Moorings convenient for heritage railways

[magpie patrick]

Possible trip planning - and likely useful to others too. I'm thinking of places one could moor and have a ride on a heritage railway within walking distance. Kidderminster is an obvious one but I'm sure there are others. How close is the Churnet Valley Railway at Cheddleton for example? 

 

Doesn't need to be long haul jobby like the Severn Valley - just the opportunity to ride on a heritage train 

 

Thanks all! 

[Lady M]

Llangollen

[BEngo]

Churnet valley railway is but a short step from the canal.

Battlefield line is near enough to  the Ashby at Shackerstone.

Great Central at Loughborough.

Nene Valley Railway.

 

N

 

[David Mack]

16 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

How close is the Churnet Valley Railway at Cheddleton for example? 

Just across the river. And at Consall Forge Station the waiting room is actually over the canal.

Edited October 9, 2023 by David Mack

[alan_fincher]

Anglesey Arm for Chasewater

[David Mack]

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is about a mile from the Leeds and Liverpool.

[Onewheeler]

Sharpness for the Vale of Berkeley railway, but you'll have to help lay some track. Lydney Harbour for the Dean Forest railway.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

A bit on the small size, but I noticed it when moored in the town. The Thorne Park Miniature Railway, near the S&SYN!

[magnetman]

If you were to venture onto the Thames you could moor at Wallingford. 

 

https://www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com/

[TheBiscuits]

Tarleton end of the Rufford Branch for West Lancs Light Railway.

 

Preston Marina or Ashton Basin for Ribble Steam railway and museum.

[Athy]

shackerstone station is right by the Ashby Canal. From memory, if you moor near the hackaduck you'll be very adjacent.

 

I see that the trendy phrase 'heritage railway' has reached CWSF, which is a pity, perhaps even a pita. What's wrong with 'preserved railways', as they have been called for half a century and more? Compare and contrast 'craft beer' v. 'real ale'.

[GUMPY]

If you can find a mooring in Wroxham there is the Bure Valley Line.😉

Not full size but very pleasant.

https://www.bvrw.co.uk/

 

There is also this

https://bhrw.org.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by GUMPY

[TheBiscuits]

18 minutes ago, Athy said:

Compare and contrast 'craft beer' v. 'real ale'

 

They are two different things ...

[magpie patrick]

34 minutes ago, Athy said:

shackerstone station is right by the Ashby Canal. From memory, if you moor near the hackaduck you'll be very adjacent.

 

I see that the trendy phrase 'heritage railway' has reached CWSF, which is a pity, perhaps even a pita. What's wrong with 'preserved railways', as they have been called for half a century and more? Compare and contrast 'craft beer' v. 'real ale'.

 Fair comment - I was trying to avoid the term "Steam Railway" as they often run diesel traction too

 

Some are not preserved but arguably those aren't heritage either! Bure Valley for example, which is excellent, is only preserved or heritage in that it is (largely) on the historic track bed, it's narrow gauge rather than standard gauge and the locos and rolling stock bear no resemblance to those that once worked the line

[Tonka]

2 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

A bit on the small size, but I noticed it when moored in the town. The Thorne Park Miniature Railway, near the S&SYN!

On the same size Frimley Lodge Miniature Railway Welcome | Frimley Lodge Miniature Railway (flmr.org) right next to the Basingstoke Canal

[Athy]

Yes, we called into the Bure Valleyterminus station en passant last year, Fifteen inch gauge or thereabouts, isn't it? By the time we got there, the steam loco had finished its duties for the day and gone back to the shed, so all there was to look at was a neat little diesel and some coaches. File under 'tourist attration'. I'd say.

The actual station did 'feel'right despite the tiny tracks within.

[GUMPY]

1 hour ago, magpie patrick said:

Bure Valley for example, which is excellent, is only preserved or heritage in that it is (largely) on the historic track bed, it's narrow gauge rather than standard gauge and the locos and rolling stock bear no resemblance to those that once worked the line

Agreed, I was as usual being mischievous suggesting it.

The old railway line runs through two local council areas. In one you have a footpath, in the other you have a narrow gauge railway and a footpath. I will leave the reader to draw their own conclusions.

 

 

[Francis Herne]

3 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Anglesey Arm for Chasewater

Top of the Cannock Extension is in walking distance too.

 

Nene Valley Railway at several places from Yarwell to Peterborough.

 

Preston Docks Railway, and Bristol Harbour Railway.

 

The Vale of Berkeley group's sheds (and some rolling stock stored outside) at Sharpness are easily visited from the canal.

 

Dean Forest Railway from the Lydney Canal, although getting there makes it a bit of a technicality.

 

There are ride-on miniature railways at Diglis, Kinver, Avoncroft near the Queens Head at Tardebigge, and near Bridge 20 of the North Stratford.

Edited October 9, 2023 by Francis Herne

[Alstonite]

Another ride-on miniature http://watfordrailway.co.uk very near the canal at Cassiobury Park

[Alway Swilby]

The Nene Valley Railway at Wansford. The station is a short walk from the River Nene visitor mooring pontoon.

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Alway Swilby

[Tracy D'arth]

East Lancashire Railway?

 

There is a miniature railway in the park at the side of the canal in Sale.

[TheBiscuits]

I we're considering miniatures, Haigh Hall country park has one just above Wigan

[magnetman]

This is near Walton on Thames apparently. 1/8 scale. 

 

http://www.cockcrow.co.uk/page6.html

[Stroudwater1]

Didcot isn’t too far, one bus from Thrupp train from Oxford Parkway to Didcot. 
 

Mooring near Hatton will fairly often get a good view of steam travel up Hatton Bank.  
 

Evesham Vale Light railway, again a bus ride really as Green Hill is a bit of a slog. 
 

Statfold Country Park Tamworth is another bus ride away. They have heritage weekends with old buses picking people up from Tamworth rail station. Highly recommended place these days. 

[Tim Lewis]

Loughborough for the Great Central Railway.

 

Leighton. Buzzard for their narrow gauge railway