RAILDATE 2022.10.07

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Credits

Thank you to this week's contributors. Welcome to Ken Holway as a first-timer

Where was I this week?

Just for fun, do you recognise this station? Photo taken on Monday on a long weekend away. Answer next week.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Online talks, Galas, and Open Days this week and next.

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07-09 Oct 2022

Mid-Hants Watercress Line: Autumn Steam Gala

https://watercressline.co.uk/


07-09 Oct 2022

Spa Valley Railway: Real Ale and Cider Festival

https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk


08-09 Oct 2022

Apedale Valley Light Railway: Hunslet 1215 Running Days

https://avlr.org.uk/


09-Oct-2022

Gainsborough Model Railway Society: Open Day

The Clubrooms, Florence Terrace, Gainsborough, DN21 1BE

1330 to 1730 (last admission 1630)

http://gainsboroughmodelrailway.co.uk/


11-Oct-2022

Great Western Society Bristol Group

589 Southmead Road, Filton, BS34 7RF

7:30 for 7:45pm

"Transport Video Highlights of 2018" David Brabner

Non-members welcome

No admission charge but a suggested donation of £3 is appreciated

http://www.gwsbristol.org/gwsmeetings.html


12-Oct-2022

RCTS South Wales Branch

Old Church Rooms, Park Road, Radyr, CF15 8DF

"Freight Reorganisation in the Cardiff Valleys during the late 1960s" by Brian Rolley

1900 for 1930

https://rcts.org.uk/branches/branch-swl-south-wales-de-cymru/


13-16 Oct 2022

Bluebell Railway: Giants of Steam Autumn Gala

https://www.bluebell-railway.com

TELEVISION

UK television listings with a transport theme for the next eight days

Michael Portillio returns with Great Asian Railway Journeys. It was made in 2020 but, if it was shown then, I missed it ...

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Abandoned Engineering -:- The world's most impressive disused railway bridges, including the biggest wooden trestle bridge in the world, which was closed down due to hurricane damage

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Broadcaster Chris Tarrant continues his travels along the world's most challenging railways. Here he attempts to cross the Andes, setting off from the coast of Chile and heading for the Bolivian capital of Sucre. Along the way he traverses some of the driest and most inhospitable environments on the planet, hitches rides on unusual trains and deals with altitude sickness at more than 3,000 metres

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris attempts to cross the length of Cuba, the only island in the Caribbean to boast an extensive railway network, starting in Havana in the west. This proves to be a major challenge given the unreliability of the service and the old trains regularly used, but makes for a fascinating journey to Chris's ultimate goal, the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Along the way he soaks up the sights and sounds of Havana, retraces the footsteps of the country's national hero Che Guevara, and visits the ghost town of Camilo Cienfuegos - a relic from Cuba's colonial sugar plantation era

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris journeys a thousand miles across Japan, starting out in Nagasaki, where the story of eastern railways began 150 years ago with the help of an enterprising Brit. In Fukuoka, he visits one of the Bullet Train's giant repair centres and in Hiroshima, he unravels what happened to its streetcar network after the world's first atomic bomb devastated the city. Along the way, Chris also meets a superstar cat and a singing conductor, while also checking into a popular trainspotter hotel and riding a steam-powered mountain railway

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris sets out to reach the northernmost railway station on Earth, inside Russia's Arctic Circle. This is an epic 2,000-mile adventure from Moscow into Arctic Siberia, and begins with a marathon 19-hour leg. Along the way he enjoys a reindeer stew with a local family and takes the controls of one of the massive locomotives that power the trains, before pressing on along railways built under the brutal regime of Joseph Stalin

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris takes a railway trip across Canada, revealing how 2,500 miles of transcontinental railway was built against huge odds in just a few decades, helping to join together a vast wilderness of isolated communities and create the country that exists today. He begins his journey on one of the earliest sections of track to be built, on a train that is now a lifeline for hunters and fishermen. He then sees one of the biggest, most famous trains in the world - the Canadian, before heading for the Prairies, and on to the port of Vancouver. Along the way he also searches for Winnie the Pooh, crosses raging rivers and meets the descendant of a pioneering Yorkshire family who arrived here more than 100 years ago

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris takes a trip through India on the Konkan railway, a line that opened in 1998 and runs down the west coast. He starts his journey at dawn in the country's financial capital Mumbai, where the Mandovi Express is the first of many trains he catches along the 472 miles of track running through the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. To keep the line straight, 92 tunnels and 2,000 bridges had to be built in one of the wettest areas of the subcontinent and Chris joins the monsoon team, which patrols daily to ensure that it is free from obstructions

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris Tarrant explores five countries that were part of Yugoslavia, which had an extensive state-run railway network before its break-up in the 1990s and the Balkan Wars of Independence that followed. From Slovenia, Chris heads east along an old Austro-Hungarian railway that was once used by the Orient Express, pays a visit to a very unusual railway-related battlefield in Bosnia and rides on one of the world's great mountain railways on his way to the Serbian capital Belgrade before finishing his journey in Montenegro

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris travels from Bangkok in Thailand to Mandalay in Myanmar, tracing the route of the notorious Burma-Siam Railway. The 250-mile line was built by the Japanese during the Second World War using enslaved Asian workers and Allied PoWs, and Chris visits the famous site of the Bridge on the River Kwai along the way

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris travels through the Middle East to explore what remains of the colonial railways, which were built there more than 100 years ago. In the Wadi Rum valley, Chris boards a steam train along one of the few bits of the Hejaz railway that remains in working use, following the route through Jordan, before crossing the border into Israel as he heads for Jerusalem, which is sacred to more than half of the world's population. Along the way, Chris visits the ancient city of Petra, as well as Haifa and Tel Aviva

Coastal Railways with Julie Walters -:- The actress travels around the UK coast by train, beginning by boarding the famous Jacobite steam train for a trip along Scotland's West Highland Railway, famously featured in the Harry Potter movies. Along the way, Julie learns about herring gutting and blowing up railway lines, and meets a traditional Scottish storyteller on the Isle of Skye

Coastal Railways with Julie Walters -:- The actress travels from Cardigan Bay to Liverpool, visiting the heritage railway in Tywyn that was the inspiration for Thomas the Tank Engine and a community that is famous for knitting. She also paints a carriage in Boston Lodge, catches the famous Ffestiniog railway through Snowdonia, and visits Europe's fastest zip wire and largest pet cemetery

Coastal Railways with Julie Walters -:- The actress travels from Newcastle to Edinburgh by high speed train. Along the way, she stops off at the coastal town of Alnmouth, discovers where the phrase Keep Calm and Carry On originated, visits the world's biggest gannet colony, and goes out to sea with a lobster breeder. When she reaches her destination, she discovers the connection between the railway and the famous Balmoral Hotel

Coastal Railways with Julie Walters -:- The actress travels on the famous Great Western Railway to Cornwall. She recalls childhood holidays when she stops at Torquay before heading to a supposedly haunted castle at Kingswear. She also uncovers tales of smuggling and joins members of the RNLI on a practice run before visiting an unusual cake shop in Penzance

Combat Trains -:- Documentary series exploring the role of trains in the major conflicts of the past 150 years. This instalment looks into how the efficiency of the rail networks on both sides helped cause the stalemate of the First World War

Combat Trains -:- Exploring how Lawrence of Arabia used guerilla warfare against the Ottoman Empire's railways. Plus, two secrets hidden under New York's Grand Central Terminal - President Roosevelt's personal train that brought him secretly into the city, and a M42 generator that it is claimed Nazi spies tried to destroy

Combat Trains -:- The astonishing accounts of four railway journeys that changed history, including the perilous expedition that made a young Winston Churchill world famous

Emperor of the North (1973) -:- Two railroad-hopping hobos jump onto a train and start a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with Shack, a notoriously violent and sadistic guard who delights in his reputation that no one has ever ridden on his train for free and lived to tell the tale. Depression-era adventure, starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and Keith Carradine

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo strikes west across Manitoba into the province of Saskatchewan. High above the Prairie at Riding Mountain, he discovers how a middle-class British boy from Hastings transformed himself into an influential indigenous naturalist called Grey Owl. Deep in the Prairie, he finds a network of railways that once served the wheat farmers of Saskatchewan, and learns how communities grew up around the grain elevators used to load the crops on to rail wagons

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- The final leg of Michael Portillo's journey begins in Edmonton, where he learns about the people who 300 years ago travelled huge distances by foot and canoe to trade with indigenous people. He also admires the city's early 20th-century streetcars, preserved by the Radial Railway Society, and its light rail system. Moving on, he views the Rocky Mountains, marvels at the scale of Canada's forestry industry and discovers how the beaver, once slaughtered for its fur, is now pampered

Great Asian Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo sets off on the first leg of a new quest as he travels around South-east Asia, guided by his 1913 Bradshaw's Handbook on a 2,500-mile railway adventure across six countries. Beginning in Hong Kong, the former politician investigates how Britain won the island and Kowloon from China after two mid-19th century wars over the trade in opium. He also boards the island's most famous funicular to the Peak and visits the state-of-the art West Kowloon station with its high-speed link to China - the largest underground high-speed station in the world

Great Asian Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels through Thailand, from the northern city of Chiang Mai to Kanchanaburi on the River Kwai and from Bangkok to the southern beach resort of Hua Hin. Along the way, he tries his hand at the art of umbrella-making and learns about northern Thai cookery. He also stops off to help at a hospital for elephants wounded by landmines and admires the ruined temples at the former Siamese capital, Ayutthaya

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo begins his journey in Kirkby-in-Furness, Cumbria, where he learns about the village's famous blue slates. He then heads to Barrow to examine the secret world of nuclear submarines and finishes his trip in Lancaster, where he discovers why executions at the castle drew so many spectators in Victorian times

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo begins his journey to the Isle of Man from Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, and examines the cross-border history of the town. Plus, he hears the story of the Pitman Painters of Ashington and learns about the perils of working on the rails in Victorian times

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey along the Great Eastern Line, which ventures from the edge of England to the heart of London. In this leg, he examines the Victorians' fascination with the Suffolk village of Dunwich, Britain's answer to Atlantis, and discovers how nearby Felixstowe became home to the UK's biggest container port

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues to follow the route of the Great Eastern Line, enjoying a ride on a miniature railway hidden beneath London. During his trip, he also rings the bells of Bow Church, and tries his hand at announcing at Fenchurch Street station

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo crosses the Irish Sea to explore the history of Ireland's railways, including the construction of a line along the treacherous east coast near Dublin. Ahead of visiting Northern Ireland later in the week, he also examines 19th-century crime and punishment in a Victorian jail, and discovers how the lions of Dublin Zoo changed the fortunes of the railways

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo discovers micro-mines hidden in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, and finds out why the Victorians were so enamoured with Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley along the border between England and Wales. Plus, he investigates the railway engineering behind the Newport Transporter Bridge

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo discovers the importance of Cardiff's Victorian coal heritage to the city's development. He also finds out why Barry Island has been attached to the mainland since the 19th century, and takes a steam ride through the Brecon Beacons National Park

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the second leg of his journey from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Isle of Man, beginning in the Northumberland village of Bardon Mill. He follows in the footsteps of Victorian archaeologists at Hadrian's Wall, discovers how the introduction of ticket machines transformed 19th-century train travel and learns about the impact of railways on the west Cumbrian town of Wigton

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo ends his journey across northern England by setting sail from Heysham, Lancashire, to visit the Isle of Man, where he learns about the horse-drawn trams of Douglas, reveals the 19th-century secrets of the Laxey Waterwheel and explores the Victorian history of the Snaefell mountain railway

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo ends his journey through the west of England and south Wales by exploring the connection between the Victorian railway and Port Talbot's steelworks. He then follows the trail of 19th-century waterfall hunters in Neath, and reveals Milford Haven's whaling past

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo has a go at playing Winchester Cathedral's Victorian organ as he continues his tour of Britain's railways. He also goes behind the scenes at a rail works in Eastleigh that began operating in the 19th century, and travels to the Isle of Wight, one of Queen Victoria's favourite holiday destinations

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo heads to Cumbria, where he visits the Sellafield site that reprocesses fuel from nuclear reactors, drinks a Victorian brew made from the waters of Cockermouth and explores a Japanese-inspired garden created in the 19th century

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo learns more about the country's railways, beginning with the Great Eastern Line, which runs along the edge of England and into central London. On his travels, the former politician discovers the grave-robbing history of Great Yarmouth and tries his hand at working a Victorian swing bridge in Reedham, Norfolk. He also takes to the air to reveal how a rail guidebook helped aviators during the Second World War

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo retraces railway journeys made by Queen Victoria in the south of England, where she would travel from Windsor Castle in Berkshire to her summer retreat on the Isle of Wight. The first leg of the trip takes him from Windsor's railway station to Didcot in Oxfordshire, stopping along the way to view a structure designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in Maidenhead. He also tries to collect the mail in the manner of Victorian postal workers on a steam-powered travelling post office

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo's tour takes him to Alton, Hampshire, where he samples Victorian super food, explores Whitchurch Silk Mill, which has remained untouched for more than 150 years, and drives a steam train on the challenging Watercress Line

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from Epping, Essex, to Hackney in north-east London, discovering why dairy herds were transported by train all over Britain. He also finds out the importance of the gunpowder trade to Waltham Cross, and learns the gruesome details of the first murder to take place on a train

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook to discover how the railways have affected people and find out what remains of Bradshaw's Britain. He begins in Liverpool by learning to speak Scouse, before researching the first railway fatality and exploring the origins of the Eccles cake

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo visits the sites of Victorian freak shows, rides one of the world's first electric railways in Southend and encounters the preserved head of a medieval politician as he continues his journey along the route of the Great Eastern Line

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo travels from the Swiss Alps to the shores of Lake Geneva. Along the way, he is caught up in a war zone with the Red Cross and rescued from an 'avalanche' by a St Bernard puppy. He takes to the skies in a vintage bi-plane to retrace the epic journey of the pioneering pilot who was first to fly over the Alps, and tries his hand at watchmaking, James Bond style

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo braves the freezing temperatures of the Baltic Sea and finds peace paddling a canoe on the Lakes of Finland. On his journey from the Latvian capital Riga to Tampere in Finland, he encounters medieval knights in Tallinn, grills sausages in Helsinki and samples cloudberry liqueur in a hot tub. He later arrives in Estonia, where in the setting of a ruined 13th-century cathedral he learns how the Baltic countries demonstrated their desire for independence from the Soviet Union with a 'singing revolution'

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo concludes his journey in the Netherlands, where he travels from Rotterdam to Utrecht, including a visit to the world's largest flower auction in Haarlem, a trip to Delft to learn how the city came to specialise in pottery and an exploration of the government buildings in The Hague

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo experiences first-hand Italy's 'need for speed' in a state-of-the-art Maserati sports car, and discovers how the leaning tower of Pisa was rescued from near collapse. In Carrara, he finds out how the marble used by Michelangelo is still being quarried and is invited to chip away at a contemporary sculpture. Moving on to Bologna, the former politician embarks on a doomed search for spaghetti bolognese before being taught how to prepare a tagliatelle al ragu. Finally, he lets the wind rush through his hair on a high-speed boat trip across Lake Garda

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo leaves Europe behind to take in the sights, smells and tastes of North Africa as he travels from the Mediterranean port of Tangier to the Berber city of Marrakech. At Asilah, the political commentator lends a hand with the construction of Morocco's new £3billion high-speed railway line to Casablanca, where he calls in to the most famous gin joint in the world

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from the Italian Riviera to the Austrian Alps, starting in Genoa, where he learns how an Edwardian Briton introduced football to the port. He takes the train as it clings to the cliffs along the Riviera Di Levanti to reach the picturesque and remote villages of the Cinque Terre, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before ending his journey in the famous Brenner Pass, the scene of a ground-breaking engineering project to build one of the world's longest rail tunnels

Hitler's Bodyguard -:- Investigating the Nazi leader's armoured train, which was able to bring German railways to a halt

How Do They Do It? -:- How do they make an almost invisible hearing aid that connects wirelessly to your phone? And, how do they build the carriages for London's new underground railway?

Inside Central Station -:- Station staff work to raise awareness of homelessness by hosting a sleep out on the concourse, while staff benefit from a visit from a therapet to boost mental health. The maintenance team deal with a blocked toilet and the engineering teams below ground, work to carry out vital repairs to waterproof the tunnels. Paul explores the fascinating history of Glasgow's shipyards and their link to the railway and Jackie and Drew receive exciting news that will have a big impact on the station tours.

Japan Railway Journal -:- Moka Railway north of Tokyo is famous for its steam locomotive - however, inspection and maintenance are very costly. See how the railway keeps its locomotives running despite these difficult times.

Japan Railway Journal -:- Yagan Railway in Tochigi Prefecture is a small railway company with nine stations and four train cars - see how the company plays a vital role in connecting the Tokyo area and Fukushima Prefecture.

Judge Judy -:- A PTA president sues the father of a promising scholarship winner after he fails to get her on the bus for a prestigious tour of colleges.

Railroad Alaska -:- Homesteaders living in the wilderness team up to track down an abandoned cabin that was washed down-stream and trapped in ice. Plus, a freight crew dodges intruders

Railroad Alaska -:- Tempers flare as a train encounters brake problems, and a derailment leaves maintenance teams stranded. Off grid, homesteaders manage to avert a fire, but are left without heat

Railroad Alaska -:- The documentary exploring the work of staff manning a 500-mile long Alaskan railroad returns as a rogue gunman threatens a military hardware delivery

Railroad Alaska -:- Veteran off-gridder Jim James attempts to reach the hospital by train after an accident, but a series of obstacles places him in jeopardy

Railroaded (1947) -:- A gangster connives with his girlfriend to rob his boss's illegal gambling operation, which is run out of her beauty parlour. The plan goes wrong, but the crook gets away, leaving an innocent bystander to take the blame. However, a detective on the case is not convinced and tries to get to the truth. Thriller, starring John Ireland, Sheila Ryan and Hugh Beaumont

Steam Train Britain -:- At the South Devon Railway, Andy Leech and Liz Turner host afternoon tea for 44 passengers. In East Lancashire, volunteer Chandra Law takes on the new role of Stationmaster

Steam Train Britain -:- Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway are celebrating their annual Victorian Weekend, while in south Devon, silver service waiter Andy Leech runs the three-course Sunday lunch

Steam Train Britain -:- Great Central Railway's Scott Manley takes a rainy busman's holiday working as a guard at Bury, while a team of volunteers in Wales try to keep the line clear of overgrown plants

Steam Train Britain -:- On the Welsh Highland Railway, a newly built Pullman carriage is on its way to Caernarfon Station and a Saddle Tank Loco is being completely restored on the East Lancashire Railway

The Big Bang Theory -:- Leonard and Howard attempt to distract Sheldon with a trip to a historic railway when he slows the progress of their work on the Air Force guidance system. Raj and Stuart look after baby Halley, while Penny and Amy take Bernadette out

To End All Wars (2001) -:- Four PoWs learn to rely on one another for support while they are held captive by Japanese forces during the Second World War, and made to build a railway through the stifling Burmese jungle. Fact-based drama, starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland, Ciaran McMenamin and Mark Strong

Transsiberian (2008) -:- American couple Roy and Jessie are heading from China to Moscow on the Transsiberian railway when they befriend fellow travellers Carlos and Abby. However, when Roy fails to board the train following a station stop, Jessie begins to suspect her new travelling companions are harbouring a deadly secret. Thriller, starring Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega and Ben Kingsley

Union Pacific (1939) -:- The overseer of a railway construction falls for a woman who is secretly involved with someone else, leading to tense confrontations and soul searching as the love triangle develops further. Melodrama, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, Robert Preston, Akim Tamiroff and Antony Quinn

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell discovers the now-abandoned lines that unlocked the wild coastline of north Devon. He begins by following the dramatic Barnstaple and Ilfracombe Railway, which once built, proved an instant success, eventually carrying the glamorous Atlantic Coast Express service, direct from London Waterloo. He crosses to the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, which traverses the wild terrain of Exmoor up to the cliff-top village of Lynton. Rob follows the adventurous, narrow-gauge route, discovering the extraordinary tale of the line's construction and the very short section that has been fully restored

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell explores the Waverley Route, which ran south from Edinburgh for 100 miles through the Scottish Borders to Carlisle, connecting with what is now known as the West Coast Main Line. After years of campaigning, the first stage of Rob's journey is aboard the new Borders Railway, the longest railway to open in over a century. It follows part of the old Waverley Route, making fine use of the 170-year-old, 23-arch Newbattle Viaduct. Rob also pays a visit to one of Hawick's surviving cashmere factories and discovers a First World War prisoner of war camp served by the railway

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell follows the Callander and Oban Railway, an epic 70-mile route from Scotland's Lowlands to its glorious west coast. Setting off from Callander, he recalls the 14 years of determination it took to build this railway and how, with the help of local hero Rob Roy, it changed Victorian perceptions of the Highlands. No longer a distant land of fearsome Clans, the mountains, lochs and valleys were now a romantic and accessible destination of choice. Spectacles on the line include Glen Ogle, Loch Tay and an impressive terminus still evident at Oban

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell heads to Norfolk to follow a lost railway through some of the quietest - yet wealthiest - parts of the country. This railway was a curious latecomer when it was built in the 1880s and it threatened to rudely thrust the region into the industrial age. Rob explores an entire engineering town built from scratch, learns how Norfolk's agriculture was super-charged, and sees for himself where thousands of holidaying Midlanders arrived to sail the Norfolk Broads. The line put Norfolk on the frontline of the war so Rob takes to the skies to spot dozens of hastily constructed airfields

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Until it closed in 1966 the Deeside Railway followed the River Dee upstream from Aberdeen into what is now the Cairngorms National Park. As luck would have it, Queen Victoria purchased Balmoral just as the line was set to open, giving the route prestige. Rob Bell retraces the route, visiting a shooting estate, tossing a caber and finding an unmistakable Highland 'brand' that all owe their existence to this royal railway age. He also explores a quiet valley of cattle farming and timber sawmills, and, in truth, a simple railway that struggled for decades to justify its own existence, despite its royal veneer

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- A journey through Sicily that takes in seven Unesco World Heritage sites, with the first stop being a visit to a castle whose baron was inspired by Hampton Court. There's a meeting in Modica with Sicily's most famous chocolatier, a trip on the unique railway that travels around Etna, and a visit to Ragusa, a baroque-inspired city famous for its beauty and for its spiral railway that travels within a mountain

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- A journey through the mountains of the Italian Riviera in a restored vintage 1920s train, beginning at Cinque Terre national park, and concluding in the historic port city of Genoa. Along the way, the train stops at the elegant resort of Santa Margherita and the remote 10th-century abbey of San Fruttuoso

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- A look at Bavaria's rich history of steam travel, seeing world-beating miniature railways and visiting a whole host of interesting places on a journey to the heart of the Bavarian Alps, where a beer-brewing monk and a town made famous by the Winter Olympics await. Later, a trip to Germany's highest mountain Zugspitze - which offers amazing panoramic views right across Germany and Austria

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- A trip from the Kyle of Lochalsh, a tiny fishing village on the far west coast of Scotland. The journey heads east across the Highlands, then turns south through the whisky country of Speyside to Aberdeen, Scotland's oil capital

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- A trip through Devon to the tip of Cornwall, going back in time to recapture the golden age of luxury train travel. Travelling in the elegantly restored Statesman, passengers relax in its vintage carriages and enjoy the exquisite service. The first stop is on the stunning Devon coast, which suffered devastating destruction during the heavy winter storms of 2014. From Dawlish, it heads to Cornwall and across the Royal Albert Bridge, a masterpiece of railway engineering

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- Cameras focus on New Zealand's South Island, and the great Dunedin Railway's trains - the Inlander and the Seasider. The journey begins with a trip down the Taeiri Gorge towards Otago Harbour, and the area's capital, Dunedin. Bill Nighy narrates

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- Cameras focus on the island of Taiwan, and three extraordinary railways. The journey begins in the eastern port city of Hualien, from where we travel north along the rugged Pacific coast. The trek ends with a view of Taiwan's highest mountain peaks above a sea of clouds. Narrated by Bill Nighy

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- Luxury heritage train The Northern Belle, aka steam locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth, travels through England's rural north-west. Beginning in Preston, the passengers of its stylish 1930s Pullman carriages are soon whisked up through Cumbria and the spectacular landscapes of the Lake District. The train continues on to historic Carlisle, the site of a world-class medieval cathedral and home to supposedly England's most haunted station. It then joins the Settle to Carlisle line, considered one of the most scenic railway routes in the world

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- The West Highland Line is one of the world's truly legendary train routes, crossing spectacular Scottish moors and mountains as it heads towards Skye. Starting in Glasgow, it glides towards Loch Lomond, the world's largest inland stretch of water. It then sweeps north to enter the wild and windswept landscape of Rannoch Moor. After ascending to Corrour, Britain's highest station, the journey passes Ben Nevis, the UK's tallest mountain and then across the famous Glenfinnan viaduct. The coastal town of Mallaig is gateway to the Isle of Skye with its world-famous Highland cuisine and many breathtaking views

SMALL PRINT

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