They are still quite a lot of steam trains around UK nowadays, a legacy from the old days, often kept alive by groups of passionate volunteers. They are popular with holiday makers particular with families with small children. I mean which child doesn't like riding on the trains? The North Bay Heritage Railway is one of these. The line is called heritage, because it dates back to 1931, over 90 years ago!! And I reckon it's even more popular with children because it's a miniature railway.
I'm not normally interested in these tourist railways, but on this particular afternoon, we needed a little break during our visit to Scarborough. When the staff said the ride lasted half an hour, runs along the seafront, and costed a little more than a cup of coffee, we were sold. Sometimes even adults need to indulge themselves and let their inner child come out. This was perfect.
The train was true to its name - miniature. Each carriage sat four people, two sitting face to face, and you can't stand up inside the carriage as it's quite low. There was a plastic shield in between carriages. Not sure if this is due to a social distance measure from Covid or whether part of the original decor.
The track is about one mile long, starting from Peasholm station, out along the north bay of Scarborough, hence the name North Bay Heritage Railway. It pulled slowly out from the station, and after a few minutes we were cruising along the seafront. I had already walked along the seafront earlier on during the day, but the view from an elevated level was very different. You get a magnificent view of the entire seafront.
It took less than 10 minutes to arrive at the other end, Scalby Mill.
It's a dead end here,ánd train fanatics will love this part, on how they turn the train around. The engine is detached, driven onto a turnatable which turns around. Then it is driven to the rear of the train and attached so the train can make its return journey. After a few moments, we ere ready to depart and return back to Peasholm station.
The train chugged slowly along the seafront again. This time I spent more time admiring the scenery, as on the outward journey I was more fascinated with the train ride itself. Yes, these trains does funny things to people, bringing out the inner child unexpectedly. Very soon, we had chugged back to Peasholm station and I was bought back to my grown up world again!
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Jealous! That was either Triton or Neptune. They aren't and have never actually been steam powered. They have a diesel engine. Sorry to ruin some of the romanticism. As a kid the caravan site we stayed at was overlooking the sea next to the line and there was a also a cable car from the North bay up to a fun fair on the cliff tops that often used to break down and leave people stuck for hours. Health and safety made them enclose the carriages. They used to be open and were basically just seats on a flat bed.
It's actually nice to ride one way then walk back along the sea front and past the open air theatre, stopping half way at the ice cream shop!
You are making me very home sick. I wish I'd sent you off to Blackpool lol ;-)
Scarborough was a good call👍 and my favourite is definitely Robin Hood Bay. Like it very much, so your jealousy meter will shoot up more when my post comes out 😉
When I saw that picture of the train, it reminded me of the Milwaukee County Zoo miniature train that has a 10 minute ride around the park. I used to love riding it when we would go to the zoo. It was always done at the end of our visit to the zoo, then we'd walk back to my grandma's house (she lived a block away) where we parked our car (to avoid paying the parking fees).
Fond childhood memories. I haven't been there since my children and I visited that area and we went to the zoo and rode the train. I know it was over 20 years ago, since I only had three children at that time.
That sounds like a wonderful way to round off a visit to the zoo, and I bet your kids loved it when you went with them. Is the zoo and the train still there? Maybe your next visit is with your grand kids some time 😀
Yes, it is still there. Now that the kids are grown (none married, yet, so no grandkids), I don't get up there much. I typically visit my parents when they are in Florida during the winter now.
Guess it's nice to have something to look forward to, when sometime in the future you can take some little ones to the zoo!
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Wow! What a beautiful ride that must have been. Quite a few years ago I went to an "old engine show" in the northern part of my state. They had a full sized locomotive and the black smoke that thing put out was insane!
I was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed it. Despite many of them being environmentally unfriendly, I think these old steam trains and engines have a lot of character.
They sure do!
Nice post! I've been on a fair few steam trains in the UK - and I even met Santa on the Avon Valley Railway last Christmas! Never been on the North Bay Heritage railway though - thanks for sharing!
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hey! that's my neck of the woods!!! but I've never been on that before. Was it one of those special Christmas excursion? Bet your kid must have loved it.
Did I read somewhere you're going to HF? Look forward to meet you there!
Hey - nice! Yes we live in London but have family in Bristol so go there a few times a year. We've actually cycled to the Avon Valley before (and on to Bath one time) from North East Bristol. And yeah there is a special Santa train at Christmas. My son did love it (and so did I!)
Yes - I've already booked travel and accommodation for Hivefest and my family are coming to Amsterdam too! Look forward to meeting you too!
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Loved the miniature trains and the big ones, part and parcel of our childhood something I miss about this new South Africa very few trains left.
Will have to plan to do the last steam run one of these days to feel the freedom of the rails again before they are all gone.
Fond memory enjoying the feeling again, wasn't it?
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That's true, a lot of the yesteryear things seem to be disappearing rapidly. In UK there's a lot of volunteers who have the passion and time to keep them going, but I do wonder for how much longer as I imagine the maintenance and upkeeping is quite costly.
Thanks for the tip Joan!!
All trains still running in steam are run by volunteers, eventually the love of the art will go as the older generation are no more, enjoy now!
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How fun!! I really need to find my inner child soon. I'm missing her. Life has been too serious.
This was so pleasing to my soul. I love trains, especially the old steam beauties! It was pure genius to get these up and running, just for the fun of it!
Thanks for taking us!
You're welcome Denise and hurry up to release the young Denise, she needs to see the world again!!!
Thanks for dropping by!
There's one quite similar in the Isle of Man, around 150 years old I believe.
These days it's pretty much exclusively for tourists, but there's a very popular dining train which runs for events.
The oldest electric railway is here too, running from the capital up to the North and also to the peak of the tallest mountain.
https://peakd.com/@demotruk/walking-biscuit-to-the-peak-of-snaefell
150 is very old! I think if it wasn't for tourists, these old railways wouldn't survive, after all Easter and Christmas only comes once a year for those special events trains and most of the dining ones I've seen seem pretty pricey.
Must get over to Isle of Man some time, never been before!
Ahhhh, no way, looks better than the miniature trains for children and definitely a longer trip too. My 7-year-old said it looks really cool 🤩
If it gets the approval from a 7 year old it's definitely winner 🎊💯😃
Oh my boys would love this train! If we're ever near Scarborough we'll have to check it out 👌
I would suggest it as it offers a great view on the way, hopefully you will have a chance to get there sometime.
We will for sure as we regularly visit Newcastle which is only up the road from Scarborough 👍
Looks great - the people that keep these railways running put one heck of an amout of effort into it - fair play to them !
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Absolutely, they are all so passionate about it. The guard told me that the locomotive is the driver's prize possession, one time he was talking to a passenger and casually leaned against it, and got told off by the driver 😄
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Train ride by the sea and coffee sounds like great idea! We don't have trains here and there are only few chances that I have been in a train in other places. I felt like a child when I did lol! I have yet to ride a steam train.
We were huge fans of both the big and the little trains when we were kids, and they were an important part of our lives. That journey must have been so enjoyable to take. I have no choice but to get in touch with my inner kid right away.