Great Western Coffee Shop

From Berkshire Live (https://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/fantastic-heritage-railways-visit-less-20930472)


With a couple of minor pedant-mode grouches ("are they really all heritage?" and "can't we encourage people to go by rail to rail?"), an excellent piece of publicity.

Would members in other locations like to provide similar lists - perhaps "within about an hour" if you're based in another less dense (south west or South Wales rather than South East) location.

What I came up with for .. you guessed it ... Melksham. Where the drive is likely to be between 45 minutes and an hour, flagged.

* With rides:
Jungle Railway / Longleat Safari Railway
Coate Water (longer drive)
Swindon and Cricklade (longer drive)
East Somerset Railway (longer drive)
Avon Valley Railway (longer drive)
Brokerswood Miniature Railway (Gone?)
* Without rides:
Two Tunnels footpath
Calne to Chippenham Path
Steam (longer drive)
Crofton Beam Engine (longer drive)

We are fairly well served in Bristol.

Bristol Port Railway in the middle of Bristol.

Avon Valley Railway between Bristol and Bath but really on the edge of Bristol.

Dean Forest Railway just across the old Severn Bridge and definitely less than an hour away.

SDR at Midsomer Norton a little past Bath.

The nascent, Vale of Berkeley Railway at Sharpness.

I think the railway at Cranmoor is just within an hour's drive too but the West Somerset Railway near Taunton is more debatable.

An excellent list - I wonder about miniature railways that featured in the Reading article too. Though not heritage, they are "rail days out" - how about https://www.bristolmodelengineers.co.uk/public-running-days/  - the Ashton Court Railway. 

Not sure about any others - the seaside one at Severn Beach is long since gone.  Sadly no rides (not even open days) at the Clifton Rocks Railway.

The Reading list is missing both the Watercress Line (Alton is 42 minutes according to AA routefinder) and the  Chinnor and Princes Risborough (Chinnor also being 42 minutes according to the AA).

The Reading list is missing both the Watercress Line (Alton is 42 minutes according to AA routefinder) and the  Chinnor and Princes Risborough (Chinnor also being 42 minutes according to the AA).

It's also missing the Reading Society of Model Engineers' Prospect Park Railway.

Have I missed the Pinewood Line off nine mile ride?

OTC

There's also Jocks Lane minature railway in Bracknell.

At an even smaller scale (and worth a visit) - the Pendon Museum at Long Wittenham

The above mentioned Ashton Court miniature railway was recently threatened with closure as they were encountering difficulties renewing their lease.  I believe (and hope) this might have now been resolved.  There's also a miniature railway at the Avon Valley Country park between Bristol and Bath.

There's also one in someone's garden not that far from there (though on the north side of the river, and possibly a few miles away now I think of it). It is a few years since I last went past, and can't remember exactly where it is, but it must cover several acres. A public footpath runs through the adjacent field, so it can be easily spotted. I assume it is still there.

From Evesham, you can reach the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway comfortably within 45 minutes (subject to traffic) and there's the (non-heritage) Vale of Evesham Railway which is a bit of narrow-gauge fun

It'd be a struggle to get to the Severn Valley Ry within 45 minutes, unless you can go on blue-lights.  But it's within an hour.