Whipsnade Zoo Railway 

Address: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 2LF  Location Type: Zoo Park / Narrow Gauge Railway
Telephone: 01582 872171 Line Length: 2 mile loop  Gauge: 2ft 6 inches
Open Days: Zoo - every day except 25 December,  Railway - 2 April until 26 September / October - Saturday & Sunday / 23 - 31 October
Admission: Adult £16.70 - £17.70, Child £12.70 - £13.70, Family £52.80 - £55.60 (2 adults and 2 children) only available online, extra charge for railway
Parking: On site LU6 2LF fee charged
Website: www.zsl.org     YouTubevideo     location map
 

Site Facilities: Refreshments, shop, gifts, playground, children's farm

 

Whipsnade Park Zoo opened to the public in May 1931. Now called ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, the ZSL stands for the Zoological Society of London they also own ZSL London Zoo. Set in 600 acres of parkland the zoo has plenty of room for the resident 2500 animals, with large enclosures giving a more natural habitat. Whipsnade has a worldwide reputation for conservation with many of the species endangered in the wild.

 

Passenger services were started on the railway at Whipsnade Zoo on 26 August 1970. The line was extended further to form a two mile loop and officially opened on 2 August 1973 by Princess Margaret. Most of the equipment came from the Bowater's railway at Sittingbourne, which had the distinction of being the last steam operated narrow gauge industrial railway in the country. There are a number of sharp gradients, bridges and a tunnel on the line which takes visitors around the Asian region of the park. Called the Jumbo Express the train goes past areas with bears, deer, rhinos, elephants donkeys, zebras and tigers. 

 

Two steam Locomotives built by Kerr Stuart & Co. are at the railway they are 'Excelsior' 0-4-0ST built in 1908 and 'Superior' 0-6-0T built in 1920. Each engine can pull five carriages giving a capacity of 125 passengers, the complete journey takes fifteen minutes.

 


Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Address: Quainton Road Station, Station Road, Quainton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP22 4BY  Location Type: Working Railway Museum
Telephone: 01296 655720  Talking Timetable: 01296 655720  Line Length: 1mile (total)  Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Open Days: February - October (see text below and check their website)
Tickets: Static days: Adult £6.50, Child £4.00, Family £17.00 (2 adults and 4 children) Steam days: Adult £9.00, Child £5.50, Family £23.50
Parking: Museum HP22 4BY 
Website:
 www.bucksrailcentre.org     YouTubevideo     location map 

 

Site Facilities: Refreshments, museum, picnic area, miniature railway 

 

Quainton Road Station was the place where three different railway lines met. The Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire Railway opened in 1871. Next the Wooton Tramway arrived in 1871, this eventually became part of the London Underground. Finally the Great Central Railway came in 1899, with the route from Manchester to London Marylebone station.

 

A decline in traffic meant the railway lines were closed one by one, with the Verney Junction being the last to go in March 1963. Quainton Road Station closed although a goods service still continues. Volunteers formed the Quainton  Railway Society in 1962 and by 4 April 1969 the first railway engines started to arrive.

 

On the 25 acre site can be found many railway exhibits including Quainton Road station which dates from the 1890s. A large visitor centre is housed in the 160 year old building that came from Oxford Rewsley Road station. Two railway lines are available to run trains, on busy days both will be in use.

 

Buckingham Railway Centre is open most days from February to October, although there is restricted access. Trains operate on Sundays, Bank holidays and Wednesdays in school holidays. On Saturdays all the site can be viewed but there is no train service.


Fully equipped workshops give the Centre the ability to restore and maintain all types of historic railway machinery. There are many interesting exhibits including: 8 main line steam locomotives; 18 industrial steam locomotives; 8 industrial diesels; travelling post office; brake vans; passenger carriages; goods waggons and numerous smaller artefacts.

 


Hollycombe Steam Collection

Address: Iron Hill, Liphook, Hants GU30 7LP  Location Type: Working Steam Museum
Telephone: 01428 724900  Email: info@hollycombe.co.uk  Line Lengths & Gauges: 4ft inches- ½ mile, 2 ft - miles, inch - 1/3 mile
Open Days: Sunday 4 April - 24 October / Bank holiday / all August except Saturday & Monday / some other days
Admission: Adult £11.00, Child £ 9.00, Family £35.00 (2 adults & 2 children)  Parking: Museum site GU30 7LP
Website: www.hollycombe.co.uk     YouTubevideo     location Map

 

Site Facilities: Refreshments, gardens, picnic tables, souvenir shop

 

The Hollycombe Steam Collection has a unique assortment of steam powered machinery, much of which can be seen working, it includes locomotives, fairground rides, traction engines and steam rollers. Set in a large attractive woodland site there are azaleas, rhododendrons and thousands of trees. 

 

At Hollycombe a typical Edwardian fairground has been constructed with most of the rides powered by steam. Dating from 1912 the Golden Gallopers is the traditional horse ride roundabout. Mr. Field's Steam Circus is another roundabout built before the Gallopers in 1870. Chair-o-planes is a ride where you sit in a chair on chains giving the effect of flying through the air. A Bioscope has been constructed by Hollycombe all powered by a Garrett showmans engine. This is only a selection of rides available. The fairground is open at night on certain days in September and October.

 

A range of showmans engines, traction engines. agricultural engines, steam rollers and stationery engines can often be seen working.

 

There are three railway lines at Hollycombe. The standard gauge is ½ mile long and has one locomotive built in 1899 Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST 'Commander B', which is at present out of action, waiting to be repaired. Two steam locomotives which originally worked in the North Wales slate quarries are run on the narrow gauge track. They are Hunslet 0-4-0ST 'Jerry M' and Barclay 0-4-0WT 'Caledonia'. Four steam engines are available for use on the 7¼ inch miniature gauge railway.

 


Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway

 

Address: Lakeside Country Park, Wide Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 5PE  Location Type: Miniature Railway Line
Telephone: 023 8061 2020  Email: elr@steamtrain.co.uk  Line Length: 1¼ miles circular  Gauge: 10¼ inches & 7¼  inches 
Route: Around Easleigh Lakeside Country Park  Stations: Eastleigh Parkway - Monks Brook Halt  Journey Time: 20 minutes
Service: Every Saturday & Sunday / school holidays / every day mid July - mid September  
Tickets: Adult £3.00, Child £2.50 return fare  Parking: Free at Lakeside Country Park SO50 5PE
Website: www.steamtrain.co.uk     YouTubevideo     location map

 

Eastleigh Parkway Station: Refreshments, shop 

 

Monks Brook Halt: Picnic area, playground

 

Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway (ELSR) started in the summer of 1992 using a short length of 7¼ inch gauge temporary track at the Lakeside Country Park. The Eastleigh Borough Council owns the country park which had previously been excavated for gravel. 

 

A successful first year encouraged the railway to negotiate with the Council to have a permanent line and eventually a three year lease was granted. When laying the track the decision was made to have an extra rail to accommodate 7¼ inch and 10¼ inch locomotives.

 

In 1998 the Council agreed to a long term lease for the ELSR. A year later in February 1999 a new station called Eastleigh Parkway opened, it has a shop, café, workshop, engine and carriage shed. A halt was constructed at Monks Brook to allow passengers leave the train on other side of the country park.  By August 2000 the railway had been converted to the double track it has now, which gives a circular journey of 1¼ miles. An interesting feature added in summer 2003 was a 230ft tunnel.

 

There is a large collection of locomotives at the railway including 19 steam also diesel and battery powered engines. Open every weekend, school holidays and every day in the summer the ELSR offers an enjoyable train ride through a pleasant country park.  

 


Exbury Steam Railway

Address: Exbury Gardens, Exbury, Southampton SO45 1AZ  Location Type: Gardens / Miniature Railway Line
Telephone: 023 8089 1203  Information Line: 023 8089 9422  Line Length: 1¼ miles circular  Gauge: 12¼ inches 
Route: Around Exbury Garden  Stations: Exbury Central - Exbury North  Journey Time: 20 minutes
Open Days: Every day from 13 March - 7 November  
Tickets: Admission to Gardens Adult £8.50, Child £1.50, Family £19.00 (2 adults and 2 children). Extra charge for railway £3.50 adult or child 
Parking: Free at Exbury Gardens SO45 1AZ
Website: www.exbury.co.uk     YouTubevideo     location map

 

Site Facilities: Restaurant, tea room, gift shop, plant centre, picnic area

 

Exbury Gardens is a 200 acre site in Hampshire owned by the Rothschild family. These renown gardens have an outstanding collection of azaleas, rhododendrons, shrubs and trees. Indeed readers of Gardeners World magazine have voted Exbury as one of their recommended gardens to visit.


Leopold de Rothschild has always been a railway enthusiast and the decision was made to have a steam railway at Exbury. A completely new garden was created for the railway on an adjacent landfill site. Plans were made in 1999 to have a landscaped garden with provision for a miniature railway running a circular route. Work commenced in 2000, a year later the new gardens and railway opened to the public.

 

Two steam locomotives were built specially for the railway by the Exmoor Steam Railway. The popularity of the line is so great that rover tickets are only available at off peak times. The demand meant that trains sometimes had to be double headed to cope with the number of coaches. To solve this problem, another, more powerful locomotive was ordered from Exmoor which was delivered in 2008.

 

Four steam locomotives are at Exbury, they are 'Rosemary' 0-6-2T, 'Eddy' 0-4-0, 'Naomi' 0-6-2T, and 'Mariloo' 2-6-0. Occasionally Leopold de Rothschild can be found driving one of the locomotives, such is his passion for the railway. A trip on this charming railway is an excellent way to view these superb gardens.

 


Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway

Address: The Warren, Bredgar, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8AT
Location Type: Narrow Gauge Railway Line
Telephone: 01622 884254   Line Length: ½ mile  Gauge: 2ft
Stations: Warren Wood - Stony Shaw 
Service: First Sunday of the month April - October
Tickets: Adult £7.50, Child £3.00  Parking: At railway ME9 8AT
Website: www.bwlr.co.uk     YouTubevideo     location Map

 

Site Facilities: Refreshments, shop, picnic tables, model railway, museum

 

The Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway (BWLR) was formed in the early 1970s when a group of enthusiasts got together to form a private railway. On the first Sunday of the month during summer the BLWR has a public open day.

 

The railway has all the features of a full size railway including a station at either end of the line. Two signal boxes near the stations control the signalling and points. There is a turntable next to the engine shed and to complete the scene there are run around loops, sidings and a goods shed. All passenger coaches have been built in the railway workshops. 

 

A diverse range of interesting industrial narrow gauge steam locomotives are resident at the BWLR they include No.2 'Bronhilde' 0-4-0WT built 1927, No.2 'Katie' 0-6-0WT built 1931, No.4 'Armistice' 0-4-0ST built 1919, No.6 'Eigiau' 0-4-0WT built 1913, No.7 'Victory' 0-4-2ST built 1897, No.8 O & K  0-4-0WT built 1936, No.9 'Limpopo' 0-6-0WT built 1930 and 'Lady Joan' 0-4-0 built 1922.

 

Many other attractions can be found at the railway including agricultural traction engine, showman's engine, steam rollers, Bean cars from the 1920s, Dutch street organ and beam engine. It is all set in delightful wooded area, a day at the BWLR has something for everyone to enjoy.

 

Further photographs of the Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway can be found in the Photo Gallery

 


East Kent Railway

Address: Station Road, Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent CT15 7PD  Location Type: Railway Line
Telephone: 01304 832042  Line Length: 2 miles  Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Route: Shepherdswell to Eythorne  Stations: Shepherdswell - Eythorne  Journey Time: 15 minutes
Service: Every Sunday 4 April - 19 September / occasional Saturdays / Bank holidays
Tickets: Adult £7.00, Child £4.00, Family £17.00 (2 adults and 2 children) unlimited travel on day of issue  Parking: Free at Shepherdswell Station CT15 7PD also at Eythorne Station.
Website: www.eastkentrailway.co.uk     YouTubevideo     location map

 

Shepherdswell Station: Refreshments, visitor centre, shop, miniature railway, model railway, picnic tables

 

Eythorne Station: Refreshments, shop 

 

A railway to link up the coal fields that were opening in East Kent in the 1900s was proposed in 1909. Work started in 1911 on the East Kent Light Railway with Colonel H.F. Stephens as chief engineer. The first section from Sheperdswell to Tilmanstone Colliery opened on 27 November 1912. Passenger services to Wingham began on 16 October 1916. Later an extension to Richborough Port was completed in December 1916. Track length increased further to Canterbury Road in 1925.

 

The Eastry to Sandwich branch ended passenger services on 1 November 1928. After nationalisation in 1948 British Railways stopped passenger trains on 1 November 1948 from Canterbury Road. All services from Richborough Port ended on 27 October 1949. By 1 July 1951 there was only freight traffic between Tilmanstone and Shepherdswell. This last line closed in 1987 after production at the colliery had ceased.

 

In 1985 the East Kent Railway (EKR) was formed with aim of running part of the line as a preserved railway. After negotiations with British Rail possession of the line transfered to the EKR in 1989. Weeds, bushes, trees had all grown over the track during the period of closure so the task of clearing all this vegetation became the first priority. The first passenger train for many years ran on the track in 1993. At Shepherdswell a replica of the original station building and platform have been built along with all the facilities required by the public. A new station has been constructed at Eythorne where there is a car park and shop.


Motive power at the EKR is presently provided by three diesel shunters and one DMU. There is a steam locomotive owned by the EKR this is Avonside 'St. Dunstan' 0-6-0 built in 1927, it served on the original railway at the Snowdon colliery. Full restoration would be required to return it to service. 

 


London Transport Museum

Address: Covent Garden Piazza, London WC2E 7BB  Location Type: Museum
Telephone: 0202 7379 6344  Email: searcy@ltmuseum.co.uk 
Open Days: Every day  Admission: Adult £8.00, Student £5.00, Children under 16 free, must be accompanied by an adult
Travel: Short distance to underground and buses
Website: www.ltmuseum.co.uk     YouTubevideo     location Map

Site Facilities: Refreshments, shop, picnic area


After a £22 million refurbishment the London Transport Museum reopened in 2007. Situated in Convent Garden the museum shows how London's public transport looked in the past and takes a glimpse into the future.

 

There are twenty vehicles on show including horse buses, trams, trolleybus, motor buses and  underground steam locomotive. Many posters, signs, uniforms, photos, maps from years ago can be seen along with videos and multimedia displays. The visitor can even drive a tube train with the Jubilee Line simulator. 

 


Science Museum

Address: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD
Location Type: Museum  Telephone: 0870 870 4868
Open Days: every day except 24 - 26 December, 10.00am - 6.00pm
Travel: South Kensington underground station and buses
Website: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk      YouTubevideo     location map

 

Site Facilities: Refreshments, shop, book shop, picnic area


The Energy Hall in the museum shows how steam has been a major energy source for over 300 years. Full size engines, working models, animations all demonstrate the importance of steam power in the past and present.


Three steam locomotives are on static display they are Puffing Billy (1814), Rocket (1829) and Columbine (1845).

 

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