A heritage railway or heritage railroad (U.S. usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) in the history of rail transport .
100-558: The Mid-Norfolk Railway ( MNR ) is a 17 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (28.2 km) preserved standard gauge heritage railway , one of the longest in Great Britain . Preservation efforts began in 1974, but the line re-opened to passengers only in the mid-1990s as part of the "new generation" of heritage railways. The MNR owns and operates most of the former Wymondham-Fakenham branch line of the Norfolk Railway . The branch opened in 1847,
200-473: A former editor of Today's Railways UK. Railfuture's opinions and campaigns receive coverage in the UK press, including national, regional, and rail publications. It has been mentioned in both houses of Parliament, and transport unions and international press also cite its reports and follow its actions. It claims to have 20,000 affiliated and individual members. The Railway Development Society (RDS)
300-437: A four-train service daily; smaller railways may run daily throughout the summer with only one steam locomotive. The Great Central Railway , the only preserved British main line with a double track, can operate over 50 trains on a busy timetable day. After the privatisation of main-line railways, the line between not-for-profit heritage railways and for-profit branch lines may be blurred. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
400-401: A list which in 2022 reached 26 railway lines. According to article 1, law 128/2017 has as its purpose: "the protection and valorisation of railway sections of particular cultural, landscape and tourist value, which include railway routes, stations and related works of art and appurtenances, and of the historic and tourist rolling stock authorized to travel along them, as well as the regulation of
500-629: A major exception being the Furka Steam Railway , the longest unelectrified line in the country and one of the highest rail crossings in Europe . Many railway companies, especially mountain railways , provide services with well-preserved historic trains for tourists, for instance the Rigi Railways , the oldest rack railway in Europe, and the Pilatus Railway , the steepest in the world. Two railways,
600-428: A narrow-gauge railway, parks were free of redevelopment. Child volunteers and socialist fiscal policy enabled the existence of many of these railways. Children's railways which still carry traffic have often retained their original infrastructure and rolling stock, including vintage steam locomotives; some have acquired heritage vehicles from other railways. Examples of children's railways with steam locomotives include
700-712: A non-polluting fuel. The Villa Elisa Historic Train (operated by Ferroclub Central Entrerriano) runs steam trains between the cities of Villa Elisa and Caseros in Entre Ríos Province , covering 36 km (22 mi) in 120 minutes. The world's second preserved railway, and the first outside the United Kingdom, was Australia's Puffing Billy Railway . This railway operates on 15 miles (24 km) of track, with much of its original rolling stock built as early as 1898. Just about over half of Australia's heritage lines are operated by narrow gauge tank engines, much like
800-577: A number of locomotives hired in for the purpose. These included BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T steam locomotive 80078 , BR Class 03 03197 and BR Class 33 33202 . Working with Abellio Greater Anglia , the Mid-Norfolk Railway have developed a rolling stock storage facility close to their Kimberley Park station. The £3 million sidings have been funded by Abellio Greater Anglia to allow them to store their Class 745 and 755 fleets until they are ready to be in service. The Mid-Norfolk Railway
900-553: A part of the city's new transit system. Another such line, called The Silver Line , operates in San Diego . Railway Development Society Railfuture (formerly the Railway Development Society ) is a UK advocacy group which promotes better rail services for passengers and freight across a bigger rail network. The group's national policies are determined by its national board of directors (one-third elected by
1000-552: A rail working party to consider purchasing the line from British Rail, then leasing it out to a rail group – of which the Mid-Norfolk Railway was the preferred lessee. On 11 April 1998 the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust bought the route between Wymondham and Dereham for £100,000. This included the Dereham station buildings and the 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) goods yard. The British Rail Property Board also sold
1100-505: A section of a modern light rail system. Heritage streetcar systems operating in Little Rock, Arkansas ; Memphis, Tennessee ; Dallas, Texas ; New Orleans, Louisiana ; Boston, Massachusetts ( MBTA Mattapan Trolley ) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ( SEPTA route 15 ); and Tampa, Florida , are among the larger examples. A heritage line operates in Charlotte, North Carolina , and will become
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#17328554550641200-488: A specially fitted Class 153 treats the track with a slimy solution before the crew practices stopping in a virtual station. The line has also been used for training exercises by East of England Ambulance Service , Norfolk Police and the Fire Brigade , including major incident training involving air ambulances . Before the preservation of the line, a number of special trains and demonstration services were operated over
1300-654: A victim of Beeching) was the Middleton Railway ; the second, and the first to carry passengers, was the Bluebell Railway . Not-for-profit heritage railways differ in their quantity of service and some lines see traffic only on summer weekends. The more successful, such as the Severn Valley Railway and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway , may have up to five or six steam locomotives and operate
1400-561: A vintage pit railway and offer mantrip rides into the mine. The Metro 1 (officially the Millennium Underground Railway or M1), built from 1894 to 1896, is the oldest line of the Budapest Metro system and the second-oldest underground railway in the world. The M1 underwent major reconstruction during the 1980s and 1990s, and Line 1 now serves eight original stations whose original appearance has been preserved. In 2002,
1500-442: Is a narrow-gauge railway in central Slovakia , established in the first decade of the 20th century and operating primarily as a freight railway for the local logging industry. From the late 1920s to the early 1960s, it also offered passenger transport between the villages of Hronec and Čierny Balog. The railway became Czechoslovakia 's most extensive forest railway network. After its closure in 1982, it received heritage status and
1600-521: Is a cross-border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area. Trains operating on the Bernina line include the Bernina Express . In July 2023, Ferrovie dello Stato established a new company, the "FS Treni Turistici Italiani" (English: FS Italian Tourist Trains), with the mission "to propose an offer of railway services expressly designed and calibrated for quality, sustainable tourism and attentive to rediscovering
1700-650: Is a stretch of rebuilt narrow-gauge railway on the bank of the old Kovjoki– Nykarleby line. The Buckower Kleinbahn [ de ] is a 4.9-kilometre (3.0 mi) spur line of the Prussian Eastern Railway , located in the Märkische Schweiz Nature Park in Brandenburg . It was originally constructed in 1897 as a narrow-gauge railway , with a gauge of 750 mm ( 2 ft 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ), connecting Buckow to
1800-556: Is an example of a commercial line run as a heritage operation and to provide local transportation, and the Severn Valley Railway has operated a few goods trains commercially. A number of heritage railway lines are regularly used by commercial freight operators. Since the Bluebell Railway reopened to traffic in 1960, the definition of private standard gauge railways in the United Kingdom as preserved railways has evolved as
1900-539: Is applied (art. 2, paragraph 1). At the same time, the law identified a first list of 18 tourist railways, considered to be of particular value (art. 2, paragraph 2). The list is periodically updated by decree of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport , in agreement with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Culture , also taking into account the reports in the State-Regions Conference,
2000-464: Is frequently used by mainline companies for crew training and the storage and testing of recommissioned and new on-track plant, including ballast tampers , ballast regulators , stoneblowers and Multi-Purpose Vehicles from companies including Network Rail and Balfour Beatty Rail Ltd. Since 2001 the line has been used annually for low adhesion training, or skidpan training, for crews from Anglia Railways , latterly for National Express East Anglia , where
2100-687: Is one of the highest railways in the world . The line has 29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, two spirals and two zigzags , and its highest point is 4,220 metres (13,850 ft) above sea level. In the Misiones Province , more precisely in the Iguazú National Park, is the Ecological Train of the Forest. With a speed below 20 km per hour to avoid interfering with wildlife and the formations are propelled to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),
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#17328554550642200-420: Is reserved by the council for railway use. The MNR's preserved stations include Yaxham (which retains its original signal box and up platform buildings.), Thuxton, Hardingham, Kimberley Park and Wymondham Abbey. Trains hauled by both steam and diesel locomotives run on most weekends from the end of February to December, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays in summer. There are also various special events throughout
2300-515: Is to assist the Fakenham & Dereham Railway Company Ltd in its efforts to reopen and preserve the railway between Fakenham and Dereham. Also to support and assist any other company or organisation that actively reopens and preserves the railway line between Wymondham, Dereham and County School. In 1991 the managing director of the GER (1989) Ltd. stated that he had raised much of the required finance and that
2400-438: Is to include the retention of a permissive footpath, was awarded in 1992. The 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (18.5 km) section of line between Dereham and Wymondham is in regular use, with a further 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (5.6 km) to Worthing passed for operation, but only used for passengers during special events and for works trains enabling the reconditioning of the derelict line further north. The company also owns
2500-557: Is used by mainline train operators to load damaged rolling stock onto road vehicles. Such rolling stock usually comes at night (via the connection with the mainline at Wymondham) at slow speed (sometimes on wheelskates ) from Crown Point TMD in Norwich (where no road-rail loading facilities are available) for onward road movement to specialist repair facilities around the country. The line has also been used to carry equipment for army units based at Robertson Barracks or undergoing training at
2600-453: The 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (7.2 km) of track between Dereham and North Elmham for £25,000. On 17 March 1998 the MNRPT had signed a Tenancy at Will agreement with Breckland District Council to take over the station and trackbed at County School. This agreement was to allow the railway to take control of the station until it could afford to buy it outright, and followed on from the removal of
2700-670: The Albula Railway and the Bernina Railway , have been designated as a World Heritage Site , although they are essentially operated with modern rolling stock. Due to the availability of hydroelectric resources in the Alps, the Swiss network was electrified earlier than in the rest of Europe. Some of the most emblematic pre-World War II electric locomotives and trains are the Crocodile , notably used on
2800-542: The Brighton Main Line to routes north of London, via East Croydon , Lewisham , Canary Wharf , and Stratford . The group has an elected national Board of Directors, and twelve English regional branches, plus Railfuture Scotland and Railfuture Wales. The organisation has campaigned a reworking of concessionary fares on the British railway network by the introduction of a uniform "National Railcard" scheme to replace
2900-654: The Chemin de fer à vapeur des Trois Vallées and PFT operates the Chemin de Fer du Bocq . Heritage streetcar lines: Museums with operational heritage streetcar lines: On the Finnish state-owned rail network , the section between Olli and Porvoo is a dedicated museum line. In southern Finland , it is the only line with many structural details abandoned by the rest of the network which regularly carries passenger traffic. Wooden sleepers , gravel ballast and low rail weight with no overhead catenary make it uniquely historical. Along
3000-1203: The Dresden Park Railway in Germany; the Gyermekvasút in Budapest ; the Park Railway Maltanka in Poznań ; the Košice Children's Railway in Slovakia, and the 7 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 184 mm ) gauge steam railway on the grounds of St Nicholas' School in Merstham , Surrey , which the children help operate with assistance from the East Surrey 16mm Group and other volunteers. Creating passages for trains up steep hills and through mountain regions offers many obstacles which call for technical solutions. Steep grade railway technologies and extensive tunneling may be employed. The use of narrow gauge allows tighter curves in
3100-652: The Gotthard Railway , and the Red Arrow . Both are occasionally operated by SBB Historic . Switzerland also comprehends a large number of funiculars, several still working with the original carriages, such as the Giessbachbahn . In Britain, heritage railways are often railway lines which were run as commercial railways but were no longer needed (or closed down) and were taken over or re-opened by volunteers or non-profit organisations. The large number of heritage railways in
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3200-624: The Kangra Valley Railway are preserved narrow gauge railways under consideration for UNESCO status. Some scenic routes have been preserved as heritage railways. Here normal services have stopped, only tourist heritage trains are operated. Examples of these are the Patalpani–Kalakund Heritage Train and the Rajasthan Valley Queen Heritage train which runs from Marwar Junction to Khamlighat . In Italy
3300-456: The Müncheberg (Mark) station . This line was electrified and changed to standard gauge in 1930. It has operated as a heritage railway since 2002. The Mountain railways of India are the railway lines that were built in the mountainous regions of India . The term mainly includes the narrow-gauge and metre-gauge railways in these regions but may also include some broad-gauge railways. Of
3400-628: The North Norfolk Railway and the coast at Sheringham . In 2009, the Whitwell & Reepham Preservation Society announced an eventual intention to link up with either the North Norfolk Railway or Mid-Norfolk Railway. The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust is authorised by the Department for Transport to operate the railway in two statutory instruments, The Mid-Norfolk Railway Order 1997 and The Mid-Norfolk Railway Order 2001. The orders detail
3500-630: The Stanford Training Area , most recently in March 2020. Operation of these trains involves both resident and mainline locomotives. North Norfolk District Council have listed Fakenham and Great Ryburgh as potential freight hubs, subject to them being linked to the Mid-Norfolk Railway at County School. Commercial works trains operated on the line between 2018 and 2019, in conjunction with the Kimberley and Hardingham storage project. These were operated by
3600-804: The Train of the End of the World to the Tierra del Fuego National Park is considered the world's southernmost functioning railway. Heritage railway operations started in 1994, after restoration of the old 500 mm ( 19 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) (narrow-gauge) steam railway . In Salta Province in northeastern Argentina, the Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds) runs along 220 km (140 mi) of 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge track in what
3700-744: The USSR during the Soviet era . Many were called "Pioneer railways", after the youth organisation of that name . The first children's railway opened in Moscow in 1932 and, at the breakup of the USSR, 52 children's railways existed in the country. Although the fall of communist governments has led to the closure of some, preserved children's railways are still functioning in post-Soviet states and Eastern European countries . Many children's railways were built on parkland in urban areas. Unlike many industrial areas typically served by
3800-535: The canton of Graubünden , Switzerland , with the town of Tirano , in the Province of Sondrio , Italy , via the Bernina Pass . Reaching a height of 2,253 metres (7,392 ft) above sea level, it is the third highest railway crossing in Europe . It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway of the continent, and – with inclines of up to 7% – as one of the steepest adhesion railways in
3900-561: The F&;DRS attempted to preserve the Ryburgh to Fakenham section of line failed, and the society instead leased Hardingham station in 1983. The small heritage centre had track re-laid in the former goods yard, and acquired a Ruston 0-4-0 diesel locomotive. The centre was commercially unsuccessful, forcing the society to leave the site—which was auctioned in 1986—and move to a temporary location at Yaxham station. In 1987 Breckland District Council bought
4000-589: The GER(1989), contrary to the earlier announcements relating to the future of the line, announced plans to lift the railway between Dereham and Wymondham. The MNRS withdrew their support for the GER(1989) and made their own bid for the line. In 1994 the British Railways Property Board granted the MNRS access to the railway line between Wymondham and North Elmham on a temporary 'care and maintenance' basis. This
4100-648: The Great Eastern Railway line running between County School at North Elmham in the County of Norfolk and Wymondham in the County of Norfolk. In July 1995 two Mk2 coaches were transferred by road from County School railway station to the truncated railhead at Dereham, where they were placed between the already present Class 20 locomotives. These coaches were then hauled to the MNR's temporary base at Yaxham. A further three coaches were delivered on 17 August. On 29 November 1995
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4200-411: The MNRPT on 23 September 1997. The first preservation-era train to operate between Dereham and Wymondham ran on 8 February 1998, when a works train hauled by 20069 and Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 ' County School ran as part of preparations for a March freight test train. The first commercial freight train operated on 8 July 1998. Passenger services between Dereham and Wymondham commenced in 1999, with
4300-626: The Mountain railways of India, the Darjeeling Himalayan , Nilgiri Mountain and Kalka–Shimla Railways have been collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . To meet World Heritage criteria, the sites must retain some of their traditional infrastructure and culture. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is also the only rack and pinion railway in India. The Matheran Hill Railway , along with
4400-802: The Old Patagonian Express) was declared a National Historic Monument by the Government of Argentina in 1999. Trains on the Patagonian 750 mm ( 2 ft 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) narrow-gauge railway use steam locomotives. The 402-kilometre-long (250 mi) railway runs through the foothills of the Andes between Esquel and El Maitén in Chubut Province and Ingeniero Jacobacci in Río Negro Province . In southern Argentina,
4500-406: The UK is due in part to the closure of many minor lines during the 1960s' Beeching cuts , and they were relatively easy to revive. There are between 100 and 150 heritage railways in the United Kingdom. A typical British heritage railway will use steam locomotives and original rolling stock to create a period atmosphere, although some are concentrating on diesel and electric traction to re-create
4600-515: The United States as tourist, historic, or scenic railroads. Most are remnants of original railroads, and some are reconstructed after having been scrapped. Some heritage railways preserve entire railroads in their original state using original structures, track, and motive power. Examples of heritage railroads in the US by preservation type: Other operations, such as the Valley Railroad or Hocking Valley Scenic Railway operate on historic track and utilize historic equipment, but are not reflective of
4700-449: The Wymondham to Dereham section was reduced to single track with a passing loop at Hardingham. The passenger service from King's Lynn ended on 9 September 1968, with the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society operating the 'East Anglian Branch Line Farewell' DMU special on the final Saturday. The withdrawal of the remaining passenger services, between Wymondham and Dereham, followed in October 1969. Goods traffic continued after
4800-441: The Wymondham, Dereham and Fakenham Railway Action Committee presented the Norfolk County Chief Planning Officer with a report putting the case for restoring rail passenger services between Norwich, Dereham and Fakenham East. Services over the line ceased in June 1989. Fakenham & Dereham Railway Society (F&DRS), a forerunner of the MNR, was formed in 1978. The 1980 constitution of the society included its aim: 2a The aim of
4900-434: The centre of Norfolk between the market towns of Wymondham and Dereham via Yaxham , Thuxton and Kimberley Park , and occasional sightseer services continue north of Dereham passing the nearby village of Hoe , where there is no station, to the limit of the operational line at Worthing . The line is periodically used for commercial freight operations and staff instruction for mainline railway companies. The company owns
5000-406: The company intended to provide a regular passenger train service over the line by 1993. About 400 commuters a day were expected to use the service. Plans were also announced for special excursions such as shopping trips to London and summer seaside services. The plans included providing a hotel and conference centre at Dereham, along with a public house and shopping arcade . During the early 1990s
5100-459: The completion of Dereham Station restoration and the installation of steam infrastructure (such as the water tower). The first locomotive to haul timetabled steam services over the Dereham to Wymondham section since 1955 was GWR 9400 Class 9466. The same locomotive returned to operate the line's steam services in June and July 2007, although Battle of Britain class 34067 Tangmere also visited this year, operating some scheduled trains and hauling
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#17328554550645200-442: The early 1970s, its surviving lines and branches have been (or are being) restored. The railway is owned and operated by the Museum of Kysuce, with a 3.8-kilometre (2.4 mi) line open to tourists for sightseeing. Switzerland has a very dense rail network , both standard and narrow gauge. The overwhelming majority of railways, built between the mid-19th and early 20th century , are still in regular operation today and electrified,
5300-407: The entire branch between Wymondham, Dereham and North Elmham, the Great Eastern Railway (1989) Limited formed to save the line. The F&DRS backed this scheme, and signed its lease of County School station over to the company. The society, renamed the Mid-Norfolk Railway Society in 1990, continued to provide financial backing and manpower for the development of the County School site. The running line
5400-459: The first steam charter from Dereham (to London Liverpool Street ), on 5 May. Steam services have continued to operate during summer months. Mid-Norfolk Railway facilitates commercial freight trains, using its connection with the National Rail network at Wymondham. Dereham yard has been used as a servicing depot by Direct Rail Services since 2007 and for storage of Network Rail track plant since 2008. The road vehicle loading ramp in Dereham yard
5500-437: The heritage railway institute is recognized and protected by law no. 128 of 9 August 2017, which has as its objective the protection and valorisation of disused, suspended or abolished railway lines, of particular cultural, landscape and tourist value, including both railway routes and stations and the related works of art and appurtenances, on which, upon proposal of the regions to which they belong, tourism-type traffic management
5600-494: The latter depend on enthusiastic volunteers for upkeep and operations to supplement revenue from traffic and visitors. Still other heritage railways offer a viable public-transit option, and can maintain operations with revenue from regular riders or government subsidies. Children's railways are extracurricular educational institutions where children and teenagers learn about railway work; they are often functional, passenger-carrying narrow-gauge rail lines. The railways developed in
5700-426: The length of track and level crossings over which the railway is permitted to operate trains (subject to safety inspections etc.) and refer to both the Norwich and Brandon Railway Act 1845 and the Norfolk Railway Extensions, Dereham, Wells and Blakeney Branch Act 1846. Planning consent for the restoration and operation of the remaining section to County School, which does not involve crossing any public rights of way but
5800-568: The line as part of the Eastern Region of British Railways on 1 January 1948. The branch line between County School and Wroxham closed to passengers on 15 September 1952, with the section between Foulsham and Reepham closing to goods as well. A stub of the western section, between County School and Foulsham remained open for goods until 31 October 1964, being busiest in the sugar beet season. The passenger service between Dereham and Wells ended on 5 October 1964. Dereham became an intermediate station for Norwich to King's Lynn services. In June 1965,
5900-519: The line as part of the wider rail network. Heritage railway The British Office of Rail and Road defines heritage railways as follows: ...'lines of local interest', museum railways or tourist railways that have retained or assumed the character and appearance and operating practices of railways of former times. Several lines that operate in isolation provide genuine transport facilities, providing community links. Most lines constitute tourist or educational attractions in their own right. Much of
6000-456: The line by the Wymondham & Dereham Rail Action Committee (WyDRAC) and the Railway Development Society (RDS) to help maintain pressure for the restoration of passenger services over the line. By the line's closure, twenty special trains had operated, carrying over 5,000 passengers. The junction with the main line at Wymondham has allowed the Mid-Norfolk Railway to continue to be used by a number of charter and excursion trains, which operate over
6100-465: The line to a point just beyond County School railway station , which will make it the third longest heritage railway in England once restoration is complete. The MNR is owned and operated by the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust (MNRPT, a charitable company limited by guarantee ), and is mostly operated and staffed by volunteers. The railway is listed as exempt from the UK Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2000 . The Wymondham to Wells branch
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#17328554550646200-486: The line was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . In the Deák Ferenc Square concourse's Millennium Underground Museum, many other artifacts of the metro's early history may be seen. The first heritage railway to be rescued and run entirely by volunteers was the Talyllyn Railway in Wales . This narrow-gauge line, taken over by a group of enthusiasts in 1950, was the beginning of the preservation movement worldwide. La Trochita (officially Viejo Expreso Patagónico,
6300-421: The line, the Hinthaara railway station and the Porvoo railway station area are included in the National Board of Antiquities' inventory of cultural environments of national significance in Finland. Also on the list is scenery in the Porvoonjoki Valley, through which the line passes. The Jokioinen Museum Railway is a stretch of preserved narrow-gauge railway between Humppila and Jokioinen . Nykarleby Järnväg
6400-522: The locomotive was too small to operate a scheduled service over the line it was used for a number of crew training runs, and, on Monday 12 June 2000, it became the first steam locomotive in preservation to operate over the entire route between Dereham and Wymondham. Steam also visited the line, although not to operate services, in 2001 when LNER Thompson Class B1 61264 was routed via Dereham for repairs after failing on railtour at Norwich, 20 November. The 2006 return of steam-hauled passenger services marked
6500-607: The membership every year, for a three-year term) and its national AGM. The group's campaigns are pursued nationally by three policy groups (Passenger, Infrastructure & Networks, Freight) and locally through regional branches (12 in England, plus one each in Wales and Scotland ). Its honorary president is Christian Wolmar , a transport writer and broadcaster. Its vice-presidents include former rail industry leaders Adrian Shooter CBE, Ian Brown CBE, Chris Green, and Stewart Palmer, and leading commentators such as Roger Ford of Modern Railways , fellow columnist Alan Williams, and Paul Abell,
6600-515: The narrow gauge lines of the United Kingdom. The Höllental Railway is a 4.9-kilometre-long (3.0 mi), 760 mm ( 2 ft 5 + 15 ⁄ 16 in ) narrow-gauge ( Bosnian gauge ) railway, operating in Lower Austria . It runs on summer weekends, connecting Reichenau an der Rax to the nearby Höllental . Flanders , Belgium's northern Dutch-speaking region, has the Dendermonde–Puurs Steam Railway ; whereas Wallonia , with its strong history of 19th century heavy industries, has
6700-493: The new charity were established: To preserve and to renovate reconstruct and operate for the benefit of the people of the County of Norfolk and of the nation at large, whatever of the historical, architectural and constructional heritage that may exist of the permanent way, track, buildings (including any buildings as defined in Section 336(1) of the Town And Country Planning Act 1990), bridges, operating equipment and rolling stock once forming part of or connected with or adjacent to
6800-423: The next 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of disused line from Worthing to County School station near North Elmham , although a section of about one mile (1.6 km) lacks track between North Elmham and County School. This makes the Mid-Norfolk Railway one of the longest standard-gauge heritage railways in the United Kingdom . Beyond the railway's holding, the trackbed is mostly intact from County School to Fakenham , and
6900-448: The number of projects and their length, operating days and function have changed. The situation is further muddied by large variations in ownership-company structure, rolling stock and other assets. Unlike community railways , tourist railways in the UK are vertically integrated (although those operating mainly as charities separate their charitable and non-charitable activities for accounting purposes). Heritage railways are known in
7000-401: The opening of Wymondham Abbey railway station . The first passenger train to use the new station, on 2 May 1999, was operated by a Class 108 DMU . Thuxton station opened as a daylight hours only request halt at the same time, although Kimberley Park and Hardingham remained closed. Following the completion of infrastructure work, such as the replacement of the water tower at Dereham and
7100-407: The operations carried out by the original railroad they operate on. Hence, they do not fit into the Heritage Railway category, but rather Tourist Railway/Amusement. Heritage streetcar lines are operating in over 20 U.S. cities, and are in planning or construction stages in others. Several new heritage streetcar lines have been opened since the 1970s; some are stand-alone lines while others make use of
7200-480: The organisation is to preserve the existing railway line between Wymondham and Fakenham in as far as near as practicable its original form on 1 January 1980. To ultimately, if at all possible, encourage extension of the line beyond that as on 1 January 1980. b To encourage use of the railway line between Wymondham and Dereham by freight and passengers. To assist the Fakenham and Dereham Railway Company Limited or any other Company involved in railway preservation. In 1980
7300-513: The passenger closure. The 1973 oil crisis led to a meeting being held at Dereham in 1974 by the Railway Development Society in order to petition for the restoration of passenger services between Wymondham and Fakenham. British Rail gave a price of £247,000 for such a restoration, but this proposal was rejected by Norfolk County Council . This meeting resulted in the formation of the Wymondham, Dereham and Fakenham Railway Action Committee. In 1977
7400-754: The past in operation. Due to a lack of modern technology or the desire for historical accuracy, railway operations can be handled with traditional practices such as the use of tokens . Heritage infrastructure and operations often require the assignment of roles, based on historical occupations, to the railway staff. Some, or all, staff and volunteers, including Station masters and signalmen , sometimes wearing period-appropriate attire, can be seen on some heritage railways. Most heritage railways use heritage rolling stock, although modern rail vehicles can be used to showcase railway scenes with historical-line infrastructure. While some heritage railways are profitable tourist attractions , many are not-for-profit entities; some of
7500-446: The post-steam era. Many run seasonally on partial routes, unconnected to a larger network (or railway), and charge high fares in comparison with transit services; as a result, they focus on the tourist and leisure markets. During the 1990s and 2000s, however, some heritage railways aimed to provide local transportation and extend their running seasons to carry commercial passenger traffic. The first standard-gauge line to be preserved (not
7600-597: The provision of an inspection pit, steam passenger services returned to the Dereham to Wymondham Abbey section on Sunday 30 April 2006. These were operated by Great Western Railway pannier tank number 9466 from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre . The ownership of the section of railway line between Dereham and North Elmham, part of that originally authorised by the Norfolk Railway Extensions, Dereham , Wells and Blakeney Branch Act 1846,
7700-498: The railcards including the 16–25 Railcard , Network Railcard and Senior Railcard . Such a card was envisaged to take a similar form to existing BahnCard products offered by Deutsche Bahn in Germany. In April 2003, a study undertaken jointly by Railfuture and the Rail Passengers Council (later "Passenger Focus") stated that three million rail travellers might buy such a railcard if it were priced at £20.00, and offered
7800-484: The remaining rolling stock associated with the defunct Great Eastern Railway (1989) Ltd from the site. The original Dereham station was re-opened to passengers on Saturday 26 July 1997, with the first services being operated by 1890-built Manning Wardle 0-6-0 T 'Sir Berkeley', hired from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway . British Railways Board (Residuary) Limited transferred the line between Wymondham and Dereham to
7900-488: The riches of the Italian territory. Tourism that can experience the train journey as an integral moment of the holiday, an element of quality in the overall tourist experience". There are three service areas proposed: Rail transport played a major role in the history of New Zealand and several rail enthusiast societies and heritage railways have been formed to preserve New Zealand's rich rail history. The Čierny Hron Railway
8000-688: The rolling stock and other equipment used on these systems is original and is of historic value in its own right. Many systems aim to replicate both the look and operating practices of historic former railways companies. Heritage railway lines have historic rail infrastructure which has been substituted (or made obsolete) in modern rail systems. Historical installations, such as hand-operated points , water cranes , and rails fastened with hand-hammered rail spikes , are characteristic features of heritage lines. Unlike tourist railways, which primarily carry tourists and have modern installations and vehicles, heritage-line infrastructure creates views and soundscapes of
8100-613: The section of railway between Yaxham station and a temporary halt built beside a footpath crossing on the Rash's Green industrial estate in Dereham was inspected by Chris Hall, H.M. Principal Inspecting Officer of Railways. Permission to operate passenger trains over this section was granted from Saturday 23 December 1995. 63 trains, each composed of the five Mk2 coaches topped and tailed by the Class 20s, were operated between this date and 14 January 1996. In October 1995 Breckland District Council established
8200-449: The site. The GER (1989) Ltd., who stated that they were attracting 12,000 visitors a year to the site, announced that they would contest this decision. In July 1995, police were called in to investigate the sudden and unauthorised road transfer of two Mid-Norfolk Railway Society Mk 2 coaches to a breaker's yard at nearby Lenwade . In July 1996 Breckland District Council issued a threat to stop trains running at County School station, as it
8300-419: The station at County School, and granted the F&DRS a 999-year lease, inviting the society to re-lay track and relocate to the site. The intention was to re-connect the station with British Rail's railhead at North Elmham to connect with charter trains operating over the branch. This plan was abandoned when the complete closure of the line from June 1989 was announced. In response to the approaching closure of
8400-498: The track, and offers a smaller structure gauge and tunnel size. At high altitudes, construction and logistical difficulties, limited urban development and demand for transport and special rolling-stock requirements have left many mountain railways unmodernized. The engineering feats of past railway builders and views of pristine mountain scenes have made many railways in mountainous areas profitable tourist attractions. Pit railways have been in operation in underground mines all over
8500-466: The truncated railhead at Dereham. On Christmas Eve, with permission from British Rail, both locomotives made their way along the line to Yaxham station. In 1995 Yorkshire Bank called in the receivers to solve concerns with the Great Eastern Railway (1989) Ltd. In June 1995 Breckland Council informed the receivers that they wished for the GER (1989) Ltd. to give up the lease for County School station so that they could review their operations in respect of
8600-536: The use of ferrocycles". Below is the list of railway lines recognized as tourist railways by Italian legislation. b) pursuant to the Ministerial Decree of 30 March 2022: The Bernina railway line is a single-track 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz , in
8700-415: The various British railway companies were grouped into four large companies in 1923. The line was heavily used during World War I and World War II, with extra Air Ministry sidings provided at Dereham in 1943. In the early days of the war, Dereham was used as a reception centre for the construction materials used to build the local airfields. The nationalisation of the " Big Four " railway companies placed
8800-433: The world. Small rail vehicles transport ore, waste rock, and workers through narrow tunnels. Sometimes trains were the sole mode of transport in the passages between the work sites and the mine entrance. The railway's loading gauge often dictated the cross-section of passages to be dug. At many mining sites, pit railways have been abandoned due to mine closure or adoption of new transportation equipment. Some show mines have
8900-617: The world. The elevation difference on the section between the Bernina Pass and Tirano is 1,824 m (5,984 ft), allowing passengers to view glaciers along the line. On 7 July 2008, the Bernina line and the Albula railway line , which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites , under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes . The whole site
9000-435: The year. Although predominantly diesel-operated, the MNR is not a diesel-only railway. The first train from Dereham after preservation, running between Dereham and Yaxham , was hauled by Manning Wardle 0-6-0 ST tank locomotive "Sir Berkeley", and the railway has always intended to operate both steam and diesel trains. In 2000, the railway arranged the loan of Barclay 0-4-0 ST 'Little Barford'. Although
9100-512: Was closed to passengers in stages from 1964 to 1969 as part of the Beeching cuts , and was finally fully closed to goods traffic in 1989. (The northern section of this line, to Wells, was built by the Wells and Fakenham Railway and part of this has been operated by the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway since 1982.) Regular steam and diesel services run 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (18.5 km) through
9200-415: Was concentrated in the isolated yard prior to disposal or scrapping. All track north of the station platforms was lifted, and, as shown in the photograph, the site was left to become derelict. The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust (MNRPT) was formed in 1995 through the merger of the campaign groups and organisations that had been trying to restore passenger services over the route since 1974. The aims of
9300-470: Was extended over 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.80 km) towards North Elmham, and a collection of rolling stock was built up. The first passenger train, a Mk2 brake coach converted to work as a DBSO with an industrial diesel locomotive, operated at the County School site on 2 November 1991. On 21 April 1990 the constitution of the organisation amended the aims of the society: 2. The aim of the organisation
9400-417: Was found that someone other than the leaseholder was operating trains at the site; the lease being non-transferable. In November 1996 Breckland District Council brought in 24-hour security guards at the County School site in order to prevent the stripping of the property after having served an eviction order on the GER(1989) in mid-October. County School station was boarded up and GER (1989) Ltd rolling stock
9500-554: Was in response to increasing levels of vandalism occurring at the site, a problem which had worsened after the Great Eastern company had lifted the track between Norwich Road level crossing and a point just north of the Automatic Open Level Crossings. The first working party was held at Dereham station on Saturday 23 July 1994. In December 1994 Class 20 diesels 20069 and 20206 were moved by road from County School to
9600-601: Was opened in stages between 15 February 1847 and 1857, after Parliamentary consent was given in 1845. The entire line became part of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862. The Wymondham to Dereham section received double track in 1882, while the line north of there remained single track . Along with the rest of the Great Eastern Railway, the branch became part of the Southern Area of the London and North Eastern Railway when
9700-459: Was passed to the Mid-Norfolk Railway in October 2001. Part of the line from County School to Wroxham is now the narrow gauge Bure Valley Railway . The formation between Wells and the religious centre of Walsingham now hosts the miniature Wells and Walsingham Light Railway . Both schemes are independent of the MNR. Another independent scheme, the " Norfolk Orbital Railway " plans to link the MNR to
9800-687: Was preceded by the Society for the Reinvigoration of Unremunerative Branch Lines (UK) [SRUBLUK] founded in 1951 and which became the simpler-sounding Railway Invigoration Society (RIS). The RIS and the Railway Development Association (RDA, founded 1951 ) merged in 1978 to become the RDS. A founding member of the RDA was poet and rail enthusiast Sir John Betjeman . One of the society's main campaign points
9900-516: Was restored during the following decade. Since 1992, it has been one of Slovakia's official heritage railways and is a key regional tourist attraction. The Historical Logging Switchback Railway in Vychylovka is a heritage railway in north-central Slovakia, originally built to serve the logging industry in the Orava and Kysuce regions. Despite a closure and dissasembly of most of its original network during
10000-645: Was the retention of railway lines threatened with closure, and now the reopening of closed lines and stations. Campaigns with successful outcomes include the saving of the Settle–Carlisle line in the 1980s, improvements to the Oxford–Bicester line , and the reopening of the Borders Railway . Additionally, Railfuture publishes proposals for entirely new rail schemes. One such is Thameslink 2 , an additional north-south route cross-London route, connecting
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