A scene on a heritage railway. An ex-British Railways 4MT 2-6-4T tank engine takes on water at Bishops Lydeard station on the West Somerset Railway, Somerset, England. See also Rail transport in Great Britain, National Rail, Network Rail This article is about the defunct entity "British Railways" The British Railways Standard Class 4 tank was a class of steam locomotive one of the BR standard classes built during the 1950s Bishops Lydeard is a village and Parish in Somerset, UK, situated on the A358 road and West Somerset Railway north west of Taunton The West Somerset Railway (WSR is a Heritage railway that runs along the edge of the Quantock Hills in Somerset, England, between Bishops Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

The 600 mm Narrow Gauge Railway in Żnin - the steam locomotive Px38-805 called "Leon"

A heritage railway (United Kingdom), preserved railway (United Kingdom), or tourist railroad (United States and Canada) is a term used for a railway which is run as a tourist attraction, is usually but not always run by volunteers, and seeks to re-create railway scenes of the past. Żnin is a small Town in Poland with a population of 14558 (June 2005 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. A tourist attraction is a place of interest where Tourists visit typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value historical significance natural or built beauty or See List of heritage railways. List of heritage railways is a comprehensive listing of Heritage railways sorted by country state or region

Historic heavy and light rail

Heritage railways are usually railway lines which were once run as commercial railways, but were later no longer needed or were closed down, and were taken over or re-opened by volunteers or for-profit organizations. Many run on partial routes unconnected to the commercial railway network, run only seasonally, and charge high "entertainment" fares. As a result they are primarily focused on serving the tourist and leisure markets, not local transportation needs. However in the 1990s and 2000s some heritage railways have begun to provide local transportation and to extend their running seasons to cater for commercial passenger traffic.

Typically a heritage railway will use steam locomotives and original rolling stock to create a "period atmosphere", although some are now concentrating on more recent "modern image" diesel and electric traction to re-create the post-steam railway era. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. Rolling Stock was a Newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado

The first heritage railway to be rescued and run entirely by volunteers was the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. The Talyllyn Railway (Rheilffordd Talyllyn is a narrow-gauge preserved railway running for from Tywyn on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol This narrow gauge line, taken over by a group of enthusiasts in 1950, is recognized as the start of the preservation movement. There are now several hundred heritage railways in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This large number is due in part to the closure of many minor lines in the 1960s under the Beeching Axe. The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government 's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system These were relatively easy to revive. The first such standard gauge line to be preserved was the Bluebell Railway, though the Middleton Railway (which was not a victim of Beeching) had been preserved prior to this. The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East Sussex and West Sussex, England. The Middleton Steam Railway is the world's oldest continuously working railway The world's second preserved railway, and the first outside the United Kingdom, was the Puffing Billy Railway in Australia. The Puffing Billy Railway is a narrow gauge gauge Heritage railway in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Australia. This railway operates 24 km of track with much of the original rolling stock built as early as 1898.

Heritage railways differ in the intensity of the service that can be offered. Some of the more successful British heritage railways, such as the Severn Valley Railway and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, may have up to five or six steam engines working, operating a four-train service daily. The Severn Valley Railway is a Heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR is a Heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. The Great Central Railway is the only example of a preserved British main line that operates with a double track, and can operate over 50 trains on a busy gala timetable. Not to be confused with the modern day train operating company Grand Central Railway see Great Central Main Line for full route of original railway Other smaller railways may run for seven-days-a-week throughout the summer with only one steam engine. However, following the privatisation of Britain's main-line railways, the line between not-for-profit heritage railways and for-profit branch lines has blurred. A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route usually a main line. The Wensleydale Railway is an example of a commercial line run partly as a heritage operation and partly to provide local transportation. Line history Origins The original line between Northallerton and Garsdale was opened in stages Northallerton to Leeming Bar (in 1848 Leeming Bar to Bedale (in The Weardale Railway is a similar attempt to provide a commercial heritage line, so far with mixed success. The Weardale Railway preservation project In 1993 British Rail announced its intention to close the line following the loss of the line's last significant commercial In addition, a number of heritage lines now see regular freight operations. The Puffing Billy Railway operates a busier service than it regularly did in its pre-preservation working life. The Puffing Billy Railway is a narrow gauge gauge Heritage railway in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Australia.

See also

• List of heritage railways
• Heritage railways in Britain
• Restored trains
• Heritage streetcar
• Mountain railways of India

External links

• UK Heritage Railways
• International Working Steam
• UK Heritage Railway Photographs