I took a 2 week trip to the UK to see trains I had not seen when I lived there in my youth. I posted a picture essay on Largescalecentral.
Bucket-List Trip to UK Railways - Part 1
Bucket-List Trip to UK Railways - Part 1
Pete Thornton
Bucket List Trip to UK
Always wanted to ride the little railways in Wales but did not have the opportunity. Glad to hear you checked that off your list. My favorite while visiting was riding the heritage trams in Blackpool.
-- Now that Photo Tour brings back some wonderful memories!! Looks like you had a very fine tour, Pete..... except next time you must try to allow yourself more time for "absorbing, plain gawking, and exploration", not doing so seems to be a common error in traveling in England & Wales, as I once found out. Allowing about a Full Day or better yet Two Days or more for each Steam Railway stop, especially for those in Wales is good advice.....
-- Pete, methinks you'll hafta arrange and make another Trip across the pond, Eh?!
-- Exactly 25 years ago this same month (!), I enjoyed a most extraordinary 2-week trip to England & Wales!
-- I had friends on the Management & Driver Staff of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (R&ER, 15" gauge) on the NW coast in Ravenglass Cumbria (in the fabulous mountainous Lakeland Districts), and they helped me with a fine Itinerary throughout my 2-weeks. I had to cut back their way too busy proposed Itinerary, because I knew I would require much more time to "relax, gawk, & absorb", and yet I still enjoyed a most incredible & delightful journey. Foregoing & avoiding "big cities" aside from "rolling thru them"... in favor visiting the rural & woodland regions of Small Towns & Colorful Hamlets, with fascinating Pubs & Fine Ales, and booking Lodging in quaint B&B's, I mostly travelled cheaply using a Brit-Rail "Flexi-Pass", which must be purchased before departing the USA..... this Pass paid for itself in the first two days, the remaining Rail travel quota being essentially "Free", and unlimited for a period up to two months! In two-weeks, with luck I only experienced 2 or 3 days of "rainy or stormy weather", the autumn days were usually sunny, clear & nice, the nights were refreshingly crisp in the mountain regions!!
-- Travelling from Gatwick AP, to Dover & SE Kent, then riding on the Standard Gauge high-speed Express trains, blasting from & thru London, then rolling across the Midlands & up the Western Mainlines, then turning Inland & rolling north over Shap Summit as far as Carlisle..... we then had a unique romp down the west coast riding a pair of "Pacer Units" to Ravenglass (where I spent 4 days). Then, an R&ER Driver friend and I drove his auto down into mountainous N. Wales, treating me to an exclusive tour to fill out my two-week railway exploration journey, with the Greatest of Thanks & Appreciation extended to all of the Heritage Railway "Folks", who know and take priceless care of each other by trading "favours"! I visited virtually every NG Steam Railway in N. Wales (except for the Mt Snowdon Cog Railway), and was greeted by Railway Managers (!) on each line, as well as treated to rare "Footplate Rides" throughout (!), spending usually at least a full day riding on or exploring each of seven different Great Little Narrow-Gauge Railways. Of course, this was an incomparable "Red Carpet" hospitality treatment which I could never hope to repay my friends!! 🤩😃
-- Always hoping to make a return journey, the opportunity never was pressed-upon, and sadly most of my friends there have now passed on..... so now I am blessed with sublime memories and four albums of beautiful photographs!!
-- Pete, methinks you'll hafta arrange and make another Trip across the pond, Eh?!
-- Exactly 25 years ago this same month (!), I enjoyed a most extraordinary 2-week trip to England & Wales!
-- I had friends on the Management & Driver Staff of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (R&ER, 15" gauge) on the NW coast in Ravenglass Cumbria (in the fabulous mountainous Lakeland Districts), and they helped me with a fine Itinerary throughout my 2-weeks. I had to cut back their way too busy proposed Itinerary, because I knew I would require much more time to "relax, gawk, & absorb", and yet I still enjoyed a most incredible & delightful journey. Foregoing & avoiding "big cities" aside from "rolling thru them"... in favor visiting the rural & woodland regions of Small Towns & Colorful Hamlets, with fascinating Pubs & Fine Ales, and booking Lodging in quaint B&B's, I mostly travelled cheaply using a Brit-Rail "Flexi-Pass", which must be purchased before departing the USA..... this Pass paid for itself in the first two days, the remaining Rail travel quota being essentially "Free", and unlimited for a period up to two months! In two-weeks, with luck I only experienced 2 or 3 days of "rainy or stormy weather", the autumn days were usually sunny, clear & nice, the nights were refreshingly crisp in the mountain regions!!
-- Travelling from Gatwick AP, to Dover & SE Kent, then riding on the Standard Gauge high-speed Express trains, blasting from & thru London, then rolling across the Midlands & up the Western Mainlines, then turning Inland & rolling north over Shap Summit as far as Carlisle..... we then had a unique romp down the west coast riding a pair of "Pacer Units" to Ravenglass (where I spent 4 days). Then, an R&ER Driver friend and I drove his auto down into mountainous N. Wales, treating me to an exclusive tour to fill out my two-week railway exploration journey, with the Greatest of Thanks & Appreciation extended to all of the Heritage Railway "Folks", who know and take priceless care of each other by trading "favours"! I visited virtually every NG Steam Railway in N. Wales (except for the Mt Snowdon Cog Railway), and was greeted by Railway Managers (!) on each line, as well as treated to rare "Footplate Rides" throughout (!), spending usually at least a full day riding on or exploring each of seven different Great Little Narrow-Gauge Railways. Of course, this was an incomparable "Red Carpet" hospitality treatment which I could never hope to repay my friends!! 🤩😃
-- Always hoping to make a return journey, the opportunity never was pressed-upon, and sadly most of my friends there have now passed on..... so now I am blessed with sublime memories and four albums of beautiful photographs!!
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
