Visting UK in Aug, September 2017

Rowan Bravington

Rowan Bravington

Registered
My wife and I are booked to visit the UK - starting in Manchester around 16.8.17 then Crewe, Peterborough, Dereham, Colchester, Littlebourne ending up in Brighton on 6.9.17.
We have planned to go on many heritage railways along the way. However, it is quite difficult to find out if there are any train exhibitions in these areas and I thought a post to this forum may provide some info about train shows or interesting train related visits in the above areas.
I do like narrow gauge and mining areas.
Places we already have on our list include: Crewe Heritage Centre; Churnet Valley Rwy, Froghall, Foxfield Railway, Stoke-on-Trent;Peak Railway, Matlock; Midland Railway - Butterley; Crich Tramway Village;Nene Valley Rwy, Stibbington; The Wells & Walsingham Light Railway, Wells-next-the-Sea; North Norfolk Railway, Sheringham; Bure Valley Railway (1991) Ltd, Aylsham; The Mid-Norfolk Railway, Dereham; East Anglian Railway Museum, Wakes Colne; Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, Hythe; The Kent & East Sussex Railway (incl. The Col Stephen Rwy Museum) Tenterden; East Kent Railway, Shepherdswell; Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Rwy, Sittingbourne; Dover Transport Museum.
Any info - guidance - about whether to avoid or add to this list greatly appreciated.
Cheers from Oz.
 
Wow quite a trip, you are very welcome to visit my railway of you wish. I live near Cambridge nit too far from the Nene Valley Railway. Assuming you will have a car I am around a 30 minute drive from Peterborough. Mail me with notional dayes if interested. From me you will have easy access to the east coast location Wells etc.
JonD
 
Might I suggest that you add the Bluebell Railway to your list? Not far from Brighton. Good website, if you want a prior look.
 
If you are in the Colchester area, 20 miles up the road is........
http://www.ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk/
Two (static) trams in the collection - Ipswich 33 (electric,1904) and a Bradford/Bath/Cambridge horse car, currently being restored, from the 1870's.
There is also the East Anglian Transport Museum at Carlton Colville, nr Lowestoft, with operating trams and trolleybuses.
 
The Great Central Railway is recommended. It's the only preserved Main Line in the UK. The line runs between Loughborough and Leicester and will have trains running on the17th/19th/20th/22nd/23rd/24th/26th/27th/28th and 30th August and the 2nd/3rd September.
The CFR is located at Rothley on the GCR and you will be welcome to visit.
 
You mention North Norfolk Railway, Sheringham, but hopefully you will have the time to ride to Holt, the other end of the line and then walk the half mile or so into the town. Holt is a pleasant Georgian town, the centre largely unspoilt and The Owl is always good for tea/coffee and cakes (well, that's been our experience over more than 30 years). Sheringham is a pleasant Victorian seaside town, again, between the main road and the sea largely unspoilt, especially the High Street. Dave's Fish and Chips Bar/Restaurant on Co-operative Street has fed us well on visits for more than 30 years.

And while you're in Manchester if you have time visit the Museum of Science and Technology based partly in the original Manchester to Liverpool station, and the East Lancashire Railway. I've never been on the latter, but have heard very good reports of it.

And for something different, how about a cruise on the Manchester Ship Canal?
 
I am overwhelmed by these responses.........obviously I am going to spend a deal of time on the web checking out these suggestions. Fish n chips... canal trips... it doesn't get any better than this............Getting late here so will investigate all suggestions and respond laterer.... Many, many thanks.......:clap::happy:
 
A blatant plug..

http://www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk/

The G-scale layout formerly known as The Shades of the Harz is situated in the 'loft' of Chasewater Heaths station..
The G-scale layout is open Sundays, but something could be arranged if you were passing nearby.
 
Rowan Bravington said:
My wife and I are booked to visit the UK - starting in Manchester around 16.8.17 then Crewe, Peterborough, Dereham, Colchester, Littlebourne ending up in Brighton on 6.9.17.
We have planned to go on many heritage railways along the way. However, it is quite difficult to find out if there are any train exhibitions in these areas and I thought a post to this forum may provide some info about train shows or interesting train related visits in the above areas.
I do like narrow gauge and mining areas.
Places we already have on our list include: Crewe Heritage Centre; Churnet Valley Rwy, Froghall, Foxfield Railway, Stoke-on-Trent;Peak Railway, Matlock; Midland Railway - Butterley; Crich Tramway Village;Nene Valley Rwy, Stibbington; The Wells & Walsingham Light Railway, Wells-next-the-Sea; North Norfolk Railway, Sheringham; Bure Valley Railway (1991) Ltd, Aylsham; The Mid-Norfolk Railway, Dereham; East Anglian Railway Museum, Wakes Colne; Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, Hythe; The Kent & East Sussex Railway (incl. The Col Stephen Rwy Museum) Tenterden; East Kent Railway, Shepherdswell; Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Rwy, Sittingbourne; Dover Transport Museum.
Any info - guidance - about whether to avoid or add to this list greatly appreciated.
Cheers from Oz.
Click to expand...
Oh no, I wouldn't do that :shake::shake::shake:

:p:p:p

The best way to find about exhibitions is Railway Modeller - if you can't get it down under, try and grab a copy at the airport where you arrive (W H Smiths).

Alternatively, post a request in the coffee lounge here just before you leave, and one of the UK members can have a quick check for you.

You've got a nice little East Anglian list - once you know where you're staying, put a message on the forum as there are a few G Scale Central members in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

The Wells & Walsingham has the world's smallest Beyer-Garrett loco, named Norfolk Hero - and we all know who that was

image.jpg
 
You listed a few railway attractions in Kent, and you also mentioned a liking for narrow gauge.

Also in Kent is the Bredgar and Wormshill Railway, a very short narrow gauge line. It's not a large operation, but they have an interesting collection of locos, and also a G scale layout. It's not open very often (roughly once a month in the summer), but it looks like they have a tractor and farming day on September 3rd, when there should be steam traction engines, farm machinery etc. as well as the railway running.

https://bwlr.co.uk/

Romney Hythe and Dymchurch is great if you like the idea of rattling along a miniature main line looking out at sheep! To do the whole length can take up to 3 hours depending where you start. Definitely one of my favourites, as I worked a few summers there as a teenager back in the late 70s/early 80s.
 
If you are visiting Derbyshire, as well as Crich Tramway Museum & Peak Rail there is also the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (home of old DMUs) & the Steeple Grange Light Railway.
If you hava an hour to spare the Cromford & High Peak Railway is worth a look. Unfortunately the winding house at Middleton Top isn't open very often but it is a nice place for a picnic.
 
PhilP said:
A blatant plug..

http://www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk/

The G-scale layout formerly known as The Shades of the Harz is situated in the 'loft' of Chasewater Heaths station..
The G-scale layout is open Sundays, but something could be arranged if you were passing nearby.
Click to expand...
Hi PhilP,
We are in Crewe for a few days then onto Matlock. We have two other train visits on the Sunday (and one doesn’t open for rides on the Saturday) so we would be unable to visit Chasewater on the Sunday. However, I reckon we can squeeze in a visit after we 'do' the Crewe Heritage Centre on Saturday 19.8.17 so we have added the Chasewater to our list. Hope to be on the 1.30 or 2.45 train. It wold great to visit the The Shades of the Harz if possible when we are there.

Thanks for the tip. Cheers
 
Thanks Fridge. The Bluebell Rwy was the very first heritage railway we visited on our first tip to the UK in 2012. We trained down from London, picked up a hire car in Brighton and continued on through Cornwall, up through Wales finishing at York, visited trains along the way.
Cheers
 
dutchelm said:
If you are visiting Derbyshire, as well as Crich Tramway Museum & Peak Rail there is also the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (home of old DMUs) & the Steeple Grange Light Railway.
If you hava an hour to spare the Cromford & High Peak Railway is worth a look. Unfortunately the winding house at Middleton Top isn't open very often but it is a nice place for a picnic.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dutchelm, We have added the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway to our list, and re-checking our list, the Peak Rwy is there. So thanks for the info on the both these rwys. The Steeple Grange is a fair way from where we will be and is not conveniently open for us. Looks like a very good industrial rwy. We will also check out the High Peak Junction workshops during our stay in Derbyshire.
Again thanks for your input and info,
Cheers
Rowan
 
ntpntpntp said:
You listed a few railway attractions in Kent, and you also mentioned a liking for narrow gauge.

Also in Kent is the Bredgar and Wormshill Railway, a very short narrow gauge line. It's not a large operation, but they have an interesting collection of locos, and also a G scale layout. It's not open very often (roughly once a month in the summer), but it looks like they have a tractor and farming day on September 3rd, when there should be steam traction engines, farm machinery etc. as well as the railway running.

https://bwlr.co.uk/

Romney Hythe and Dymchurch is great if you like the idea of rattling along a miniature main line looking out at sheep! To do the whole length can take up to 3 hours depending where you start. Definitely one of my favourites, as I worked a few summers there as a teenager back in the late 70s/early 80s.
Click to expand...
Thank you ntpntpntp,
Your post has meant we will now re-arrange our schedule around the start of September to include your suggestions. Thank you.
Cheers
Rowan
 
Rowan,
You will make us jealous! Many of us have not 'bagged' all of these!!
;):envy::giggle::giggle:
 
ntpntpntp said:
You listed a few railway attractions in Kent, and you also mentioned a liking for narrow gauge.

Also in Kent is the Bredgar and Wormshill Railway, a.................... To do the whole length can take up to 3 hours depending where you start. Definitely one of my favourites, as I worked a few summers there as a teenager back in the late 70s/early 80s.
Click to expand...

Hi again ntpntpnt... Thanks again for the info. We have plugged in the Tractor & Farming day at the Bredgar Rwy… and we already had the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch on the itinerary.. It is always interesting to see how these smaller railways compare to the larger ones and to the heritage railways here in Australia in general. Having been involved as a volunteer at the Mornington Railway here in Victoria for many years and having spoken to many in the same field in the UK it is surprising how similar the ‘issues’ seem to be among members of the tourist and heritage railway sector.

Cheers

Rowan
 
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