European Railroad Discussion > London Visit

I will be visiting London at the end of August, And would like some info on some interesting sights rail related to visit. Also if I could get any info on some steam trips to take. We are staying in a condo near the subway so we think that getting around should be simple. My wife also would like some good suggestions on some restaurants. Thank You in advance.... Paul from New Jersey USA

Paul, the locals will soon give you lots of good information. As another American, I recommend the Mid-Hants Railway, know as the Watercress Line. It's a wonderfully restored line just south of London, with an easy connection to commuter trains from London at Alton.

I did live there for a semester, teaching at U of London in '07. Re food, most of the best restaurants in London serve food from another nationality. Great Indian food, etc. You can get good pub food most anywhere, and fish and chips everywhere. I did very much enjoy Porter's English Restaurant at Covent Garden.

Have a great trip! It's a wonderful city, and you'll never run out of things to see or do.

In terms of preserved steam there are two operations, the Mid Hants (the Watercress Line - referred to earlier) and the Bluebell Railway both of which are within easy reach of London and share a station with mainline trains. In both cases the journey from London takes about an hour.

There is also a steam/diesel tourist operation at the eastern end of London Underground's Central Line, the Epping and Ongar which might be worth checking out.

Up to the end of August these operations should run daily, with enhanced services at weekends

The website www.uksteam.info has details of mainline railtours, on Wednesdays during August there's the Dorset Coast Express from London to the seaside resort of Weymouth and back (about 300 miles round trip). 70013 Oliver Cromwell, a Britannia pacific of the 1950s is the motive power.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/14 23:59 by 86235.

Near the subway covers a great deal of locations. Do you yet know which station you will be near?

www.uksteam.info Click on "steam tours" for mainline events.

If you go to Oxford by train one of the stations you will pass is Didcot home of http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/. If you go to Bath by train you will not only pass through Didcot but also Swindon home to http://www.steam-museum.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx. Oxford is on a branch off the main line at Didcot.

The London Transport Museum is in Covent Garden. Their storehouse is an old depot next to Acton Town station and it houses a cornucopia which only sometimes appears in Covent Garden. They open Acton occasionally.

If all you want to do is watch and photograph trains Clapham Junction is probably the easiest to get to. Remember that our railway is primarily passenger so that's what you'll see in most places. Didcot gets a couple of freights/hour. Stratford (near where the Olympics were held, not the place where Shakespear came from) is also pretty easy to get to and has a good mixture but I've never found the ideal spot for photography there.

Have a read of http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/51952.aspx. In many places the staff are a bit surprised if you do ask but on my local, rural, station I realised that just saying "Hi" can make a difference because the staff have all been given training in spotting potential suicides (unfortunately they do happen) and knowing why you are there makes it easier for them.

Clapham Junction has been mentioned and it indeed is a very interesting place to visit. A good idea is to obtain a transit card for journeys in the immediate London area which can be purchased for various zones. Some of the local folks will be able to guide you more on that or just go to the London transit's web site. I don't have the URL at hand.

If you're venturing out of town let me add York to the suggestions which is about two hours by rail but an easy day trip. The Natonal Railway Museum is well worth seeing.

DaleR

dbrcnw Wrote:
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> I don't have the URL at
> hand.

www.tfl.gov.uk

An Oyster Card is the stored value card which is valid on all London public transport - Underground, Bus, Rail, Dockland Light Railway and Tram. You can top it up at stations and local shops. It also gives discount on riverboat services and the Emirates Air Line cable car across the Thames.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/14 13:42 by 86235.

Certainly worth getting an Oyster card for journeys within London, but do note that where London begins and ends is not totally obvious. A trip to Alton for the mid Hants would be outside London, though getting on the same train and getting off at Clapham Junction would be within London. I may have some time off at the end of August. PM me if you wish.

Thank You all for the wealth of info. Cricket i will pm you after we arrive and i have better sense of time

Posted from Android

I don't know if you area past the cutoff but you can even order a Visitor Oyster Card and have it sent to the USA. I usually am not a fan of identifying myself as a tourist in any way anywhere but the graphics on the Visitor Oyster Card are pretty cool.

http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/oystercard/product/oyster-card.html

Have Fun!

Jim