Latest news with #heritageRailway
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The joy of railways is shared by millions
Although a not a full-on Thomas the Tank Engine fan, I have for 65 years been an out-there and unashamed enthusiast for anything running on rails ('Thomas the Tank Engine clung to me like a disease': the film about the choo-choo's global grownup superfans, 22 July). My wife and I sometimes do front-of-house at a heritage railway and can confirm the attraction of railways for those with autism, particularly young people. There is a predictability about railways, timetables, signals and all the other paraphernalia that is very attractive. Also, there is endless scope for studying minutiae and collecting odd bits of information. Numbers and names on the engines, liveries (colours of trains to you), performance records and endless other statistics. And, as honoured by Brannon Carty's film, discussed in your article, you don't have to be a loner if you don't want to: there are millions of others to share your passion. The study of Thomas's creator, the Anglican cleric Wilbert Awdry, is recreated at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn: a small collection of theological texts on one side, a joyful collection of railway books on the other, with a model railway spread across his desk. Wonderful!Rev David GibsonNewark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- BBC News
Driver celebrates 'unbelievably unique' 50-year horse tram career
A horse tram driver who is celebrating 50 years working on the Isle of Man's heritage railway said the "unbelievably unique" experience was "just good fun".Peter Cannon started out on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway as a tram conductor on 6 July 1975 when he was 17 years launched in 1876, the historic trams now operate as part of the government's heritage railway Cannon said he enjoyed being able to work outside alongside the horses and could not imagine doing any other career. The horse tramway is one of the oldest horse-drawn tram services in the world, operating along the Manx capital's promenade from the Strathallan Terminal to the War Memorial. While the tramway has been in operation for 149 years, the service have not always been recent years refurbishment works on the promenade and the coronavirus pandemic put the service on hiatus respectively. And the changes to the service, and its use, were things Mr Cannon noted had changed considerably over the years. Looking back to 1975 he said: "They were obviously a big tourist attraction but they were also public transport."There was a better horse tram service along the promenade than there was a bus service.""In the height of the season there would be a tram every two and a half minutes," he said. "It was seriously busy, it was like TT week now, every week." Mr Cannon said although he is now celebrating 50 years on the trams, it had simply begun as a summer job after he finished his he said it had become a lifelong career he would not trade."Most people who have worked here over the years will tell you it's the best job they've ever had," he said."It's out in the nice weather, you're dealing with animals, it's a unique thing to do, unbelievably unique.""And just good fun." The heritage railway will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2026, something Mr Cannon said he was looking forward to."When I first started I didn't appreciate the history of it, a lot of people back then who lived here just took it for granted."He said he had no current plans to stop driving the horse trams, but would "have a think" after next year and might consider "winding down". Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
21-06-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Severn Valley Railway: How do you repair a heritage railway landslip?
Following a storm at the end of January, the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) suffered a major blow - a serious landslip that halted some services and cost tens of thousands of affected area was between the Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade stations, and meant that trains could not operate railway runs for 16 miles from Kidderminster in Worcestershire to Bridgnorth in how do you fix a major issue on a heritage railway line that was built in the 1860s? It's something Antony Bartlam - a structural engineer and project manager at SVR - has been working hard to deal with. He has been involved with SVR for more than 10 years, and spent the last three overseeing structural worksHe described the landslip as a "complete freak accident." "We had a tree that wasn't on our land, it fell and caused some damage to one of the wing walls on the bridge," he said."That allowed water to get behind the wing wall and that then caused the collapse."We'd actually inspected that bridge not long beforehand, so we knew it was in good condition."A lot of paperwork needed to be filled out before any work could actually process began with an insurance claim, which required evidence to prove that the slip was an accident. It was then on to contractors."They're very experienced with railway work, they said that it's one of the most complex jobs that they've had to undertake," said Mr job needed involvement from Shropshire Council and the Environment Agency before working in the watercourse."We've had to have surveys done for animals like otters and crayfish, anything that's in the brook that could be affected by what we're doing."Earlier this week, the embankment was dug out to allow a new wall to be constructed. Next, they will pour concrete for the new foundation, and the wall will go up."That embankment and the wing wall have been there for 160-odd years and nothing has happened to it, and that's why it's such a freak accident," said Mr Bartlam. "We had floods back in 2007 which caused a major problem with the railway... I would probably equate them to that in terms of the damage that it's caused."He added it would be a "big relief" when the section was open again."Bridgnorth has been very cut off, I know retail trade has been affected by the railway not running up there."Once the work is completed, testing will take place, followed by monitoring for about a month."That'll be a little bit of a nervous time to make sure everything's settled in and is working as it should do, but once that's completed then there should be no further issues," said Mr railway is due to fully reopen on 25 July. The Flying Scotsman will run on 26 and 27 July - tickets for which sold out in three minutes. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-oregon-coast-scenic-railroad-ORCOASTRR0625-0910df83b3584cb39be0f96da8f92775.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
16-06-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This Scenic Train Ride in an Old-fashioned Locomotive Has Open-air Cars and Seaside Stops
On a stretch of the Oregon Coast where pine-covered hills roll to the Pacific Ocean, an old-fashioned steam locomotive chugs along the shoreline, offering an unhurried view of the landscape. The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway that runs between the small towns of Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach, carrying passengers through a cinematic slice of coastal Oregon past tidal flats, fishing boats, and weathered piers. The train's signature trip, the Oregon Coastal Excursion - Rockaway Beach & Garibaldi, departs from either Rockaway Beach or Garibaldi and ends in the opposite town. The 30-minute journey includes onboard narration that shares the history of the route and sights along the way along with nonstop views of both the Oregon seaside and thick, coastal forest. Upon arrival at your destination—be it Rockaway Beach or Garibaldi—you have 30 minutes to checkout local restaurants and shops or head to the beach before reboarding the train and returning to your starting destination. (Travelers can book a later return time if they want more than 30 minutes to explore.) Most trips are 90 minutes roundtrip, with a 30-minute train ride each way and a 30-minute layover. The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad has both indoor and outdoor, open-air cars. Travelers who want to travel indoors can choose from a 'Coach Car' with cushioned seats and windows that can slide open or a 'Table Car,' which has two- and four-seat tables with chairs and windows that can slide open. The outdoor car options include a 'Covered Open Car' with bench seats and a roof and a fully 'Open Top Car,' which has bench seats, but no roof. Dogs and other small pets, like cats, are allowed on the train, but only in the two outdoor car types. The train is also wheelchair accessible via a wheelchair lift that's located at the Garibaldi Station. With that in mind, travelers in wheelchairs will need to board the train in Garibaldi and travel north to Rockaway Beach. It is important to note that there is no lift at Rockaway Beach, so wheelchair travelers have to stay on board for the 30 minute layover. If you need the lift to board, arrive at Garibaldi Station at least 30 minutes before the set departure time. Tickets for the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad start at $32 for adults and $24 for children ages 3 to 12. Seniors are $27 and infants are free. Tickets can be purchased online, in advance at Typically, the train is pulled by a 99 year-old steam locomotive, but occasionally, the steam locomotive is replaced with a historic diesel locomotive. The locomotive type is noted at checkout.
BBC News
07-06-2025
- BBC News
Weekend marks Norfolk heritage railway's 35th anniversary
A heritage railway is celebrating its 35th anniversary by reuniting two locomotives to re-create the first journey made on its Valley Railway opened in July 1990 after new track was laid on the former Great Eastern Railway between Aylsham and Wroxham, weekend, locomotives Samson and Winston Churchill, which hauled the first train out of Wroxham station in 1990, will return to the director Andrew Barnes said: "We have a place in railway history and we will fly the flag for railways in Britain." LISTEN: A special reunion at Bure Valley Railway The track bed that the line was built on dates back to 1880 and was crucial for transporting timber, grain and military personnel during World War nationalisation, the line closed to passengers in 1952 but was used by freight services until 1982, with the tracks removed by Bure Valley Railway attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year. Over the weekend, a variety of locomotives will be back in service with the railway providing the "most intensive train service we've offered in many years", Mr Barnes added that the Samson and Winston Churchill locomotives were an "integral part" of British railway Mr Barnes said he hoped the railway would continue for many years to come."We've got the skills to maintain everything. We can repair everything here," he said."If we can get young people involved, there's definitely a future for it." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
