We organise visits to narrow gauge and miniature railways throughout the year for the benefit of Members. These are mostly private visits, by special arrangement with the owners or operators of the railway.
We often get to see behind the scenes of the railway, such as the sheds and the workshops – areas normally off-limits to the general public. For this reason, we restrict our visits to Members only. If you are not a member and would like to come along on one of our visits, please join the Society first before you book, see our Membership page.
A visit to the Royal Gunpowder Mills has been arranged on Easter Saturday, a day on which the general site is not open to the public.
The visit will start at 1030, and will feature rides on the 2’ 6” gauge railway; we have also enquired as to whether the miniature line will be operating, and we are awaiting a response on this. Shed visits will be available.
Cost: £10 per person
As part of our AGM weekend, a group booking has been arranged, starting at 1000 with a shed visit, followed by a ride on the 15” gauge line. We will then be able to partake in scheduled rides on the 12¼” gauge railway all day.
The cost of a Day Rover is £11.60, subject to a minimum party size of 12 people. Additional voluntary donations will be requested on the day, to contribute to the Shed Tour and 15” gauge ride.
Cost: £11.60 per person
A party booking has been arranged, travelling on the 1400 service from Aberystwyth, and returning on the 1600 service from Devils Bridge. This includes a museum visit, which will take place before the trip on the train.
The party rate is £28, subject to a minimum party size of 20 people.
Indications are that a workshop visit may be possible, in smaller groups, and subject to staff availability; there would be a separate charge (probably £5). You may express interest in this, if you would like to take part, with payment being made on the day. (Note that priority will be given to those taking part in the trip on the railway).
The Society’s AGM will be taking place at Abergynolwyn Village Hall LL36 9UU, starting at 1400. All members are welcome to attend; there is a facility to register for attendance at the AGM on Membermojo.
For those members wishing to travel to Abergynolwyn on the Talyllyn Railway, a party booking has been arranged, travelling on 1220 service from Tywyn Wharf to Nant Gwernol, and returning on 1547 service from Nant Gwernol to Tywyn. (Abergynolwyn Village Hall is about 10 minutes’ walk from Nant Gwernol station).
The party rate is £18, subject to a minimum party size of 15 people.
On return to Tywyn, a visit to Pendre Works will be taking place at around 1645/1700. You may express interest in this, if you would like to take part, with voluntary donations being collected on the day.
Concluding our weekend in mid-Wales, we have a visit to the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway.
A party booking has been made on the 1330 service from Llanfair to Welshpool, and returning on 1455 service from Welshpool. On our return to Llanfair, we will be given a guided tour of the workshop and sheds.
The party rate is £20, subject to a minimum party size of 10 people.
Corris Railway is not open to the public on this day, so we have arranged a private visit, with a Diesel-hauled train from Corris to Maespoeth and back. This will include a visit to the shed and workshop at Maespoeth.
Cost: £14 per person, subject to a minimum number of bookings.
A visit is being arranged to the 9½ inch gauge Crewe & Weston Railway on the morning of Saturday 17th May. Arrangements are still being finalised – including a potential visiting locomotive.
Cost: £13 per person
Bridge House Light Railway is a 7¼” gauge railway, running around the grounds of a residential care home at Frampton Cotterell, north of Bristol. We have arranged a private visit for the afternoon of 21st May. Refreshments will be provided. We are limited to 25 attendees, and a few places are still available.
Cost: £13 per person.
John Edmonds has built a 7¼” gauge railway around the former East Budleigh station, on the LSWR Budleigh Salterton branch. He has invited us to visit on the afternoon of Saturday 24th May. His own locomotive – OTTER – which usually runs at Pecorama, will be running, and a visiting locomotive has been arranged.
Cost: £13 per person
A visit is being arranged to the 7 ¼ inch gauge Beacon Hill Railway, near to South Woodham Ferrers in Essex.
Beacon Hill is quite a short railway, and this is a rare opportunity to visit this private railway.
Cost: £13 per person
Colin Copcutt has invited us to visit his Silverleaf Poplar Railway, near Boston in Lincolnshire. This 2 foot gauge railway, in Colin’s garden, is pure industrial narrow gauge, and visits here are always very enjoyable.
We are limited by the amount of parking available, so the party size will be limited to around 15-20 people; if you are able to car-share, it will be very helpful. A couple of places will be put aside for postal bookings.
Cost: £17.50 per person
The Great Withernsea Miniature Railway is a 7 ¼ inch gauge railway, at a private house at Great Withernsea, which is on the coast, about 20 miles east of Hull. The line is currently only about 400 yards long, although there are plans to extend it. This is a rare opportunity to visit, as this is the only day this year on which the owner can accommodate a private group visit. We are sharing the visit with volunteers from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
It is planned to run all trains every which way possible for the majority of the day, and the owner hopes to arrange for a special train to go in the yard areas.
Cost: £13 per person
The 7 ¼ inch gauge East View Farm Railway is a reincarnation of the former Ashmanhaugh Miniature Railway Society; it is now approximately 250 yards long and is situated near to Wroxham, in the Norfolk Broads.
This is a private railway, which doesn’t open to the public, and only allows occasional visits from private parties. You can read more about it here. East View Farm Railway
Due to parking constraints, we are limited to 15-20 people in our party.
Cost: £13 per person
This is another 7 ¼ inch gauge railway, and one which we have been looking to arrange a visit to for a while. It is situated in Landbeach, just north of Cambridge.
Cost: £13 per person
We have had a couple of good visits to the Great Bush Railway in the last few years, and this is another opportunity to visit this 2 foot gauge railway, at Tinkers Park in East Sussex. Once again, the railway will be running as many locomotives as possible, and there will be opportunities for driving and cab rides, as well as the usual unlimited rides.
We are also enquiring as to whether it might be possible to run the 10¼ inch railway; watch this space.
Cost: £13 per person
The Springfield Agricultural Railway is a great example of a modern use of narrow gauge railways. Its main use is for the transporting of horse manure around the owner’s farm!
The owner has a collection of 2 foot and 600 mm gauge locomotives, some of which he has imported from locations in Europe, and he is intending to give us a demonstration of an industrial narrow gauge railway in action.
There is no passenger accommodation, but limited rides will be possible (either on locomotives or wagons), all at your own risk!
Cost: £13 per person
This 5” gauge, ¼ mile long railway has been built by a clergyman, in the garden of his home, near Brackley. He holds regular “Club Running Days”, where children from local villages are invited to bring their parents, and to drive the locomotives themselves. We have been invited to attend one such event (although trains used by our members will be driven by adults).
The owner is unable to let the NGRS have an exclusive visit, but Martin Wootten (who attended a previous event) advised that these events are very enjoyable. We are limited to 20 attendees, and only a couple of places remain.
Cost: £13 per person
The SWDSME (Saffron Walden & District Society of Model Engineers) was formed in 1982. Having moved to a site on the edge of Stansted, they have now established a 200 metre (650 foot) circuit of track, along with a station loop in the wooded area.
The track is ground level, dual gauge (7 1/4" and 5").
The site only allows for around 20 vehicles to park, so the visit will be limited to around 25-30 participants.
Cost: £13 per person.
The Lodge Farm Park Railway is situated in a public park in Romford, although the railway is not open the public on that day, so we have a private visit arranged.
The railway is 7.25 inch gauge, running for just under half-a-mile. They have 5 locomotives, along with a couple of trams. Train driving opportunities will be available.
We are invited to arrive mid-morning, and will be welcomed with coffee and bacon sandwiches.
Cost: £13 per person
Members who have registered their email address in Membermojo and wish to join us on a visit are able to book on line through our Membermojo Store which will take you straight to the Store Visits page, Alongside "Store Purchase", click on "Visit Store". In the Store, you will find a list of all Society Visits which are available for Online Booking.
In order to book a place on a visit, click the “Quantity” box for the specific visit, select the number of places that you would like to book, and then click on checkout. You can pay by debit or credit card. On receipt of your booking and payment, you will receive an automated email acknowledgement.
If you are booking for more people than just yourself, you will be asked to contact the relevant Visits Officer, providing the names, addresses and membership numbers (if known) in your party.
Once you have booked your visit(s), the relevant Visits Officer will contact you shortly before the visit with further details (including times, directions, meeting points).
To clarify the conditions for members and others making visits to railway sites or our library, you are advised to read our Visits Policy thoroughly. This is also available from the Downloads page.
There may be some visits where non-members or the general public may be present, the visits form will clarify if you can be accompanied by non-members
An application to become a Visits & e-NGN Member or to add an Associate to your membership can be made via this website's Membership page
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