esngblog

Day 11

A cool sunny day.  Today we drove from Blackpool to our last hotel of our holiday in Rhyl, North Wales.  We are staying at the Rhyl Seafront Travelodge, which lives up to its name.  Like the Kidderminster Travelodge there is a pub for meals across the car park. Our last 3 full days will be spent of the narrow gauge railways of Snowdonia.

Day 12.  Ron reports….

A cold wet day.  We drove round the coast to Porthmadog for a round trip on the Welsh Highland Railway before returning via the Conwy Valley

Allan adds…..

Just thought I’d send you a couple of photos from the Welsh Highland Railway at Beddgelert Station.  Just had a pleasant trip up from Porthmadog.  Sitting here in the carriage in the rain wait for the return trip to Porthmadog. Ron gone for a walk into the village. Could not be bothered. Hopefully will do the Caernarfon bit tomorrow.

sdr

dig

dig

dig

dav

Seen on Porthmadog Harbour Station. What did he do to upset them?

Day 10

Overcast with dampness in the air this afternoon.  A lazy day travelling round the Blackpool area by bus and tram.

Blackpool and Fleetwood, days 9 & 10.

Day 9

Onward, ever onward!

Cloudy start turning sunny in afternoon. Drove from York via Sandtoft Trollybus Museum to Blackpool. Having checked in to our sea front hotel we did a full round trip on the trams. From stop outside hotel to Fleetwood, where we had a meal before travelling to other end of the line at Starr Gate. Then back to stop outside hotel.

Just the pictures from Sandtoft today.  Blackpool next post.

Day 8

Started overcast but turned out sunny.  A 50 minute drive took us to Pickering where we had a round trip booked on the North York Moors Railway, where we had a 3 hour layover at Whitby, which enabled us to have a fish and chips lunch followed by walk around the town.

On the railway

Pickering

Allan comments….

Liked the seagull…. And did she move when the locomotive ran round at Whitby!

Looks like Keith Richards is on holiday!

Day 7

Started cloudy but turned to rain early afternoon.  An easy day; drove to Park and Ride for bus into York, where we met Sean off his train from London. The three of us then went round the National Railway Museum, After this we wandered round the city centre before having a meal. We saw Sean onto his train back to London. Then it was back to the hotel.

Museum photos, from Sean

York Station, with a mix of liveries on the trains, from Allan

York photos, from Ron

Day 6

A cloudy and humid day with some sunshine this afternoon. Lots of driving today. Set out from Kidderminster and after a break en-route Allan visited a model railway shop at Hensall. The station is on the line from Doncaster to Goole. We then headed towards York. As we were running early for check in we took a Park and Ride bus into York for a quick look round prior to our full day visit tomorrow to go round the National Railway Museum.

Hensall station

First look at York.  Spot the ESNG Chairman in full holiday dress!!

Day 5

Another hot sunny day. Took a 5 minute drive to the Severn Valley Railway’s Kidderminster Station. Took train to Bridgnorth had a drink and returned to Highley were we visited their Engine House Visitors Centre and cafe. We had a snack on their first floor veranda looking over the track across the Severn Valley. Then we returned to Bridgnorth for another break before the train returned to Kidderminster. From leaving Kidderminster and returning took 6 1/2 hours

Severn Valley Railway

Highley Engine House

Allan had a moment of fame! (Nice carriages, too.)

Walking back to the van at Kidderminster Station there is a long stretch of 5 inche track. With a memory garden. There was this sign.

Ron had a pint!!!!!

Day 4

Ron says…..

Yet another hot sunny day. We drove today from Ilminster, Somerset to Kidderminster, Worcestershire visiting the Gloucester and Wawickshire Railway where we had a 2 1/2 hour trip Toddington – Cheltemham – Broadway -Toddington. 

And Allan adds…..

A fantastic place to visit. One on my bucket list.

Trains by Allan….

Mainly scenery by Ron…..

And the usual toilet picture from Ron….

Seen in gents toilet at Cheltenham Racecourse Station