Haltwhistle Viaduct
| South Tynedale Railway | |
|---|---|
Polish locomotive Nakło at Kirkhaugh Station
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| Terminus | Lintley Alston |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | South Tynedale Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Stations | 3 |
| Length | 3 1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Closed | 1976 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1976 | Former branch line to Alston closed. |
| 1977 | STR Preservation Society turns attention to reconstruction of branch, to narrow gauge |
| 1983 | South Tynedale Railway opens to the Public, for the very first time. |
| 1986 | STR reaches Gilderdale |
| 1996 | Gilderdale-Kirkhaugh extension completed |
| 1999 | STR extends to Kirkhaugh, Gilderdale station closed after 13 years |
| 2009 | STR latest extension granted |
| 2012 | STR returns to Lintley Halt |
| 2013 | STR marks 30 years of operating trains along the line |
| South Tynedale Railway | |
|---|---|
 South Tynedale Railway
 South Tynedale Railway shown within Northumberland |
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| OS grid reference | NY696495 |
| Coordinates | 54°50′24″N 2°28′26″W / 54.840°N 2.474°WCoordinates: 54°50′24″N 2°28′26″W / 54.840°N 2.474°W |
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The South Tynedale Railway is a preserved, 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway in Northern England and is England's highest narrow gauge railway. The route runs from Alston in Cumbria to Lintley in Northumberland via the South Tyne, Gilderdale and Whitley Viaducts.
The current narrow gauge railway line is built on the track bed of the southern section former Alston Line, a standard gauge branch line between Haltwhistle and Alston which was closed by British Rail in May 1976.
The railway is operated by a charity, The South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society, which was registered in 1983.
Passenger trains operate on the railway Spring through to Autumn and attract 40,000 people to the district every year. Information about exact dates are on the railway's web site www.south-tynedale-railway.org.uk Special trains operate including Santa Special trains on certain days in December each year. Although no Santa trains ran in 2011 as volunteer efforts were put into completing the extension to Lintley in time for the 2012 season, they ran again in 2012 on two successive weekends, 15–16 and 22–23 December. In 2013 Santa trains ran on 14–15 and 21–22 December.
At Alston station there is a cafe and gift shop both operated by the railway company. Free car and coach parking is available adjacent to the station which is located about 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) north of the town on Hexham road.
The present line is now currently more than 3 1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) in length and there are plans to extend the line by a further 1 1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) to Slaggyford. The STR is built on the southern end of the track bed of the disused 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Haltwhistle to Alston Branch Line, which formerly connected with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway at Haltwhistle.
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Wikipedia