Cool List: The Best [South Western] Railway Journeys

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Pinching an idea from north of The Border ... in The Herald ... what would you nominate as the ten best rail jouenys in the area the forum covers?

Cool List: The Best Scottish Railway Journeys

When most people think about taking the train, an image of miserable morning commutes in crowded carriages comes to mind. But there is a different, and much more pleasant, side to rail travel – experiencing some of Scotland's most spectacular scenery or historic cities, or going back in time on newly reopened lines. Scotland boasts some great train journeys ... and here are 10 of the coolest

I have some ideas ... but want to see what other members come up with first ...

[JayMac]

I think Exeter to Newton Abbot has to rank highly. When the sea isn't too angry - although that can add a certain frisson to the trip along the sea wall, particularly in a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) with open hopper windows.

[bradshaw]

1 Gunnislake branch
2 Par to Luxulyan and walk back along Treffery’s old line.

[Oberon]

The Severn Beach line isn't half bad either. The line out of central Bristol leads eventually to the suburbs before seeing the river Avon open out into the Bristol Channel. There are the industrial areas around Avonmouth before the long flat run to lonely Severn Beach itself. I remember when the line went on to Pilning too..

[SandTEngineer]

St.Ives Branch.

[martyjon]

The sea wall at Dawlish must be in the list as must the journey over the Tamar bridge, the St. Ives and Exmouth branch lines, the Severn Beach line alongside the River Avons horseshoe curve. The line between Trowbridge and Westbury with the view of the Westbury White Horse. The approach to Penzance with the St Micheal's Mount. The Looe branch. The Windsor branch with its views of Windsor Castle. Finally the stretch of the West Somerset line giving views towards Dunster and the Castle. These are ten from me.

[johnneyw]

Gloucester to Chepstow along the river Severn is something of a "must see". Splendid view over the Severn Estuary for a considerable amount of the journey but does this satisfactorily qualify as a forum territory line?

[grahame]

Such good suggestions .. here are 10 contenders from me.

Bath to Salisbury
Bishop's Lydeard to Blue Anchor
Churston to Kingswear
Liskeard to Looe
Lynmouth to Lynton
Plymouth to Gunnislake
Seaton to Colyton
St Erth to St Ives
Starcross to Newton Abbot
Totton to Fawley

Mind you ... some of the other suggestions are so go good they are musts which means that some of mine have to drop out of the top ten ...

[GBM]

The sea wall at Dawlish must be in the list as must the journey over the Tamar bridge, the St. Ives and Exmouth branch lines, the Severn Beach line alongside the River Avons horseshoe curve. The line between Trowbridge and Westbury with the view of the Westbury White Horse. The approach to Penzance with the St Micheal's Mount. The Looe branch. The Windsor branch with its views of Windsor Castle. Finally the stretch of the West Somerset line giving views towards Dunster and the Castle. These are ten from me.

St Michael please! 

[jamestheredengine]

Paignton to Kingswear. One of those routes that really should still have main-line trains, but the steam does add to the atmosphere.

[Timmer]

Bristol to Weymouth

[bradshaw]

Salisbury to Exeter with its varied landscapes as is passes along its geological journey.

[Red Squirrel]

St Michael please! 

Thanks, GBM; you've reminded me that I need to get some new underpants.

My nominee: Bristol to Portishead. I did it in (gosh was it really?) 1985, hauled by an Ivatt 2MT as I remember it. Glorious views of the Avon Gorge, though they could improve them by cutting down some of those ruddy whitebeams...

[johnneyw]

Special mention perhaps for the short hop from Bristol Temple Meads to Keynsham where, after departing briefly through a cityscape you then emerge from a short tunnel suddenly into the Avon Valley with no sense of the city still surrounding you.

[Red Squirrel]

Special mention perhaps for the short hop from Bristol Temple Meads to Keynsham where, after departing briefly through a cityscape you then emerge from a short tunnel suddenly into the Avon Valley with no sense of the city still surrounding you.

That's the thing with Bristol; it has a way of sneaking up on you. Despite having done it hundreds of times, I can still be surprised and delighted when I come round the last bend of the M32 and descend from the dull tedium of the countryside into the complex, confusing, exciting jumble of madness that is Bristol. Shhh! Don't tell anyone! They'll all want to come and live here!