhere i’ve been longing to go to for a considerable amount of time. Crewe works itself continues to produce locos today however what remains of the works is a fraction of the size of the original footprint. The Heritage Centre was established in 1987 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the […]
Kempton Steam Museum
Having previously lived near Kempton for over 20 years of my life, it’s crazy I didn’t think to visit this place sooner. The museum preserves the historic steam water pumping engines which was a key piece of infrastructure to provide clean water to large parts of London for over 100 years. The museum is home […]