Perhaps
because
it
was
the
birthplace
,
can
boast
more
railway
per
square
mile
than
any
other
country
.
The
figures
are
impressive
:
more
than
100
heritage
railways
and
steam
museum
centres
are
home
to
700
operational
engines
,
steamed
-
up
by
an
army
of
23
,
000
enthusiastic
and
offering
everyone
the
chance
to
savour
a
bygone
age
by
riding
on
a
lovingly
preserved
train
.
Wales
deserves
a
special
mention
for
its
Great
Little
Trains
.
Though
small
in
stature
,
these
narrow
-
gauge
lines
are
real
working
railways
,
originally
built
to
haul
slate
and
other
minerals
out
of
the
,
but
now
a
wonderful
way
for
to
admire
the
scenery
,
which
is
breathtaking
.
There
are
eight
lines
to
choose
from
and
one
,
the
Ffestiniog
Railway
,
is
the
oldest
of
its
kind
in
the
.
Then
there
are
the
railway
museums
that
are
historic
in
their
own
right
.
Part
of
Manchester
?
s
Museum
of
Science
and
Industry
is
situated
in
the
world
?
s
oldest
passenger
;
and
the
?
Thinktank
?
museum
in
Birmingham
contains
the
world
?
s
oldest
active
steam
engine
,
designed
by
James
Watt
in
.
But
it
is
North
East
England
that
is
known
as
the
birthplace
of
railways
for
here
,
around
Newcastle
,
the
world
?
s
first
tramways
were
laid
and
,
later
,
the
world
?
s
first
public
railway
between
Stockton
and
Darlington
steamed
into
life
.
At
Shildon
in
County
Durham
,
a
£10
million
permanent
Railway
Village
is
taking
shape
,
to
open
in
the
,
the
first
out
-
station
of
the
National
Railway
Museum
.
Replica
steam
train
of
1815
at
Beamish
Open
-
Air
Museum
of
North
At
Beamish
,
the
open
-
museum
of
North
Country
Life
?
where
the
past
is
brougth
magically
to
life
?
there
?
s
an
opportunity
to
see
one
of
the
earliest
railways
re
-
created
.
Feel
the
wind
?
and
steam
?
in
your
hair
as
you
travel
in
open
carriages
behind
a
working
replica
of
a
pioneering
engine
such
as
Stephenson
?
s
Locomotion
No
.
1
,
built
in
1825
.
you
can
,
go
south
-
westwards
to
Cornwall
where
the
story
of
the
great
engineer
Trevithick
began
.
In
his
town
of
Camborne
is
a
statue
of
him
holding
a
model
of
one
of
his
engines
.
Not
far
away
the
little
thatched
cottage
where
he
is
open
to
the
public
.
It
is
hard
to
imagine
that
scribblings
in
this
humble
home
were
to
lead
to
the
?
high
-
pressure
steam
engine
?
and
the
world
would
never
be
quite
the
same
again
.