Heritage and preservation in the North East - 200 years in 2025

[whole diary]

[grahame]

The North East is gearing up for the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton to Darlington Railway (1825 - 2025) but is seems there's work to do and not all is hunky dory up there.

The Weardale railway is up for sale - http://www.passenger.chat/21811

The Darlington Railway Preservation Society - occupying the oldest building in continuous railway use - have been told to vacate it - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-51078728

Old news from last summer - but the Shildon museum failed to impress me.

There is enough / are so many heritage and preservation elements in the North East that it would take a week or more to see them all - add in Beamish,  North Yorkshire Moors and perhaps a visit to the National Railway Museum.   Then there's the Stephenson Railway Museum and the Aln Valey Railway. Beyond conventional rail, the Transporter Bridge at Middlesbrough and the cliff lift at Saltburn.  Perhaps also the North East Land Sea & Air Museum.

Current rail services - with byways such as the Northern (at the moment) train to Whitby, or to Chathill and indeed the mainline to Berwick upon Tweed.

Wait until 2025, or is it worth a trip this year or next?  Have I missed anything from my list?

[grahame]

Have I missed anything from my list?

Sad sign ... answering myself:

Tanfield Railway
Bowes Railway
South Tynedale Railway
Head of Steam, Darlington (I think that's a different one)
Saltburn miniature railway
Wylam Museum
Monkwearmouth Station Museum

[Reginald25]

Derwent Valley at York is a little gem.
Several historical settings no longer in rail use, such as the old mainline route that was bypassed due to mining subsidence in 1980s.
Museum at Hull with plenty of rail interest

[ChrisB]

Too many organisations & venues for the number of enthusiasts willing to run them, I suspect. THose with historic railways interest tend to be of an age where they are well into retirement or actually dying....with very few of a reasonable age coming in behind.

[CyclingSid]

THose with historic railways interest tend to be of an age where they are well into retirement or actually dying

sounds like something to avoid if you want to increase your life expectancy!

[eightonedee]

As a supporter for over 19 years, can I also add the Wensleydale Railway?

It also has a precarious financial existence, and has suffered in the past from an unclear idea of what it is- public transport or tourist attraction. It has now settled on the latter, a triumph of realism over idealism.

[grahame]

As a supporter for over 19 years, can I also add the Wensleydale Railway?

It also has a precarious financial existence, and has suffered in the past from an unclear idea of what it is- public transport or tourist attraction. It has now settled on the latter, a triumph of realism over idealism.

Embarrassed I didn't list that one.   I thought I had under the name "Bowes Railway" as I associate Bowes with being high up in the Pennines on a railway line from the North East headed across.   Wrong line though an it turns out that the "Bowes Railway" is something completely different.