Train Journeys in the UK
 

I am someone who loves to get out and about on trains whenever I can (which isn't very often these days). I was wondering if anyone else here was the same, and if they had any particularly great journeys they had done in the UK?

My favourites (in no particular order):

Standard Gauge

Exeter - Barnstaple
Exeter - Paignton
Cardiff - Gloucester
Shrewsbury - Craven Arms
Cambrian Coast Railway (Aberystwyth - Pwllheli)
Cambrian Coast Railway (Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury)
Llandudno - Blaenau Ffestiniog

Steam Railways

Porthmadog - Blaenau Ffestiniog (which is absolutely beautiful)
Paignton - Kingswear
Aberystwyth - Devils Bridge
Porthmadog - Blaenau Ffestiniog

I'm sure there are more I've done but these are the ones that spring to mind...

I love the steam railway on the north york moors, goathland to grosmont. But I think that's as it's the only steam railway I've been on. But the moors are fairly spectacular for their scenery.

Oooo that sounds good *goes off to play with google*

Me too, Paignton to Kingswear for Dartmouth, lovely journey :-) been on it twice this year :-D

My limit was network southeast every morning to school for 7 years - those old slam door trains with 'doggy [single] carriages' as well. Petts Wood to Chislehurst.
No fun, as can be imagined.
Network SE coast trains travelling regularly to Canterbury from Rochester when I lived there.
And then intercity to uni interviews. Much more exciting!

But then in my pre-agoraphobia days, I've been on virtually every area of the tube - I'll say one thing about supply teaching, it makes you well travelled!

Me likes Aber-Shrewsbury when the trains are on time :wow:

Aaaand, my Grandparents work/own part of the Porthmadog steam railway! There's a random fact you needed to know :tongue2:

Hehe you should go again, it's great, I went on it last summer too!!

Has anyone here done the run from Crianlarich (north end of Loch Lomond) to Fort William? I've driven that route, following the A82, about a million times on our way up to Skye and the Western Isles and I've always felt that one day I should drop James and Harley off to do that bit of the journey by train. I suspect it's spectacular, particularly around Ben Orchy ...

Tony.

Porthmadog i agree is lovely. Nice peacefull place =)

However i've gone to hate Llandudno after too many visits there throughout my childhood! *shudders*

Wow, I'm amazed that out of our pretty huge membership no-one seems to have done the Crianlarich - Fort William run. I was hoping for guidance or recommendations ...

Tony (who was getting his kilt on.)

basically with my dad being a train enthusiast and photographs trains I spend most of my life on the trains mainly though the Virgin cross country
this is what i've done so far
-Dawlish warren-Derby
-Barnstaple Derby
-Derby leicester
-Derby Edinburgh
-Derby manchester
-derby birmingham
-Dawlish warren-plymouth
-dawlish warren exeter

ok think you get it now i'm train mad lol but only cross country lol
my longest train journey was Gravesend-Derby

Gravesend - london bridge
london bridge- london Euston
London euston Birmingham
Birmingham derby
all in one day took about 5 hours lol

Which they are. Once or twice. A year. Heh.

Oooooo definitely good to know!!!!

I've not done the Paignton one for several years either. I always seem to go there when it is closed! Grr.

My longest journey was from Scotland to Mid Wales and took over 16 hours!

Lewes to Newhaven. Brilliant scenery. You go past a river and it sometimes has mist hanging over it. You also see lots of rabbits, cows, sheep, horses and sometimes a deer.

I just love the feeling of being pulled away from home on a train, taking me far far away as quickly as possible!!

Ems, that is exactly how I feel!!!

The strathsspey railway is meant to be nice, havent personally done it yet as i never have the money.

Thurso- inverness is quite a nice journey through the mountains

I dont reccommend traveling from surrey to northern scotland by train, awful journey!

Tony, i may have done it when i was a kid, but i dont really remember

I caught a programme on TV earlier about the old railways in Norfolk, they looked quite nice, a steam railway.

Thanks, Eleutheros and Rhubarb. There's no way we could go North without the car because of dog and always tons of baggage. But I could drop James and Harley off on the way and pick them up at Fort William - and next year they could do the same for me.

What a pity though that it'll no longer be a steam train going "choof, choof, choof" through the cuttings with the sound echoing back and soot all over your face when you look out of the window!

There's a wonderful poem by a man called Patrick Chalmers about the old days when sportsmen used to take the train from London to Scotland every August for the fishing and the grouse shooting. I'll try to find it and post it - it really is very evocative, about the old LNER railway line, not the grouse shooting!


Tony.

Tony if you are in the aviemore area i do recommend the steam railway there, always see it when i go to aviemore for the day. They are currently extending it so it will be sticking around :p