PRESERVED & SPECIAL INTEREST RAILWAY LINKS
for Southern England & South Wales
Southern

 

Operating Steam & Diesel Railways (standard gauge) Closed Railway Companies & Routes
Operating Steam & Diesel Railways (narrow gauge) Closed Railway Stations
Miniature Railways Closed Underground Railway Stations
Railway Museums & Steam Centres Railway History (Lines Open or Closed)
Tramways Trailways along former Railway Tracks
Underground Railways and DLR Planned New Railways
Preserved Stations and Infrastructures Railway Clubs & Societies
Individual Locomotives or Locomotive Types  

My Photographs

 

Operating Steam & Diesel Railways (standard gauge)

Swanage Railway (Dorset) (6 miles long)
http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk
 My Photographs (1985, 1996, 2008)

Alderney Railway (Braye, Alderney, Channel Islands) (2 miles long)
(Operates diesel-hauled former London Underground Tube Stock)
http://www.alderneyrailway.com
My Photographs (2005)

Avon Steam Railway (Bitton near Bristol) (2 miles long)
http://www.avonvalleyrailway.org/

Barry Island Railway (Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan) (2 miles long)
http://www.valeofglamorganrailway.co.uk/

Bluebell Railway (West Sussex) (9 miles long)
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/
My Photographs (1999)

Bodmin & Wenford Railway (Bodmin, Cornwall) (6½ miles long)
http://www.bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk/

Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway (Chinnor, near Princes Risborough, Oxfordshire) (3½ miles long)
http://www.cprra.co.uk/

Cholsey & Wallingford Railway (Wallingford, Oxfordshire) (2½ miles long)
http://www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com/

Colne Valley Railway (Castle Hedingham, Essex) (1 mile long)
http://www.colnevalleyrailway.co.uk/

Dean Forest Railway (Lydney, Gloucestershire) (4¼ miles long)
http://www.deanforestrailway.co.uk
My Photographs (1994)

East Kent Railway (Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent) (2 miles long)
http://www.eastkentlightrailway.moonfruit.com/

East Somerset Railway (Cranmore, Shepton Mallet, Somerset) (2 miles long)
http://www.eastsomersetrailway.com/
My Photographs (2000)

Epping Ongar Railway (Ongar, Essex) (6 miles long)
Closed until 2009 for upgrading work)
http://www.eorailway.co.uk/

Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway (Toddington, Gloucestershire) (10 miles long)
http://www.gwsr.com/

Gwili Steam Railway (Bronwydd Arms, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire) (1½ miles long)
http://www.gwili-railway.co.uk/

Isle of Wight Steam Railway (Havenstreet, Isle of Wight) (5 miles long)
http://www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk/

Kent & East Sussex Railway (Tenterden, Kent) (10½ miles long)
http://www.kesr.org.uk/
My photographs (1999)

Lavender Line (Isfield, near Uckfield, East Sussex) (1 mile long)
http://www.lavender-line.co.uk/

Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line)  (New Alresford, Hampshire) (10 miles long)
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/

Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway (Paignton, Devon) (7 miles long)
http://www.paignton-steamrailway.co.uk/

Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway (Blaenavon, Pontypool, Torfaen) (½ mile long)
http://www.pontypool-and-blaenavon.co.uk/

South Devon Railway (Totnes, Devon) (7 miles long)
http://www.southdevonrailway.org/

Spa Valley Railway (Tunbridge Wells, Kent) (3 miles long)
http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/

Swindon & Cricklade Railway (Blunsdon, Swindon, Wilts) (approx 1½ miles long)
http://www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org/

West Somerset Railway (Minehead, Somerset) (20 miles long)
http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/
My Photographs (2002)

 

Operating Steam & Diesel Railways (narrow gauge) (See Note 1)

Brecon Mountain Railway (2 foot gauge) (Merthyr Tydfil) (3½ miles long)
http://www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk/

Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway (2 foot gauge) (near Sittingborne, Kent) ( ½ mile long)
http://www.bwlr.co.uk/

Devon Railway Centre (2 foot gauge) (Bickleigh, near Tiverton, Devon) (½ mile long)
Also features a miniature railway (7¼ inch gauge, ½ mile long; and a standard gauge display at Bickleigh Station)
 http://www.devonrailwaycentre.co.uk/

Gartell Light Railway (2 foot gauge) (Templecombe, south east Somerset) (¾ mile long)
Track runs along part of former Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
http://www.glr-online.co.uk/

Launceston Steam Railway (2 foot gauge) (Launceston, Cornwall) (2½ miles long)
http://www.launcestonsr.co.uk/

Leighton Buzzard Railway (2 foot gauge) (Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire) (2¾ miles long)
http://www.buzzrail.co.uk/

Lynton & Barnstaple Railway (2 foot gauge) (Parracombe, near Lynton, Devon) (1 mile long)
http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/

Teifi Valley Railway (2 foot gauge) (Hellan, near Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire) (2 miles long)
http://www.teifivalleyrailway.com/

 

Miniature Railways (See Note 1)

Alderney Miniature Railway (7¼ inch gauge) (Mannez Quarry, Alderney, Channel Islands) (½ mile loop)
http://www.alderneyrailway.com/miniature.htm
My Photographs (2005)

Beech Hurst Park Miniature Railway (dual 5 inch and 3½ inch gauge)  (Haywards Heath, West Sussex) (½ mile long)
http://www.beechhurst-railway.org.uk/

Beer Heights Light Railway (7¼ inch gauge) (Beer, South Devon) (1 mile long)
http://www.peco-uk.com/Pecorama/BHLR.htm
My Photographs (1985)

Bentley Miniature Railway (dual 7¼ inch and 5 inch gauge) (Uckfield, East Sussex) (Just under ½ mile long)
http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/indexf.html

Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway (7¼ inch gauge) (East Sussex) (¾ mile long)
http://www.emsr.co.uk/

Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway (dual 10¼ inch and 7¼ inch gauge) (Eastleigh, Hampshire) (1¼ miles long)
http://www.steamtrain.co.uk/

Evesham Vale Light Railway (15 inch gauge) (Twyford, Evesham, Worcs) (just over 1 mile long)
http://www.evlr.co.uk/

Exbury Gardens Steam Railway (Exbury Gardens, near Fawley, Hampshire) (1¼ mile circular route)
http://www.exbury.co.uk/

Faversham Miniature Railway (9 inch gauge) (Faversham, Kent) (¼ mile long)
http://fmrs.org.uk/

Great Cockcrow Railway (7¼ inch gauge) (Chertsey, Surrey) (2 miles long)
http://www.cockcrow.co.uk/

Lappa Valley Steam Railway (15", 10¼" and 7¼" gauges) (Near Newquay, Cornwall) (1 mile long)
http://www.lappavalley.co.uk/

Moors Valley Railway (7¼ inch gauge) (near Ferndown, East Dorset) (1 mile long)
http://www.moorsvalleyrailway.co.uk/
My Photographs (2008)

Perrygrove Railway (15 inch gauge) (Coleford, Gloucestershire) (1½ miles long)
http://www.perrygrove.co.uk/

Powderham Light Railway  (7¼ inch gauge)  (Powderham Castle, Kenton, Exeter, Devon) (¾ mile long)
http://www.get-on-track.co.uk/Railway%20Home.htm

Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (15 inch gauge) (Kent) (13½ miles long)
http://www.rhdr.org.uk/

Strawberry Line Miniature Railway (5 inch gauge)  (Avon Valley Country Park, Keynsham, Bristol) (¾ mile long)
http://www.strawberryminirail.co.uk/

Swanley New Barn Railway (7¼ inch gauge) (Swanley, Kent) (just over ½ mile long)
http://www.snbr.20m.com/

 

Railway Museums & Steam Centres
Steam Museums and Centres often have a short line for demonstration shunting, and may provide public rides on special event days.

Amberley Working Museum (Amberley, West Sussex)
Wide-ranging industrial heritage museum.  2-foot narrow gauge railway operates, although examples of most gauges are on display.
 http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/index2.html

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre (Quainton Road Station, nr Aylesbury, Bucks)
http://www.bucksrailcentre.org/

Devon Railway Centre (2 foot gauge) (Bickleigh, near Tiverton, Devon) (½ mile long)
Also features a miniature railway (7¼ inch gauge, ½ mile long; and a standard gauge display at Bickleigh Station)
 http://www.devonrailwaycentre.co.uk/

Didcot Railway Centre (Didcot, Oxfordshire) (line ¾ mile long)
http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/

East Anglian Railway Museum (Chappel and Wakes Colne Railway station, Colchester, Essex)
Steam and diesel working museum, with rides along the tracks within the complex on several days during each year.
 http://www.earm.co.uk/

Elham Valley Railway Museum (near Folkestone, Kent)
http://www.elhamvalleylinetrust.org/

Griffithstown Railway Museum (Griffithstown, Pontypool, Torfaen)
Former Engine Shed housing a collection of railway memorabilia.
 http://www.welshicons.org.uk/html/griffithstown_railway_museum.php

Hollycombe Steam in the Country (Liphook, Hampshire)
Features steam of all kinds (traction engines, fairground etc), as well as railways.
Features a standard gauge railway (one third of a mile);  a narrow gauge railway (2 foot gauge - 1½ miles);  and a miniature railway (7¼ inch gauge - one third of a mile loop).
http://www.hollycombe.co.uk/

Kew Bridge Steam Museum (Kew Bridge, West London)
Exhibiting steam-powered water pumping engines from the 19th century, and the history of water distribution in London.
Includes a 2-foot gauge short line with a loco owned by the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust, running on Sundays except in winter.
http://www.kbsm.org/

London Transport Museum (Covent Garden, Central London)
Covers road-based public transport as well as (Underground) railways.
 http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/

Mangapps Railway Museum (Burnham on Crouch, Essex)
Indoor displays of railway memorabilia, plus outdoor exhibits of restored stations, signal boxes etc collected from various places in East Anglia.
Also has a ¾ mile standard gauge passenger carrying line with running steam and diesel locomotives on certain days of the year.
 http://www.mangapps.co.uk/

Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Heritage Museum (Brockford Station, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket, Suffolk)
Local railway museum set in a country station, with a short section of track and occasional steam days.
http://www.mslr.org.uk/

Plym Valley Railway (Plymouth, Devon)
 At present has a ¾ mile long track, but has plans to double this length.
 http://www.btinternet.com/~plymvalleyrailway/home.html

Pump House Steam & Transport Museum (Walthamstow, east London)
Contains railway and bus exhibits and memorabilia.
http://www.leavalleyexperience.co.uk/

Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust (Midsomer Norton, Somerset)
 Based at Midsomer Norton old station building which houses the gift shop and ticket office.
They have 1/4 of a mile of railway, which is soon to be extended southwards towards Chilcompton.
 http://www.sdjr.co.uk/

Steam - Museum of the Great Western Railway (Swindon, Wiltshire)
Built in the former Swindon Railway Works - static displays - no live steam.
 http://www.steam-museum.org.uk/
http://www.swindon.gov.uk/steam

Yeovil Railway Centre (Yeovil Junction Station, Somerset) (line ¼ mile long)
http://www.yeovilrailway.freeservers.com/

 

Tramways

Croydon Tramlink (South London)
Comprehensive site about the Croydon Trams with just about anything you would want know, and plenty of photographs.
 http://www.croydon-tramlink.co.uk/

London Tramways
Photographic database of London Trams from 1949 to 1952.
 http://www.londontramways.net/

Seaton Tramway (Seaton, South Devon) (Gauge: 2 feet, 9 inches) (3½ miles long)
http://www.tram.co.uk/
My Photographs (1985)

 

Underground Railways and DLR

Cravens Heritage Trains
This orgaisation "exists to promote the preservation of London Underground rolling stock and artifacts."
 http://www.cravensheritagetrains.co.uk/

District Dave's Underground Website
History of the District Line, with up-to-dates news items and many photographs, by a former District Line driver.
 http://www.trainweb.org/districtdave/

Docklands Light Railway
http://www.thetrams.co.uk/dlr/
Full details of the present system with photos of all stations.
 http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/dockland.html
 Excellent history of the railway lines in the dock areas now used by the DLR, plus plenty of other information.
 My Photographs (1985, 1987)

History of London Tube Maps (London Underground)
Scans of the tube maps issued from 1889 to 2002, with written details of changes on each edition.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/clivebillson/tube/tube.html

Clive's Underground Line Guides (London Underground)
Detailed history of each line of the London Underground with route diagrams and other information.
http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/

 

Preserved Stations and Infrastructures (See Note 2)

Axbridge Station (Axbridge, Somerset)
 Now a community centre for the town.
 http://www.onlineweb.com/railways/axbridge_station/axbridge_station.htm
My Photographs (2008)

Bideford Station (North Devon)
Preserved buildings with an information centre and some carriages on a short track.  Part of the Tarka Trail, which now extends along the former railway line of North Devon.
 http://www.thenorthdevonfocus.co.uk/Bideford%20Station.htm

Braughing Station (Hertfordshire)
 Now a fully restored private home.
 http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/stations/gallery/braughing.html
My Photographs (1973)

Breamore Station (Breamore, Hampshire)
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/b/breamore/index.shtml
My Photographs (2006)

Holmsley Station (Hampshire)
This station on the Brokenhurst to Wimborne Line ("Castleman's Corkscrew") is now a restaurant and tea room, with pleasant outside areas for the better weather.
 http://www.newforesttearooms.co.uk/history-station-house-burley-new-forest.htm

Hurn Station (near Christchurch, Dorset)
This former station, closed in 1935, is now the Avon Causeway Hotel with public restaurant and bar.  The site includes a short track with a loco and carriages.
 http://www.avoncauseway.co.uk/
My Photographs (2007)

Shillingstone Station Preservation Project (Dorset)
Currently undergoing restoration by a local trust.
 http://www.shillingstone-station-project.co.uk/ OR http://www.shillingstone.addr.com/
My Photographs (2008)

Tintern Station (near Chepstow, Monmouthshire)
Now part of a recreation area, with a restaurant in the station building, an art gallery in the signal box, and with two carriages used as information and activity centres.  Owned by Monmouthshire Council.
 http://www.urban75.org/photos/wales/tintern.html (Many old photos of the station)
http://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/Monmouth/English/Environment_and_Planning/Countryside/Explore_the_Countryside/Sites/Old+Station+Tintern.htm
My Photographs (2008)

West Bay Station (Dorset).  
Now a café.
 Photo and some history:  http://www.westbay.co.uk/bridport/railway.html

 

Individual Locomotives or Locomotive Types (also EMUs & DMUs)

Bulleid Society
 Owns and restores Bulleid locomotives which are kept on the Bluebell Railway.
 http://www.locos-in-profile.co.uk/Bulleid_Society/index.html

Class 56 Group
Group dedicated to the preservation of Class 56 diesel locomotives, fully withdrawn in 2004.
 http://www.class56group.co.uk/

Class 442 ("Wessex" EMU)
Celebrating the Waterloo/Weymouth EMUs 1988-2007
http://www.class442.co.uk/

Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited
Owners and restorers of locos 7820 and 3850 on the West Somerset Railway.
 http://www.dinmoremanor.co.uk/

EPB Preservation Group (Electric Multiple Units) (operating on the East Kent Railway)
 This group actively restores and operates ex-Southern electric multiple units on the East Kent Railway.
 http://www.epbpg.co.uk/

Maunsell Locomotive Society
 Estabished to restore steam engines that were designed by Richard Maunsell of the Southern Railway.  Their restored locos are kept on the Bluebell Railway.
 http://www.maunsell.org/

Preserved Diesels
Comprehensive website about diesel locomotives owned by preservation groups in the UK.
 http://preserved-diesels.co.uk/

South Devon Diesel Traction
Organisation formed to preserve, operate & hire out ex B.R. Diesel locomotives, based on the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh, Devon.
http://www.sddt.co.uk/

Southern Electric Group
 Organisation for enthusiasts, historians, modellers and preservationists of the largest third rail electric railway system in the world.
 http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/

 

Closed Railway Companies & Routes

Buntingford Branch Line (Hertfordshire)
 "The Bunt" is a society dedicated to the history of the Buntingford Line, itself known by locals as "The Bunt".
 http://www.thebunt.co.uk/

Ringwood to Christchurch Branch (Hampshire)
Useful information about this line which was an early branch line casualty, lasting just 73 years from 1862 to 1935.
 http://www.users.waitrose.com/~rod99/pages/rail/ringwood-christchurch.htm

Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
Comprehensive photo library of the S&DJR infrastructure since closure of the line.
 http://www.nevard.com/sdjr/

Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust (Washford, Somerset - on the WSR)
http://www.sdrt.org.uk/

Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway
Comprehensive site giving full details of this former Somerset railway, with many photos, past and present.
 http://www.wcandpr.org.uk/

Weymouth Quay Branch Line
Information about this railway line through the streets of Weymouth, which was in use until the 1980s.
 http://www.gearwheelsmag.co.uk/features/weymouthquayrailway.htm
My Photographs (1985) 

 

Closed Railway Stations

Closed Stations
 A collection of private photographs from the 1980s to the present of closed stations and lines.
 http://www.disusedrailways.co.uk/Closed%20Stations1.htm

Disused Stations
 Details of more than 1000 closed stations, including photos.
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/

 

Closed Underground Railway Stations

Disused Tube
 Photo collection with plenty of useful historical and current information.
http://www.disusedtube.co.uk/

London's Abandoned Tube Stations
Details of all closed tube stations with many photographs
 http://www.abandonedstations.org.uk/

Underground History
Comprehensive review of all closed London tube stations with photographs
http://underground-history.co.uk/front.php

 

Railway History (Lines Open or Closed)

Forgotten Relics
Celebrating the great achievements in railway construction - viaducts, tunnels, etc. (Most items seem to be in the north, but some southern constructions are covered).
 http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/

The Railway Archive
Free online archive of documents charting the development of Britain's railways
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/

 

Trailways along former Railway Tracks

Railway Ramblers
Organisation which arranges walks along disused railway lines and other historical transport routes.
 http://www.railwayrambers.org.uk

Castleman Trail - Brockenhurst to Hamworthy (Hampshire/Dorset)
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ron.strutt/rrcor2.html

Hayling Billy Trail (Hayling Island, Hampshire)
Footpath along the former Hayling Island Railway Line.
http://www.havant.gov.uk/havant-2646

Rodwell Trail (Weymouth, Dorset)
http://website.lineone.net/~wendyedwards/rodwelltrailcont.html

Strawberry Line (North Somerset)
http://www.thestrawberryline.co.uk/d/147/Yatton_to_Cheddar.html

Tarka Trail (North Devon)
Extensive foot and cycle path along  former railway lines of North Devon.
 http://www.devon.gov.uk/tarkatrail.htm

 

Planned New Railways

Cross Rail (Berkshire-London-Essex)
The route will go from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west across the capital into Essex and Kent in the east. It will travel underground through the city centre between Paddington and east London in newly-constructed tunnels.
http://www.crossrail.co.uk/

 

Railway Clubs & Societies

Broad Gauge Society
Formed 1980 to promote research into, and the modelling of, the 7' 0¼" Broad Gauge Railways of Great Britain.
http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/

Engine Shed Society
Founded in 1986 for the study of British locomotive sheds and depots, both extinct and existing.
http://www.abrail.co.uk/ess.htm

Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust
http://www.hngrt.org.uk/

London Underground Railway Society
The LURS exists to study all aspects of London's underground railways - past, present and future.
 http://www.lurs.org.uk/

Rother Valley Railway
 Plans to connect the Kent & East Sussex Railway at Bodiam to the main line railway at Robertsbridge.
 http://www.rvr.org.uk/

Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust (Washford, Somerset - on the WSR)
http://www.sdrt.org.uk/

South Eastern & Chatham Railway Society
"The Society was founded in 1973 to promote interest in the South Eastern and Chatham Railway , its two constituent railways (the London Chatham and Dover Railway and the South Eastern Railway) and successors".
http://www.southeasternandchathamrailway.org.uk/

Southern Electric Group
 Organisation for enthusiasts, historians, modellers and preservationists of the largest third rail electric railway system in the world.
 http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/

 

Please send your suggested links and other comments to:  mjs@onlineweb.com
(copy and paste the e-mail address into the address bar of your e-mail client)

 

 

NOTES:

NOTE 1: GAUGE SIZES

Standard Gauge in the UK is 4ft 8½in  (1.435 mtrs)

Narrow Gauge is typically between 2 and 3 feet (approx 0.6 mtrs and 0.9 mtrs), although they can be wider or narrower

Miniature Railway Gauge is typically between 5 and 15 inches (127mm and 381mm), with 7¼ inches (185 mm) most common.  Some "miniature" railways have gauges of 18 or even 20 inches, which makes them almost narrow gauge railways.

The distinction between narrow gauge and miniature gauge can be very fluid, and often depends on how the owners wish to describe their railway.  Generally, such railways are listed here under Narrow Gauge or Miniature Railway headings according to the gauge sizes mentioned above.

For narrow gauge and miniature railways listed, the gauge size is given alongside each individual railway name.

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NOTE 2: PRESERVED STATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURES

This section only lists individual buildings which do not form part of an operating railway line, but now exist in isolation.  Such buildings will have been restored, or are in the process of being restored, and the public has or will have access, although this may be restricted in some cases.  Some of these buildings are now railway museums, or may be tourist information centres, community or leisure centres, or even restaurants.  Clearly, former stations that are now private homes are not listed, unless they are already the subject of a publicly-available website.

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My Photographs

 

 

Please send your suggested links and other comments to:  mjs@onlineweb.com
(copy and paste the e-mail address into the address bar of your e-mail client)

© Copyright M J Smith, 2008
No photographs to be reproduced elsewhere without permission.