Railway Heritage in UK

Hey! I`m writing my PHD on Railway Tourism and I would be grateful if somebody has some statistical information, at least some websites on the number of heritage sites in UK, including heritage trains, museums and miniature trains. I`ve been looking for a while, but I can` t find anything reliable.
Thanks!

 

Starter for 10: http://www.heritagerailways.com/visits_about.php

Those stats only include railways etc that are members of the Heritage Railways Association (effectively the trade body for the industry) so may miss a few out.

Tom

 

Hi Laura

This paper was published a short while ago, you might find it useful

http://www.markgarnier.co.uk/files/mark_garnier/u4/HeritageRailways.pdf

Regards

Matt

 

HRA collect the statistical data from all heritage railways on behalf of the ORR, including non-members, so that data should also include those that are non-members, as well.

 

Possibly, though the wording on the page seems to imply that the stats only applied to HRA members - at least the top bit about the numbers of railways and the route mileage. Whether the other figures are for just HRA members or for the entire industry is not quite so clear.

Tom

 

There are a lot of websites that give information about the actual number of heritage trains, each one says a different thing. There are only 108 trains in the HRA, besides them there might another 100 non members trains. I even counted them on wikipedia...there are about 200, but I can`t use as a reliable source because it`s incomplete and unofficial. Thanks anyway!

 

Th

Thanks!

 

Each annual report of the HRA says it cleary (at least the last two I`ve read)...that the statistics apply only to members. I find it hard to believe that there are only about 100 heritage trains in the UK....there are clearly more...it`s not a question of dozens...there could be about 200 trains all around the country according to the several websites that offer this kind of information...but each gives a different number.

 

I'd be surprised if there were a hundred lines not in the HRA.

What gauge are you going down to? I think the HRA would draw members from 15" gauge and upwards. Below that, it is generally considered more the realm of model engineering rather than heritage railways - I could imagine that there are 100+ sites below 15" that aren't in the HRA.

Tom

 

I haven`t taken miniature trains into consideration. According to Wikipedia there are about 100 heritage rails of narrow and standard gauge only in England.

 

What gauge are you going down to? I think the HRA would draw members from 15" gauge and upwards. Below that, it is generally considered more the realm of model engineering rather than heritage railways - I could imagine that there are 100+ sites below 15" that aren't in the HRA.

Not exclusively so, I would have said. I suggest that the length of line ought to enter the equation, the 12-1/4" gauge Fairbourne Railway dates back to the end of the 19th century and is nearly 2 miles long, which makes it longer than some standard gauge lines and older than some narrow gauge ones!

 

Ok. I will include the miniature trains that are part of the railway heritage. This will increase the number.

 

There is a second site www.heritage-railways.com operated by the former webmaster for the HRA. This has a large number of links to many railways, standard and narrow gauge and miniature, quite a few of whom are not HRA members.

Perhaps a word or two of explanation; it is not compulsory for any railway to be an HRA member, but there are advantages. But many railways when in their early stages are probably too busy to worry about joining the HRA. In any case the HRA requires two other members to sponsor a new member's application, so there is a need to be seen as getting reasonably established before you can join. The HRA also has members, such as my own organisation, which don't operate trains but are part of the Heritage Railway 'community' as it might be called. We joined the HRA a year or two after we started opening to the public on a regular basis.

John Webb
(Trustee, St Albans Signal Box Preservation Trust)

 

Thanks! I`ll use this list. According to this site there are 150 heritage trains in UK. I`ve also included the museum trains that offer passenger rides.

 

What do you mean by the term 'heritage trains' in your statement above and 'trains'? Do you mean preserved heritage railways; railway locomotives steam, diesel & electric or what?

 

I practically need a list with all the trains that are part of the national heritage ...doesn't matter what kind of locomotive they use. My PHD is about railway tourism..there aren`t any statistical data whatsoever regarding this domain but on the consideration that most railway heritage are used for touristic purposes in need numbers.

 

I think that 32110 is pointing out that they are "Heritage Railways" not Heritage trains

 

Does your definition include heritage trains operated on the national network (e.g the Jacobite between Fort William and Mallaig; the Royal Scotsmen luxury train touring Scotland; the Torbay Express between Bristol and Torbay and the Scarborough Spa Express between York and Scarborough) which bring travellers into certain areas and can be an economic boost to some communities such as Fort William and Mallaig.

Are you looking at the use of Heritage Railways to develop communities such as the East Lancashire Railway being used to develop the Irwell Valley in the 1990s.

Are you looking at consequences such as the economic downturn in the Severn Valley when floods damaged the Severn Valley Railway and no trains could be operated.

If you can give a more precise definition of the remit of your PhD I'm sure you will be given more specific direction from those with the knowledge you are seeking.

 

Practically I have to present all the railway activities that involve tourism. I started with the heritage trains that are also tourist trains. That involves infrastructure and rolling stock used in touristic activities. I also have to write about luxury trains, thematic trains and express trains. I have to give a general perspective on the touristic capitalization of the railways in UK.