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We visit the UK's only public rack and pinion line, Snowdon Mountain Railway which is also the highest railway route, going to the Summit station from the foot of Snowdon – or Y Wyddfa its official name in the Welsh language.

Sharon heads to England on her Harley on a 'Railway Rideout' to explore a tranquil corner of the birthplace of the industrial revolution, IronBridge Gorge Museum in Telford.

Paddy Range goes to Kent, for a ride on the Spa Valley railway behind a Class 33 from Tonbridge Wells….

Alasdair catches one of the new Chiltern Railways Explorer trains, offering greener services every 30 minutes between the West Midlands and London on weekdays.

And we catch up with a friend of the podcast Bluebell Railways' Permanent Way volunteer John Deane, now in his eighties, who for the second year running will be walking the ballast for the full length of the line raising money for a charity close to his heart.

We also meet heritage volunteer and fomer mainline staff, Clive Wallace with some turntable advice!

Links below to stories and Railways in this episode:

Snowdon Mountain Railway

Chiltern Explorers

Ironbridge Gorge Museum under ownership of National Trust

Spa Valley Railway

Ironbridge Kinlet Engine

John Deane's fundraiser for Heart Valve Voice UK

Bluebell Railway

Rother Valley Railway - blog - turntable

#SnowdonMountainRailway #Spavalley #IronbridgeGorgemuseum #ChilternRailways #paddyrange #Sharongregory #alasdairstewart #railwaypodcast #railways #railenthusiast #diesels #DMUs #volunteering #Bluebellrailway

This podcast is produced by Laura Raymond and presented by Alasdair Stewart and Sharon Gregory.

Our 'Making Tracks' music is with kind permission of composer and musician Richard Durrant. It is a unique piece inspired by the rhythm of the historic rolling stock on the Ffestiniog Railway on the scenic journey from Harbour Station to Tan y Blwch.

You can listen and download the full 'Tan y Bwlch' Ukulele Quartet here:

Thank you to voice artist David King - for the Railway Ride outs voice over.

Ukulele Quartet No. 1 "Tan y Bwlch"

Ukulele Quartet No. 1 "Tan y Bwlch" Richard Durrant · Single · 2019 · 3 songs.

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We've revamped for 2026 with new branding, featuring presenters Sharon Gregory and Alasdair Stewart marking our 4th year of chatting about Railways.

In this episode Alasdair meets a couple of UK Railway volunteers Dan Holbrook & Caleb Lovegrove, They, and a group of friends and colleagues have recently been on what we could refer to in the UK as a bus man's holiday, taking a tour of railways in India.

Sharon travels to Oswestry this time to catch the steam train on the Cambrian Heritage Railway.

Alasdair calls in at a Locomotive Club of Great Britain Meeting and we hear about a delightful Dapol model launched to celebrate #WorldBookDay.

#CambrianHeritageRailway #Darjeeling #railwaymodelling #Dapol #Oswestry

#railwayenthusiast #railwayhistory #Railways #trains

Here are links to the Railways and Organisations mentioned in this episode:

The Cambrian Heritage Railway

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Nilgiri Mountain Railway (Wikipedia link)

The Dapol Model Railway Company including links to the World Book Day fundraising wagons.

Browsers Book Shop, Porthmadog Facebook Page

World Book Day Charity

The Locomotive Club of Great Britain

This podcast is produced by Laura Raymond and presented by Alasdair Stewart and Sharon Gregory.

Our 'Making Tracks' music is with kind permission of composer and musician Richard Durrant. It is a unique piece inspired by the rhythm of the historic rolling stock on the Ffestiniog Railway on the scenic journey from Harbour Station to Tan y Blwch.

You can listen and download the full 'Tan y Bwlch' Ukulele Quartet here:

Thank you to voice artist David King - for the Railway Ride outs voice over.

Ukulele Quartet No. 1 "Tan y Bwlch"

Ukulele Quartet No. 1 "Tan y Bwlch" Richard Durrant · Single · 2019 · 3 songs.

Send a text

In this episode, Mr Hornby himself, Simon Kohler chats to Alasdair about his new book 'My life at Hornby' and his career at the model manufacturer.

Alasdair travel to Manchester to visit an exhibition put on by one of the most senior railway modelling societies in the world and young rail enthusiast Cynan Hughes reports from a grassroots model railway club exhibition in north Wales,

Sharon Gregory leaves her bike in the garage and a very looong day trip, to Scotland . And I catch up with one of the footplate crew of Locomotion number one, to hear his reflections on the 200th anniversary celebration runs on the Stockton & Darlington railway.

And his hats off to a Southern Railway train driver Matthew Staniforth who tells us how he spreads Christmas cheer to passengers!

#railwayenthusiast #railwayhistory #Railways #trains #simonkohler #Horby #Southernrail

Links to the Railways mentioned in this episode:

Simon Kohler 'My Hornby Life'

Manchester Model Railway Show

Colwyn Model Railway Club in Abergele, north Wales.

Southern Rail 'X' post about Driver Matthew Staniforth who wears his Christmas hat to spread cheer at what can be a difficult time for many.

Carnog Working Horses / Ceffylau Gwaith Carnog – specialist land management using horsepower

Locomotion Number 1

The Grand Finale of the Awdry Extravaganza in summer 2025 at the Talyllyn Railway.

This podcast is produced by Laura Raymond and presented by Alasdair Stewart and Sharon Gregory.

Our 'Making Tracks' music is with kind permission of composer and musician Richard Durrant. It is a unique piece inspired by the rhythm of the historic rolling stock on the Ffestiniog Railway on the scenic journey from Harbour Station to Tan y Blwch.

You can listen and download the full 'Tan y Bwlch' Ukulele Quartet here:

Thank you to voice artist David King - for the Railway Ride outs voice over.

Ukulele Quartet No. 1 "Tan y Bwlch"

Ukulele Quartet No. 1 "Tan y Bwlch" Richard Durrant · Single · 2019 · 3 songs.