What was the first preserved line you visited, and what is the most recent ? ?

Apart from my earlier visit to the TR when on holiday with my parents, my School had a Railway Society which organised shed bashes in the mid to late 60's. We did include a visit to the KWVR and Middleton in 1968.

 

My first visit to a heritage railway was in July 1991 when I was 8 years old was to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and the loco that I rode behind was LMS 5MT No.5305. And my last visit to a heritage railway was in October 2020 was at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway doing some filming for my YouTube channel. I have visited other heritage lines over the years and they are all good, but my favourite will always be the NYMR because of its superb scenery, steep gradients and a excellent collection of steam locos. And of course running to my favourite seaside resort, Whitby.

 

I turned up at Haywards Heath by train and was presented with the Caley 123 and T9 in tandem. Purely by chance. An earlier experience would be going on the trams at The Crumbles Eastbourne.

 

edit : First was KWVR on an M&GN rail tour c. Easter 1969. The Black 5 derailed so we ended up getting D0226 for haulage.

 

Same set up on my visit. Surprised to see the loco in the middle of the train.

 

My first visit to a heritage railway (to use todays terminology) was the Middleton Railway in 1961. However, as I knew the line in NCB days and saw its locos working regularly, it was little different from everyday life. My last visit to a heritage railway was also to Middleton (Yesterday). A bit of a boring life, really, although I've visited plenty other lines in between times.

 

Bluebell and Bluebell.
I went as a child in the mid 70's. It was a group visit organised by the Scouts or similar. I live(d) about 20 miles away. I have no recollection of the engine or train, we had a picnic in the field at Horsted.
I drove the 09 in December to put the stock away for the current shut down.

 

Does the RH@DR count? Holidayed in Hythe St Mary's Bay and Dimchurch in the mid to late 60's (and byond)Missed the Apollo 11 moon landing because we were in a caravan just outside Hythe in that week in July 6, and I remember seeing a loco in the car park at Hythe station, having failed to stop at the terminus! August 1967 I think. Subsequent holidays to North Wales with trips on the Talylln, VoR and Festiniog in the early 70's. Many trip to the Bluebell from 69 onwards until going to Uni in 1979
An RH@DR picture from much later, sometime in the 70's (from a slide)


Bluebottle by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

Most recent MHR on Tuesday as part of socially distanced team preparing Alresford station for re-opening in April (and avoiding the PW and S and T work going on)

 

Joined the Severn Valley Railway in 1966 as a volunteer.
Managed to visit the Mid Hants Railway for the Autumn Gala in 2020, when Covid restrictions had been relaxed:

Mid Hants Railway, Watercress Line, Mid Autumn Gala, 17th October 2020.

 

Decades ago on the Ffestiniog when Bill Hoole was driving Prince. Little did I realise that many moons later I would have a brief drive of the very same machine.
Most recent ? Last autumn I suppose on my weekly trip to the museum at Havenstreet which, hopefully, will resume shortly. New display case to help display, ditto exhibitions.

 

My first would have been the Nene Valley Railway, in the late '70s (as I grew up in Bourne, Lincolnshire, which is where the NVR turntable originated from). I remember 70000 Britannia, 73050, No. 1 (of course) and the international stock (but we visited many times, so I can't be sure of what the first things I saw were). Other early visits were to the GCR and the NNR.

My last visit was to the L&BR. I look forward to getting back there soon.

 

The first heritage railway I saw was the NNR in the early 1970's. My parents and grandparents took their caravans to Kelling Heath at Easter and Whitsun bank holiday every year, and somewhere I have a photo of a loco in steam at Sheringham. We didn't ride on the railway. The first line I had a trip on was probably the NYMR in round about 1980.

The most recent was the Swanage Railway, Winter Warmup 28th December 2019. 2020 was the first year in a long time when I didn't visit at least one line somewhere, hoping to put that right in 2021.

 

First one was the Bluebell in about 1962, by train via Haywards Heath and Ardingly. I suspect the loco was P class Bluebell. We saw the NLR tank and Dukedog on display.
Most recent was the Kent & East Sussex post-Christmas 2019.

 

My first was Bressingham if that counts - early/mid 70s. Seem to remember a footplate ride, possibly on Cromwell.

Most recent - working on the wagons at NVR between lockdowns.

 

Does this count?
Black Prince on the Liverpool Garden Festival railway.
It certainly got me hooked badly enough that I'm on here now nearly four decades later...
Just listen to this:
First standard gauge would be Cumbria at Haverthwaite - equally etched on my memory.
Black Prince should be back in steam soon, can't wait!

 

Bluebell first (date unknown) and also the last one I was at (Dec 2020).

RHDR will be the first I visit after lockdown ends (tickets already booked)

Ben

 

My first was the Mid Hants on re-opening day in 1977. My last was also the Mid Hants to see the Train of Lights just before Christmas last year and the improptu curtailment in services.

 

KWVR c Aug 1970. Went up from Sheff for a two week volunteering holiday aged 15.
Last one (ignoring weekly stints at the CVR) probably L&B on hols a year ago.


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The son of my godparents, David Rennard, was involved in the KWVR, sales officer I think, and arranged for me to have a footplate ride on the works train diesel on that railway before it opened. I should think around 1965. From memory that would have been the Vulcan Foundry prototype. My parents held him responsible for my later activities. Most recent trip, apart from volunteering at Wirksworth: NYMR last October.

 

Despite the Bluebell being my local line, I believe my first visit to a preserved railway would have been one of the Great Central or Didcot.

I'm not sure which was first but I went to both sometime around 1993/1994 when I was about 2/3years old (I was talking at the time of the GCR visit according to my parents). I have very little recollection of either but I'm told that 70000 Britannia was at Didcot and we travelled behind 60007 at the GCR.

The last visit to one was the Bluebell's Giant's of Steam event in 2019.