Enthusiast Railtours

Offering a wide selection of convenient joining points, our route after Chesterfield takes this tour into Yorkshire, bypassing Sheffield before heading for Wakefield and entry to the Calder Valley. However, we do not follow the river for long, soon climbing away to Huddersfield, then onto the long slog into the Pennines, with the Huddersfield Narrow Canal gaining height with us amongst the ever bleaker moorland tops. The canal is crossed before waterway and railway enter parallel tunnels, burrowing for over three miles under the Pennine ridge known as Standedge.

Descent through Greenfield leads to Stalybridge, where we take the route to Guide Bridge and onto the line with the most sparse passenger service in Britain ~ one train, one way only, once a week! A run through Stockport leads to Hazel Grove and the very steeply climbing ‘passenger’ route that winds it way through Furness Vale and Chapel-en-le-Frith to the 1140ft Bibbington Summit, before descent to BUXTON, where a break of just over 3 hours (1305 - 1615) will be taken in this distinctive Spa Town, nowadays the highest market town in England.

After our break and with everyone back on board, we leave Buxton, taking the alternative ‘freight only’ route, downhill at first through Ashwood Dale, following the River Wye through a narrow gorge before a sharp turn back to the north and a climb through Great Rocks to a 985ft summit at Peak Forest. Passage of Chapel-en-le-Frith tunnel leads to Chinley Junctions and another sharp turn, to the east again as we climb to Cowburn Tunnel. Downhill again, the River Noe leads down through Edale to Hope, which gives its name to this route. The Dore Curve then takes us back to Chesterfield and a final main line run back across the Midlands to Severnside, completing what we hope will be a great days touring.

THIS TRAIN IS NOW FULLY BOOKED ~ SORRY

This day out will take you right across Somerset and into Glorious Devon, down the Exe Estuary and along the Dawlish sea-wall, then through to PLYMOUTH, where you will have over five hours to explore if you alight here.

Alternatively, join us on a TAMAR RIVER CRUISE under the Royal Albert and Tamar bridges, view the Royal Naval Dockyard at Devonport and enjoy a break at Mount Edgecombe Park and Cremyll, overlooking the Tamar and Plymouth Sound.
Supplementary fare: £15 Adult, £10 Junior.

The train now crosses the Tamar on Brunel's iconic Royal Albert Bridge and winds its way through to Liskeard, where you can alight for a visit to this old stannary town, and/or take the delightful branch train trip down to LOOE - the return adult fare of around £3.50 is payable locally.

WEST COUNTRY JOINERS  A limited number of Standard Class only seats are available for the Parkandillack branch option at £20 adult & £10 junior from Plymouth or £15 adult & £7.50 junior from Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway or Par.

•The train will be hauled throughout by a DBS Class 66 diesel locomotive,
with a second class member assisting us along the Parkandillack branch•
 

HARROGATE CIRCLE OPTION - JOIN AT LEEDS (depart 1230, return 1440)  Currently fully booked ~ sorry.

FIRST PLANNED PASSENGER TRAIN TO FEATURE A BRAND NEW FREIGHTLINER CLASS 70 DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FOR HAULAGE!!

It is expected that this excursion will be hauled by a DBS Class 66 diesel locomotive from Swindon to Crewe & return, where the highlight of the day, a brand new Freightliner Class 70 diesel locomotive, will be waiting to haul the train forward from Crewe to Leeds and return.
 

With long daylight hours of late Spring well underway, what better day out is there than by taking a rail trip along the full length of one of Britain's most spectacular railways, the famous SETTLE & CARLISLE LINE, with joining stations from Bristol through the West Midlands to Crewe.

After the last pick up point at Crewe, we head north across the Cheshire Plain and over the River Mersey into Lancashire and on past Wigan. A few miles on we turn right for Blackburn, and 'make for the hills'. After Wilpshire Tunnel we emerge into the Ribble Valley, on the downhill run to the 24 arch Whalley Viaduct. Pendle (Hill), infamous for 'witches', is the key feature as the line twists its way through the undulating terrain by way of Clitheroe to Hellifield.

At Settle Junction we join the Settle & Carlisle line, following the Ribble through Stainforth Gorge and into Upper Ribblesdale, with Penyghent (the Hill of Winds) to the east. We climb past Ribblehead to the great viaduct and its backdrop of Great Whernside, with Ingleborough dominating the view to the west. From Blea Moor Tunnel we emerge into Dentdale, where Dent Head and Arten Gill viaducts help to carry us across the 'Roof of England'. A curve through Dent, the highest station in England, is followed by a succession of viaducts and tunnels, through Garsdale and on to the summit at Ais Gill. Now downhill, we run along the flanks of Wild Boar Fell, with Mallerstang Edge towering across the infant River Eden. Descent leads through Kirkby Stephen to a crossing of the river, near Appleby-in-Westmorland. The browns of the moorland give way to the greens of the Eden Valley as we follow the river, before it drops away into Armathwaite Gorge.

Although we have previously run excursions starting from Newtown, this is certainly the first ever Pathfinder tour to have this pleasant mid-Wales town as a destination!

But to start at the beginning, a Class 59/2 will head the train from Bristol Temple Meads, with joining points via Oxford to Birmingham International, where a Class 92 electric loco will take over for the run to Crewe. On the Independent Lines, replacement power is a pair of yellow Class 97/3s, former Class 37s that have been modified for the Cambrian lines' new signalling. These popular machines will take the train via the Gresty Lane Curve to Shrewsbury and thence onto the undulating grades to WELSHPOOL (1415 - 1630), where you may choose to have an afternoon break. You should also alight here if you wish to join our optional visit to the:

WELSHPOOL & LLANFAIR RAILWAY: A road coach will transfer you across town to the Raven Square station of this narrow gauge railway, which has gradients as steep as 1 in 29 on the delightful run to Llanfair Caereinion. The road coach will return you to Welshpool for our homeward journey.
Supplementary fare: £13 Adult, £9 Junior.

If Welshpool does not 'float your boat', stay on the train for the journey up the valley of the Severn to NEWTOWN / DRE NEWYDD (1430 - 1600), an attractive market town that offers a good variety of places to eat and drink.

Returning eastward, we pick up passengers again at Welshpool, then avoid Shrewsbury on the Abbey Foregate Curve to reach the Telford and Wolverhampton line, at the latter taking the link to Portobello Junction and thence back to Bescot. Here we change power on the Up & Down Goods line, reversing then to reach Walsall and the Sutton Park line through to Water Orton, then via Nuneaton back to Coventry and the return run to Bristol Temple Meads.

Cornwall is a favourite British leisure destination, not surprising in view of miles of superb coastline, delightful seaside towns and villages, sub-tropical vegetation, internationally renowned attractions and the festivals that are a feature of many Cornish towns during Spring and Summer.

Alight at Truro for a FAL RIVER CRUISE, a delightful way to see the beauty of the Fal Estuary, with a short break in either Truro or Falmouth, depending on the tide times (this option is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties).
Supplementary fare: £12 Adult, £8 Junior to include transfers and river cruise.

Also alight at Truro for a visit to the amazing TREBAH GARDENS, midway between Falmouth and Helston. Although a house at Trebah was recorded in the Domesday Book (1086), the gardens of today were started by Charles Fox in the 1830s, lost, found and lost again before rediscovery in the 1980's. As well as the unique gardens, this was where Donald Healey designed and built his sports cars, whilst the beach was once covered in concrete, as 7,500 Americans departed for the D-Day landings in 1944.
Supplementary fare: £13 Adult £9 Junior.