Tourist and Enthusiast Railways
North West
Locomotive Princess hauls a train on
the Dragon Miniature Railway)
- Big Heritage
- Plans to reopen the currently inactive ½ mile (0.7 km) standard
gauge electric heritage tramway from the Wirral Transport Museum in
Birkenhead.
- Blackpool
Zoo
- Has a 15 in (381 mm) gauge miniature railway about 700 yards (630 m)
in length. Steam outline diesel locomotive. Admission fee to the Zoo is
payable. Open daily throughout the year (Website contain little
information relating to railway)
- Brookside Miniature Railway
- Brookside Garden Centre, Poynton. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature
railway 950 yards (870 m) in length. Operates Thursdays to Sundays
and Bank Holiday Mondays, April to October.
- Cinderbarrow
Railway
- Tarn Lane, Yealand Redmayne, near Carnforth. 3½ in (89 mm) / 5 in
(127 mm) / 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway about 400 yards (360 m)
in length. Steam or battery electric hauled. Club railway open to
the public Sundays and Bank Holidays, April to October.
- Crewe Heritage Centre
- Has a 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway about 600 yards (540 m)
in length. Steam, petrol or battery electric hauled. A small
admission fee to the Centre is payable. Open weekends and Bank
Holidays, April to October.
- Croxteth
Park Miniature Railway
- Croxteth Hall and Country Park. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature
railway.
- Dragon Miniature Railway
- Dobbies Garden Centre, Marple. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature
railway about ½ mile (0.8 km) in length. Steam or diesel hauled.
Operates weekends and school holidays throughout the year.
Also Tara the Tram, a battery powered tram which can be
self-driven by children on its own 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge line, 250 ft (76 m)
in length.
- East
Lancashire Railway
- Heywood to Rawtenstall (Rossendale): 12 miles (19.3 km). The
principal station is at Bolton Street, Bury. Standard gauge. Steam
and diesel hauled and diesel railcars. Dining trains operate at certain
times. Operates Wednesdays to Sundays, May to September; weekends
October to December; and a few other days.
- Eden Valley
Railway
- Warcop to Southfields: about 2¼ mile (3.5km). Standard gauge.
Diesel hauled or diesel railcar. Operates Sundays and a few other days,
April to October.
- Grosvenor Park Miniature Railway
- Grosvenor Park, Chester. Line about ¼ mile (0.4 km) in length,
encircling the lake. 7¼ in (184mm) gauge. Steam and diesel hauled.
Operates weekends and school holidays throughout the year.
- Gulliver’s World
- Theme park in Warrington with a 15 inch (381 mm) gauge miniature
railway. Diesel hauled, steam outline locomotive. Admission fee to
the park is payable, advance booking recommended. Open weekends and
school holidays, May to August, various days September to December
(Website includes little information relating to railway)
- Haigh Hall Miniature Railway
- 15 inch (381 mm) gauge railway nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) in length
at the Haigh Country Park near Wigan. Steam or diesel hauled.
Operates weekends throughout the year.
- Halton
Miniature Railway
- Town Park, Runcorn. Line almost 1 mile (1.6 km) in length. 7¼ in
(184mm) gauge. Usually petrol hauled, occasionally steam hauled.
Operates Thursdays, weekends, and Bank Holiday Mondays, April to
September.
- Handforth Miniature Railway
- Meriton Road Park, Handforth. Line about 300 yards (270 m) in length.
7¼ inch (184mm) gauge. Club railway open to the public most Sundays
throughout the year.
- Happy Mount Express
- Happy Mount Park, Bare, near Morecambe. 10¼ in (381 mm) gauge
miniature railway about 200 yards (180 m) in length. Diesel hauled.
Operates daily during the summer months.
- Heaton
Park Tramway
- Heaton Park, Manchester. Line about ½ mile (0.8 km) in length.
Standard gauge electric trams. Operates weekends, April to November.
- High Legh Railway
- High Legh Garden Centre, High Legh, near Knutsford. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge
miniature railway about 850 yards (780 m) in length. Steam or battery electric
hauled. Operates weekends throughout the year.
- Kirkby Stephen East
- Line about 1 mile (1.6km) in length from Kirkby Stephen East
station, of which about ¼ mile (0.4km) is currently operational.
Standard gauge. Steam or diesel hauled. Although the site is open
for vistors most Sundays and a few other days from Easter to December,
trains only operate on a certain days for special events, or by
private charter.
- Knowsley Safari
- Has a 15 inch (381 mm) gauge miniature railway about 760 yards
(695 m) in length. Diesel hauled, steam outline locomotive. Admission
fee to the park is payable, advance booking essential, train requires
ride tickets or a wristband. Open daily throughout the year
(Website contains little information relating to railway)
- Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
- Lakeside (Newby Bridge) to Haverthwaite (Ulverston): 3½ miles
(5.6 km). Standard gauge. Steam and diesel hauled. Operates daily,
April to October, and various days in December. On most days, there
is a connection at Lakeside with Windermere Lake Cruises vessels to Bowness
and Ambleside.
- Lakeside Miniature Railway
- Marine Parade to the entrance of Pleasureland, Southport.
15 in (381 mm) gauge line about 750 yards (0.7 km) in length.
Petrol hauled, steam outline locomotive. Operates weekends and school
holidays, May to September.
- Lancashire Mining Museum
- at Astley Green has a network of 2 ft (610 mm) gauge lines
for display and demonstration purposes. Passenger rides in diesel
hauled trains of former mine railway equipment are offered
on a 260 yard (240 m) stretch of this network. There are also
some standard gauge lines with static displays. Open most
weekends and various other days throughout the year.
- Leyland Society of Model Engineers
- Worden Park, Leyland. Miniature railways with 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge
line about 900 yards (1 km) in length, and dual 3½ in (89 mm) /
5 in (127 mm) gauge line about 540 yards (590 m) in length. Steam
or diesel hauled. Club railway open to the public most Sundays
throughout the year.
- Littledale Light Railway
- Brookhouse, near Lancaster. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge
miniature railway. Private railway occasionally open to the
public for charity events.
- Millerbeck Light Railway
- Near Newby Bridge, Cumbria. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature
railway about 1 mile (1.6 km) in length. Steam, diesel or
battery electric hauled. Private railway open to the public for
occasional special events.
- Moss Bank Park Miniature Railway
- Moss Bank Park, Bolton. Miniature railway about 550 yards
(500 m) in length. 5 in (127 mm) gauge, ride astride. Battery
electric hauled. Operates most Sundays, weather permitting.
- Peacock Railway
- Nantwich. 2½ / 3½ / 5 in (63 / 89 / 127 mm) gauge miniature railway.
Club railway open to the public typically one or two Sundays each
month during the summer.
- Pleasure Beach Express
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach. 21 in (533 mm) gauge miniature railway a
little over ½ mile (900 m) in length. Diesel hauled with steam outline
locomotives. Admission fee to the park is payable. Open daily,
April to October, weekends in November.
- Poulton & Wyre Railway Society
- Project to reopen all or part of the line from Poulton-le-Fylde
to Fleetwood. About 1½ miles (2.4 km). Standard gauge.
- Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway
- Ravenglass to Dalegarth (Eskdale): 7 miles (11.2 km). 15 in
(381 mm) gauge. Steam hauled. Operates daily, mid February to
October, various days during the rest of the year.
- Ribble
Steam Railway
- Preston: about 1½ miles (2.4 km) of line formerly serving the
docks. Standard gauge. Usually steam hauled. Operates
Saturdays and various other days, late March to October and
in December.
- Runway Visitor Park Express
- Runway Visitor Park, near Manchester Airport. Miniature
Railway. Park is open every day but no details of railway
operating days / times (Website contains few details
relating railway)
- St Annes Miniature Railway
- Off the South Promenade, Lytham St Annes. 10¼ in (260 mm)
gauge miniature railway about 700 yards (640 m) in length.
Diesel hauled, one locomotive being steam outline.
Operates weekends Easter to September, daily during the
summer.
- Sandiway Minature Railway
- Sandiway, near Northwich. 5 in (127 mm) and 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge
miniature railway. Steam or diesel hauled. Club railway open to the
public most Sundays and various other days throughout the year.
- South Tynedale Railway
- Alston to Slaggyford: 4½ miles (7.2 km). Possible future extension
to Haltwhistle, a further 7½ miles (12 km). 2 foot (610 mm) gauge.
Steam, diesel or battery electric hauled. Operates weekends and various
other days, April to September. Advance booking recommended.
- Thompson Park Railway
- Thompson Park, Burnley. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway about
900 yards (815 m) in length. Steam, petrol or battery electric
hauled. Operates weekends, Bank Holiday Mondays, and Wednesdays
during school holidays, April to September, and one weekend in
December.
- Threlkeld Quarry Railway
- At the Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum. 2 foot (610 mm) gauge.
Usually diesel hauled, using historic industrial equipment.
Operates most days, April to October, and a few days in November
and December.
- Walton Park Trains
- Walton Park, Sale. 3½ in (89 mm) and 5 in (127 mm) gauge
miniature railway, ride astride. Steam or diesel hauled. Club
railway open to the public most Sundays throughout the year.
- West
Lancashire Light Railway
- Hesketh Bank, near Preston. Line about ¼ mile (400 m) in
length. Extensions proposed. 2 foot (610 mm) gauge. Usually
steam hauled. Operates Sundays and Bank Holidays, April to
early November.
- Whitfield Light Railway
- The Hayloft, Great Sankey. 10¼ in (260 mm) gauge miniature
railway. Usually hauled by a tram style steam locomotive. The train,
together with a portable track up to 66 yards (60 m) in length,
is available for events away from its home base. Operating times
vary, refer to the Facebook page.
- Windmill Farm Railway
- 15 inch (381 mm) gauge line over 1 mile (1.6 km) in length,
at Windmill Animal Farm near Burscough. Usually diesel hauled,
occasionally steam hauled. Admission fee to the farm is payable.
Open daily throughout the year.
- Wirral Model Engineering Society
- Royden Park, Frankby, Wirral. 7¼ in (184 mm) gauge miniature
railway. Steam, diesel or battery electric hauled. Club
railway open to the public most Sundays and Bank Holidays.
© 2000-2026 Glyn Williams
including photo image