Take a steam trip back to the golden age of rail travel

You’ll be chuffed to bits!

One of Scotland’s most scenic railways could soon be an even prettier picture for its eager army of visitors. Plans were recently unveiled to run glass-topped trains on the West Highland Line.

The Scottish Government have received proposals for the “scenic trains” on the line that runs between Glasgow and Mallaig and was voted one of the world’s most beautiful railway journeys.

Michael Portillo, who presents the BBC’s hugely-popular Great British Railway Journeys, says: “When a glass-roofed train comes in, you know you’re in for a treat.”

Passengers on a section of the line can already experience something special by taking one of the steam trains that, just like in the Harry Potter films, thunder across the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

And increasingly, tourists are literally chuffed to bits to join them.

All across the UK holidaymakers are discovering the appeal of a train trip that’s a world away from the sardine-packed commute and are factoring in a journey into the past on their staycation.

They’re making tracks for one of the heritage railways that are making the most of a re-discovered love for rail travel.

Lines that were controversially axed as part of the Beeching cuts, and other stretches of track, have been brought back to life and are the perfect way to while away a few fun-filled hours.

Just as the West Highland line got a massive boost from the magic of Potter, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, NYMR, enjoyed a wizard bonanza, too.

When the Hogwarts Express chugged into the station at Harry’s famous school, it was actually Goathland, near Scarborough.

And eagle-eyed film fans would have recognised it as the station that was used in hundreds of episodes of ITV’s Heartbeat.

It served as fictional Aidensfield and the station, like the others on the line, is permanently dressed for the past. In fact, each of the stations is set in a different era.

You set off from the pretty market town of Pickering and chug your way in a delightful one hour and 40 minutes to coastal Whitby.

It’s all over the North Yorks Moors and with one of the very reasonable Day Rover tickets you can get on and off as you will.

At Levisham it’s a fair old hike up to the village but there’s a great pint waiting at the traditional old Horseshoe Arms.

At Grosmont you’re right in the heart of things, including having the opportunity to pop into the workshop where the fantastic old steam locos are lovingly maintained.

And at Goathland you’ll find that while the TV cameras have long since moved on, the village remains in the same 1960s time warp.

The shops, garage and pub are still just like they were in Heartbeat.

At 18 miles it’s one of the longest and certainly busiest of heritage railways and it has a host of popular special events such as the Wartime Weekend and Santa Specials.

The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, Central Scotland’s steam railway by the Firth of Forth, also run Santa Specials on weekends from November 29.

On today is A Day Out With Thomas and there are Steam Gala and Hallowe’en Weekends running next month.

They are just a few of the special events laid on by the railway which has been developed since 1979 by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society.

You can see the beauties of the Highlands on the Strathspey Steam Railway.

There are departures from Aviemore, Boat of Garten and Broomhill stations with a full 20-mile return journey taking about an-hour-and-a-half.

The trains are pulled by a selection of historic steam engines, the oldest of which is a Caledonian Railway Engine, built at the famous St Rollox plant in Glasgow.

While the NYMR meanders over the gentle moors, the Wensleydale Railway cuts a path through the dramatic Yorkshire Dales.

There are five stations and 16 miles of track through the stunning Dales, including Herriot Country.

You can see even more of it by hopping off and onto one the linked vintage buses that help keep you firmly in the past.

The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway is just one more reason to visit the Lake District.

It runs three-and-a-half miles from Haverthwaite station along the banks of the River Leven to Lakeside station at Lake Windermere.

Like many of the heritage lines the stations have been popular with filmmakers and TV crews.

At Lakeside you can board a Windermere Steamer and enjoy a trip to Bowness or Ambleside. Or, go absolutely nowhere and just pop into the brilliant, family-friendly Lakes Aquarium.

Next weekend the railway has one of their many specials, a Teddy Bear Weekend. And older travellers on a budget will welcome the bargains to be had on one of the Pensioner Days, the next being on September 26.

Beautiful scenery is a given on a steam railway and there’s plenty to enjoy on the South Tynedale Railway.

It runs from Alston in Cumbria and is England’s highest narrow gauge railway.

It travels three-and-a-half miles into Northumberland along the route of a branch line that closed almost 40 years ago. Go on, get steamed in!

For more information, timetables and tickets, visit these websites:

North Yorkshire Moors Railway is at nymr.co.uk (or call 01751 472508).

The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, bkrailway.co.uk (call 01506 822298).

The Strathspey Steam Railway is at strathspeyrailway.co.uk (call 10479 810725 or 01479 812220).

The Wensleydale Railway can be found at wensleydalerailway.com (call the information line on 08454 505474).

The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway can be found at lakesiderailway.co.uk (call 01539 513594).

The South Tynedale Railway has a website at south-tynedale-railway.org.uk (call 01434 381696).