South West
Lynton & Barnstaple replica "Yeo" in trials on the Fairbourne Railway.
(Photo © 1999 David Enefer)
- Avon Valley Railway
- Oldland Common to Avon Riverside, the main station being Bitton
(near Bristol): 2½ miles (4 km). Proposed extension to Newbridge (near
Bath), a further 3 miles (5 km). Standard gauge. Steam and diesel
hauled. Dining trains operate at certain times.
- Babbacombe Cliff Railway
- Torquay. Cliff railway with a rise of 240 feet (73 m).
- Beer Heights Light Railway
- Pecorama, near Beer. A complex circuit about 1 mile
(1.6 km) in length with 3 stations. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge. Steam, diesel
and battery electric hauled.
- Bickington Steam Railway
- Trago Mills, Newton Abbott. Complex main line
circuit with a branch totalling over 1½ miles (2.4 km). 10¼ inch
(260 mm) gauge. Steam hauled (Website contains little information relating to railway)
- Bicton Woodland Railway
- Bicton Park Botanical Gardens,
East Budleigh (near Budleigh Salterton). Bicton to The Hermitage:
½ mile (0.8 km), with a side loop through the Pinetum traversed on
the outward journey giving a further ½ mile (0.8 km). 18 in (457 mm)
gauge. Steam hauled.
- Bodmin & Wenford Railway
- Bodmin Parkway station to Boscarne Junction, via Bodmin: 6½ miles
(10.4 km). Standard gauge. Steam or diesel hauled or diesel railcars.
Dining trains operate at certain times.
- Bournemouth
- There are two cliff railways in the town and a further one at
nearby Pokesdown. The highest of these (Bournemouth East Cliff) has
a rise of 117 feet (36 m).
- Bristol Harbour Railway
- Bristol Museum to the SS Great Britain, a little over ¼ mile
(0.5 km). Steam locomotives hauling traditional open wagons adapted
to carry passengers. The Museum is closed for renovation until 2009,
but the train continues to operate on certain weekends. Standard
gauge.
- Brit Valley Railway
- Proposal to open a new 2 ft (610 mm) gauge steam hauled railway
in the Bridport area. The initial section would run from Bridport to
West Bay, later extensions would run to Crewkerne and Portland.
Although apparently a serious proposal (feasibility studies and
planning consultations have been undertaken) there appears to have
been little progress with the project in recent years.
- Clifton Rocks Railway
- Clifton Gorge, near Bristol. Project to reopen the underground funicular connecting Hotwells Road
in the gorge near the Clifton suspension bridge with Sion Lane on the plateau above, a rise of 220 feet
(67 m) with a gradient of 1 in 2.3 (44%).
- Combe
Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park
- The Park at Combe Martin, near Ilfracombe has a 500 yard (450 m),
15 in (381 mm) gauge railway (Website contains little
information relating to railway)
- Dartmoor Railway
- The tourist operation on the freight railway to Meldon Quarry
was suspended in 2008. The owner and former operator is seeking to
sell the assets to another company, which hopefully will result in
reopening.
- Devon Railway Centre
- Bickleigh (near Tiverton). Has a 2 ft (610 mm) gauge line,
360 yards (330 m) in length, steam and diesel hauled; and a 7¼ in
(184 mm) gauge miniature railway, over ½ mile (0.8 km) in length, diesel
hauled.
- East Somerset Railway
- Cranmore (near Shepton Mallet) to Mendip Vale: about 2½ miles
(4 km). Proposed extension to Cannard's Grave, about a further
½ mile (0.8 km). Standard gauge. Steam and diesel hauled. Dining
trains operate at certain times.
- Gartell
Light Railway
- Common Lane Farm, Yenston, near Templecombe. 2 ft (610 mm) gauge
line about ¾ mile (1.2 km) in length, mainly on the trackbed of the
former Somerset & Dorset Railway. Steam and diesel hauled.
Operates typically one Sunday each month (every Sunday in August)
and most Bank Holidays.
- Helston Railway
- Project to reopen around 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 km) of the former
line between Helston and Nancegollan. Standard gauge.
- Lappa Valley Steam Railway
- Benny Halt (St Newlyn East, Newquay) to East Wheal Rose: 1 mile
(1.6 km). 15 in (381 mm) gauge. Steam Hauled. There are also two
miniature railways at East Wheal Rose: a 10¼ in gauge line, about
½ mile (0.8 km) in length, and a 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge line, about
350 yards (320 m) in length. Both are diesel hauled.
- Launceston Steam Railway
- Launceston to Newmills: 2½ miles (4 km). 2 ft (610 mm) gauge.
Steam hauled. (Unofficial website)
- Longleat Railway
- In the grounds of Longleat, near Warminster. Line about 1¼ miles
(2 km) in length. 15 inch (381 mm) gauge.
- Lynbarn Railway
- In The
Milky Way Adventure Park, near Clovelly. 1 ft 11½ in (597 mm)
gauge line. Diesel powered, steam outline locomotive based on Lynton
& Barnstaple designs.
- Lynton
& Barnstaple Railway
- Woody Bay (near Parracombe) to Killington Lane, about 1 mile
(1.6 km). Extension proposed to Blackmoor, with possible further
extensions in the future. 1 ft 11½ in (597 mm) gauge. Usually
steam hauled.
- Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway
- Water balance cliff railway connecting the villages of Lynton
and Lynmouth, with a rise of 500 feet (152 m), the highest in the UK.
In operation since 1890.
- Moors Valley Railway
- Moors Valley Country Park, Ashley Heath (near Ringwood). 7¼ in
(184 mm) gauge line over 1 mile (1.6 km) in length. Steam hauled,
with locomotives and stock inspired by narrow gauge prototypes.
- Morwellham Quay
- Morwellham Quay (near Tavistock). Includes a tramway allowing a
tour of an old copper mine. The 2 ft (610 mm) gauge line is 420 yards
(460 m) in length, and is partly undergtound. Battery electric
haulage.
- Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway
- Paignton to Kingswear (Dartmouth): 6¾ miles (10.9 km). Standard
gauge. Usually steam hauled. Dining trains operate at certain times.
River Link
offers special "Round Robin" tickets that include a trip on the
Railway as well as boat travel on the River Dart.
- Plym Valley
Railway
- Marsh Mills (Plympton, near Plymouth) to World's
End: 700 yards (650 m). Proposed extension to Plym Bridge, a further
¾ miles (1.2km). Standard gauge. Steam and diesel hauled and diesel
railcars.
- Poole Park Railway
- Poole Park, Poole: 10¼ in (260 mm) gauge miniature railway about
½ mile (0.8 km) in length. Diesel hauled (No website located
at present)
- Powderham Light Railway
- In the grounds of Powderham Castle,
near Exeter. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway about ¾ mile
(1.2 km) in length. Steam and diesel hauled
- Seaton Tramway
- Seaton to Colyton: 3 miles (4.8 km). 2 ft 9 in (838 mm) gauge
electric trams.
- South
Devon Railway
- Littlehempston (Totnes) to Buckfastleigh: 7 miles (11.2 km).
Standard gauge. Steam and diesel hauled and diesel railcars.
- Swanage Railway - Purbeck Line
- Swanage to Norden via Corfe Castle: 5½ miles (8.8 km). Proposed
extension to Wareham. Standard gauge. Steam and diesel hauled and
diesel railcars. Dining trains operate at certain times.
- Swindon & Cricklade Railway
- Blunsdon (near Swindon) to South Meadow Lane: 1¼ miles (2 km).
Proposed extension from Blunsdon to Mouldon Hill, a further 1¼ miles
(2 km). Standard gauge. Steam and diesel hauled and diesel railcars.
Dining trains operate at certain times. Murder Mystery Evenings on
certain dates.
- West Somerset Railway
- Somerset, England. Minehead to Bishops Lydeard: 20 miles (32 km),
the longest preserved railway in Great Britain. Occasional charter
and other special trains operate through to Taunton (about 4 miles
- 6.4 km from Bishops Lydeard) and onto the national network. Regular
services to Taunton remain a proposal for the future. Standard gauge.
Steam and diesel hauled. Dining trains operate at certain times.
Can't find it? Try searching for a map here.
©
2000-2008 Glyn Williams
