List the top five

For fun and from the point of view of the visitor, please list your opinion of the top five railway visitor attractions.
To emphasise, from the point of view of Joe Public....so take into account facilities, scenery, stock, things to do and see etc.
Top five good days out for the average punter in other words.

 

OK I'll edit to 5 .

 

It's quite hard to write this without any bias and I don't often travel as a passenger on many lines, the exception being the Severn Valley Railway.

I'd have to go for:

Ffestiniog Railway
Welsh Highland Railway
Talyllyn Railway
Severn Valley Railway
Strathspey Railway

I think there's something for the everyday punter in all of them but they are the lines I know well through volunteering or membership!

 

I ought to state mine I suppose. Tough call

Didcot
NRM
Severn Valley
Talyllyn
North Yorks Moors (never been there but it attracts me more than anywhere else...next year!)

 

NYMR
Bluebell
Festiniog/WHR
Didcot
Severn Valley

 

Don't have kids so can't judge as a parent and being a bit of a committed enthusiast I'm not exactly seeing it as Joe Public.
Going only on my partner's opinion of the railways we've visited together here are the results :
1. NYMR
2. WSR
3. Bluebell
4. Festiniog
5. KWVR.

 

A good question.....for the average punter and for "things to do" I would include this to mean things to do nearby (ie within a mile or so) eg KWVR and the Bronte museam etc. Rather than the railway trying to attract by themselves they include other very nearby attractions so its a day out in that area.
Quite a few of our railways dont tick this box. Look at any railway and see what nearby attractions would intice Joe Public to come to railway and visit local attractions.
For example and no disrespect to the Strathspey (I love the railway, volunteered there when was in Inverness) I would not include it in a top 5 for Joe Public (even though its in my top 5 fav rlwys) due to its geographical location. Apart from the wonderful walks and osprey sanctuary there is not alot else for a family to do without a long ish drive.

 

My favourites by area. * are my top 5.

South: Isle of Wight *
South West: South Devon *
South East: Bluebell *
Wales: Ffestiniog/WHR
Midlands: Severn Valley *
East Anglia: North Norfolk
North West: Lakeside & Haverthwaite
North East: North York Moors *
Scotland: The Jacobite
Industrial: Tanfield
Museum: NRM York
Railway centre: Didcot

 

My top five would be....

North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Ffestiniog/Welsh Highland Railway
Bluebell Railway
North Norfolk Railway
Swanage Railway

 

Mine would be:

Bluebell
NYMR
IoWSR
Talyllyn
Didcot

Honourable mentions:

SVR, North Norfolk, RHDR, Steam (Swindon). Also the Gartell Light Railway is great with toddler-aged children while having enough operational interest to keep the enthusiast in me happy!

Caveat: I have by no means visited every line in the country. I've restricted my selection to be from places I have visited within the last five or so years.

Tom

 

Not an easy one this but after some head-scratching (and to make things easier otherwise I would be here all day ignoring narrow gauge):

SVR
Bluebell
NYMR
Didcot
SDR

Would like to have squeezed the GWSR in but I don't think quite at the same level as the five given, likewise the IoWSR. Interesting that all five of my chosen (and most of the choices of others) are among the longer established places - maybe the others are still playing catch up.

 

so far the big three are Bluebell NYMR and SVR all streets ahead, and really going to be tough top fit all three in on my next excursion around Britain!

 

family friendly I would say
1 Isle of Wight because there are always other attractions nearby to cater for family members that dont enjoy riding in a train, but saying that, you cant beat the charm of the island from your seat window, and very good facilities.
2 Bluebell again you have the gardens at Sheffield park, and the town of East Grinstead at either end, very good facilities at sheffield park, if a little pricey
3 Paighton and dartmouth, whilst not an authentic railway, its getting better, but you cant beat the experience of goodrington sands ,then the beside the river Dart into Kingswear in addition you have the river cruses to Totnes
as for the rest, theres no real stand out for me, some are very good, some not so good for me its about making best of what you have and marketing it , ok not everyone has the idilic countryside of the Isle of Wight, or the red sandstone of the dart estury but i dont want to see stations that look out of place either, modern plastic lighting does not look right on an 1920's country station

 

hurrah, someone mentioned the gwsr! what would you say the SDR has over the gwsr? I visited it a while ago, a nice nice place but nothing spectacular, although I didn't actually ride the trains, so maybe better scenery?

 

Yes, better scenery certainly. Also the chances of avoiding riding in a Mk.1 are greater!

Actually I think we should be forbidden from mentioning anywhere we have an involvement with.

P.H.

 

Alex,

Like you the GWSR is my local and I would love it to be in the top five. Give it a couple of years when Broadway is reached, 35006 and 44027 are let loose and 7903 is back and it'll take some beating.

However, to answer your question, the advantage the SDR has is that despite losing the couple of miles to Ashburton and having to fit modern facilities in it is still the quintessential GWR branch line (arguably the IoWSR does this for the Southern but I haven't been a passenger there) and as close to what it was as modern convenience allows. The GWSR is longer, has bigger engines and better potential for expansion but unless you win the Euromillions a double track main line like it used to be it ain't going to be again. I would also query whether the mentioned possible expansion beyond Broadway would be a step to far for what is still a predominantly volunteer organisation (the SDR's seven miles must be more sustainable and manageable long term?) but that is one for another thread.

Geoff

 

Given the criteria laid down by the OP, I'm curious to know why is Didcot listed by so many people?

It is fine as a museum of all things GWR, but facilities, scenery, things to see and do? Falls a bit short compared with a number of other places out there surely?

 

Think so? it's a great place for families to visit. Just note the number of family picnics going on and that sort of thing. Kids can get up close and personal with locos in a way that they can't in many places.

 

Probably a bit biased

1 SVR
2 BLUEBELL
3 NYMR
4 FR/WHR
5 KESR