Top five railway attractions you'd like to visit

We've got a thread with people's opinions on their top five railway attractions, but what about the ones you would like to visit, but haven't yet, or haven't done so for years? And what are your reasons for wanting to visit those places? My choices are very enthusiast based, yours can be for other reasons.

My top 5:

Bluebell Railway: Lived beside it over 20 years ago, have been a member for years, want to explore whats new, travel in a variety of stock behind a variety of locomotives

NRM York and Shildon: As an enthusiast seeing the locomotives and rolling stock on display, along with the small artifacts is a must.

Severn Valley Railway: Want to travel on this again for the scenery, different and interesting stations, pre-nationalisation locos and rolling stock etc

Welsh Highland Railway/Ffestiniogg Railway: Surely the most historic narrow gauge system in the world, variety of locos and stock and amazing scenery

Didcot Railway Centre: As a Great Western enthusiast this is a must, enjoy all the real Great Western artifacts at a real engine shed

Daniel

 

Mine are enthusiast based

NYMR
KESR
Not been to either for 20 years or more - probably over 30 for the KESR

Swanage
Bodmin and Wenford
Not been to either since they were preserved

Tanfield - never been near it!

If I could be greedy and add another whilst "up north" I'd add the Bowes Railway - on a day that hopefully something is working.

Oh, and everything else I've never been to...

Steve B

 

What a great idea!

In no particular order:

Bluebell - Not been there since the late '70's before they broke out of Horstead Keynes.
NYMR - Been several times and absolutely love it. It helps that I love the area in which it's situated so makes for a great holiday.
ELR - Never been.
Bodmin & Wenford - Only popped in and visited the shed while Wadebridge was being restored.
Darjeling Himalayan Railway - No one said it had to be in the UK? Stunning scenery, culture and engineering.

 

tough one....
NYMR (topping the other poll so must be a must)
GCR (despite poor showing in other poll, must be a must for any enthusiast)
KWVR (because it was so early on the scene and I've never been)
NNR ( sounds like nice countryside as well as trains)
Crich Tramway Museum (sort of railway and I'm guessing Sandtoft wouldn't qualify at all)

In the past year or so I've ticked off a lot of my to-do list

 

Based partly on my own knowledge and partly on recommendations on the other thread:

- South Devon Railway. Beautiful scenery and it seems beautiful evocation of its era. This is probably the one I am most likely to visit in the relatively near future, given its location.

- KWVR. Seems to get a lot of favourable comment and has interesting rolling stock

- Beamish. Would love to see the early engine replicas in motion. Probably a site that would be an easy "sell" to Mrs J2 on account of there being a lot of variety and things to see with children.

- WHR, for the ride. I've seen (but not ridden) it when it went as far as Rhyd Ddu, but not been since.

Tanfield. I don't think I'd even really heard of it until 178 went for a visit a few months ago; I looked at the various photos posted and thought "that place looks interesting". Now I just need to work out where it is (OK, I know - it's oop north somewhere ...)

Tom

 

My choice in no particular order :
NNR: Park @ Weybourne walk to Sheringham come back on the train via Holt.
NYMR: Stayed @ Whitby a couple of years ago. A good base to visit the railyway & other attractions in the area.
IOWSR: Nice walks available from Wootton & Ashey to break the train journey.
South Devon Rly: Family attractions @ Buckfastleigh,Staverton a rural gem & Totnes main line connection & town.
W&L: Enjoying the countryside from carriage balcony is a unique experience.

 

Locarno to Domodossola. International narrow gauge operated by an organisation whose acronym is a rather rude word in English which appeals to my lavatorial humour!

C.F. de Vivarais. Didn't make the effort when in France some years ago. Always regretted this.

Ravenglass and Eskdale.

P.H.

 

WHR - because I haven't yet
SVR - because it is close 20 yrs since I did
ELR - to visit some people I know on their turf
KWVR - because its a great railway and I haven't been for 12 yrs
NYMR - ditto
RHDR - Because.....
Hartz Mountains - I keep promising myself and not getting on with it!

 

All ones I have never visited : -

East Lancs
Foxfield
Tanfield - (wasn't aware of it until pictures posted on here a couple of years ago)
Isle of Man Railway
Blonay–Chamby

 

A couple of posts have mentioned Tanfield and Beamish. I visited them a couple of years ago.

Beamish is worth a visit in its own right as a general heritage attraction but if you like railways there's a recreation of an LNER Branch Line terminus, with coal drops (of course) and a short running line. There's the colliery railway and the 19thC Pockerley wagon way with the Steam Elephant, Locomotion etc. Well worth a ride and a general nosey. Interestingly the replica carriages and wagons are air (or vacuum) braked using internal combustion engines in the hopper wagons. So not only did they have air / vacuum braking they also had the internal combustion engine in the North East in the 19th C, truly the cradle of the railways and so much more.

The Tanfield railway is literally around the corner (well, a couple of them anyway). Well worth a visit too and it feels very different to most preserved railways because it was a colliery branch. Marley Hill shed is a fascinating place to wander around. In a strange way the line reminded me of the Festiniog - maybe it was the coaching stock with those leather thingys to open or close the windows....

I did them both in one day and thoroughly enjoyed them You might be pushed to the Bowes railway on the same day though...

 

Difficult to think of five as I've done a lot of the ones I've wanted to do in recent years, probably my top 5:

Beamish - Looks brilliant with seemingly a vast variety of things to see
NYMR - I've been to it as a kid but never actually had a ride on the line
Hollycombe - Like Beamish, looks a fascinating place to visit
Swanage - One I've been to many times over the years (my last visit was in 2009) but always a lovely line, one of my favourites
Last one would probably be a visit to the Scottish lines

A visit to the Great Dorset Steam Fair is also high up on my list....

I have been lucky to tick off a few of my 'want to visits' in recent years such as Fawley Hill, K&ESR, and this Friday just gone, MNR was finally achieved.

One place I would recommend that I haven't seen mentioned is a trip to Chatham docks, definitely a place worth visiting if you are a fan of industrials trundling by with wagons:

 

Very Difficult question.

York - haven't been for ages.
NYMR - never visited.
Didcot - haven't been for ages
SVR - been a while and it's lovely
Eurostar - never been on it. (Does this count as it's part of the big railway?)

 

York and Shilton, been to york twice, never been to shilton, but not in the last 20 or so years
Welsh highland, did it in the early days, would love to experience it right the way along the full line.
Isle of Man railway, just for the experience, never been to the island
Isle of Wight, havnt been in 5 years, not since smallbrook got a proper station and Wotton got rebuilt, then theres changing trains, still i may be doing that next year with the car club.

 

Excluding railways & centres I've visited in the last few years/visit regularly (i.e. NRM, NYMR, KWVR, WSR, Bodmin & Wenford, Helston) and the South Devon Railway, to which a (return) visit is already planned, my current 5 is:

1) Severn Valley Railway - a return visit is long overdue.
2) Bluebell Railway - have never visited and have waited for the extension to be opened.
3) Llangollen - as per Bluebell
4) Didcot - as per SVR
5) a West Coast of Scotland railtour.

 

I managed to tick off one of my bucket list last week - the Wuppertal Monorail.

And Im glad I did, loved it, unique, Jules Verne-esque on places, do go if you get the chance.

 

1) Churnet Valley Railway - Never been but looks amazing, loco's have to work hard & various photography spots produce stunning photos.
2) Severn Valley Railway - Haven't been for many years, can't really remember it when we last visited so a return is a must.
3) Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway - Ditto.
4) West Somerset Railway - Ditto.
5) KWVR - Ditto.

 

Interesting lists, some of the more well known I have visited. However visiting is one thing: spending money there is quite another!
If you like boats and rivers as well as trains then you cannot do better than the Paignton and Dartmouth. River and sea cruises plus, of course, the steam paddle steamer Kingswear Castle.

 

I 'm tempted to say Carnforth works, but I suppose that doesn't really count as an attraction!

Of places I've not yet visited...

1) Bo'ness and Kinneil, both for the railway and the museum.
2) Other Scottish railways, especially Strathspey and Caledonian for the scenery and to see the locomotives that don't come South.
3) Bowes / Stephenson Railway museum - two which could be done in one day?
4) Statfold Barn - always gets a good write up on here.
5) RHDR - if you're going to do miniature railways, then that's how it should be done.

 

1) Swanage - looks a nice summer line to do, yet to do
2) VoR - proper GWR, yet narrow gauge, the scenery looks nice and a long run. Yet to do.
3) K&ESR - need a repeat visit after 7 years, totally different to any other line I've been to.
4) NYMR - for gradients, yet to do.
5) MNR - would like to go for their extensive diesel fleet