Britatin's Longest Heritage Railway - Now Running!

I thought I might draw your attention that trains on the Welsh Highland Railway began operating to Pont Croesor yesterday, makeing it Britain's longest Heritage Railway. Check out www.festrail.co.uk for details.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=996VPNO8yPo

It'll be all the better when it's running through to Britain's finest heritage railway whenever that may be.

 

Congratulations to all who have worked on this, its a massive achievement! But can this be classed as a Heritage railway?

 

Well the Heritage Railway Association think so.

 

Heritage maybe...preserved certainly not.

 

Why not, exactly? For the great majority of its course it uses the same route as the original WHR. I don't see how that doesn't qualify it for preserved railway status?

 

As far as im aware there is no definitive answer as to what is or isnt a heritage/preserved railway. At the most basic level, with the help of volunteers and public appeals it has preserved what arguably was the line's biggest asset, its route through Snowdonia, and uses a traditional form of traction; steam.

Like many new-generation and narrow gauge lines with little suitable historical infrastructure (such as the WLLR) it doesnt depict a historical recreation of the original railway but just like the FR after the push to Blaenau, its hard not to see volunteers bringing back at least some of the 'flavour' of the original line as time goes on even if Garratts, 12 carriage platforms and the SNPA's dislike of crinkly tin are here to stay.

Chris