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Transport Delights

Rudyard Lake Steam Railway

A narrow gauge railway running alongside picturesque Rudyard Lake using the route of an old branch line of the North Staffordshire Railway. The lake itself is considered to be one of the most romantic locations in England and provided the inspiration for Mr. & Mrs. Kipling to name their son, Rudyard. The lake was a popular tourist attraction in the Victorian and Edwardian era and the construction of the branch line gave a boost to tourist traffic in the early 20th century. Today the lake is still a popular location for walking, fishing and sailing and this wonderful little railway complements it perfectly.

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Rudyard Lake Station
Rudyard Lake Station

Diesel Mordred at Rudyard Lake Station

Departing Rudyard Lake Station
Running along the old trackbed
End of the line
The Bog Railway, West Offaly, Ireland

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This railway provides a tour of more than 5 miles, through the peat cutting area of the Blackwater Bog, on what is officially known as the Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway. The railway was established to transport the peat to a local power station. Peat cutting still takes place there on a huge industrial scale but the adaptation of the railway to produce a tourist attraction is a great example of diversification.

The Wells & Walsingham Light Railway

This narrow gauge line runs along the trackbed of the original standard gauge railway that ran from Wells to Fakenham. The line was amongst the many casualties of the Beeching cuts. However in 1982 part of the line was resurrected to be used by the present narrow gauge railway. The railway could not utilise the original stations at Wells and Walsingham so the line is slightly foreshortened. The last picture in this block shows the original Walsingham station which has been converted for a novel use. It is now a Russian Orthodox Church.

The Hythe Pier Railway

Jutting out into Southampton Water, the pier leads to a ferry that connects Hythe and Southampton.

Transport on the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is a delight for the transport enthusiast. The Mountain Railway, electric and horse drawn trams, together with a fully operational narrow-gauge steam railway all present the visitor with a range of opportunities to experience different transport systems and explore the island.

Steam Locomotive Loch on shed at Port Erin (above) and ready to depart Port Erin with a train to Douglas (below).
Snaefell Mountain Railway (above) which connects with the Manx Electric Railway at Laxey (below)

Llanberis Lake Railway

A scenic ride in the shadow of Snowdon

Kyle of Lochalsh Ferry

This ferry linked Kyle of Lochalsh on the Scottish mainland with Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. It was the main transport link with the island until replaced by the Skye road bridge. This photo shows a vessel berthed at Kyle of Lochalsh Station.

Kyle of Lochalsh Station

The end of the line for the picturesque route from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh.

Fort William to Mallaig

"The Jacobite" is a steam operated service along the scenic Fort William to Mallaig line. The line was constructed to take advantage of the fishing industry at Mallaig. The route traverses the magnificent Glenfinnan viaduct with views of the Glenfinnan Monument at the head of Loch Shiel. The monument commemorates the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie at that point to meet the clans prior to his ill-fated mission to claim the crown.

Wells Beach Railway

A narrow gauge line linking the town of Wells-Next-The-Sea with the beach which is about a mile distance from the town due to the build up of sand.

 

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