National Train Day

Today is National Train Day.

Riding a little train at Falkirk High railway station in 2014

Check out my train-related blog posts, and my Trains Playlist on YouTube.

National Train Day was originally created by Amtrak in 2008 (and discontinued in 2016). It was observed on the Saturday closest to the 10th May.

An old railway carriage at Adventure Golf Gutach in Germany in August 2019

Today is also National Miniature Golf Day!

A view of the Miniature Railway from the Crazy Golf course in Worden Park in September 2009

The Great Britain XVIII steam train - 34067 Tangmere - in Stockport (20th April 2026)

The Great Britain XVIII steam train spotted on the railway bridge above the line at Europa Way in Cheadle Heath, Stockport, Greater Manchester on Monday 20th April 2026.

The locomotive is 34067 Tangmere - a Battle of Britain class engine built in 1947.

The journey began at Chester and will end the day in Carlisle.

The train is on an eight day tour around England, Wales and Scotland. Its journey began at London Paddington on Saturday 18th April and will end at London Euston on Saturday 25th April.

The train tour was operated by The Railway Touring Company.

Hunstanton railway station

A look at what's left of Hunstanton railway station.

While in Hunstanton we walked across a car park as we walked towards the sea. If we hadn't looked to our right we might have missed seeing what's left of Hunstanton railway station!

Buffers

The 'Waiting Room'

Hunstanton railway station opened in 1862 and closed in 1969.

End of the line

The Buxton Spa Express in Stockport (14th March 2026)

The Buxton Spa Express steam train spotted between Davenport and Stockport railway stations in Greater Manchester at 5.21pm on Saturday 14th March 2026.

Operated by West Coast Railways.

Northern Pacer Railbus at Mills Hill railway station (October 2018)

A look at a Pacer Railbus train back in 2018.

This was a double Northern Pacer Railbus passing through Mills Hill railway station on the border of Middleton and Chadderton in Greater Manchester on the 24th October 2018.

The first Pacer Railbuses were introduced in 1984 and were designed as a short-term measure with a lifespan of twenty years. They were due to be withdrawn from service in 2019 and finally finished up in 2021.

Check out my Pacer Railbus trains playlist on YouTube.

Take a look at my trains playlist on YouTube.

Related blog posts:

• Pacer Railbus
• Train Nerd
• Trains

Tram videos on YouTube

Check out my trams playlist on YouTube.

Train videos on YouTube

Check out my trains playlist on YouTube.

Pacer Railbus train videos on YouTube

Check out my Pacer Railbus trains playlist on YouTube.

A train in Pompeii, Italy

An FE220 train on the Circumvesuviana railway network in Italy.

This is a train arriving at Pompeii railway station heading to Sorrento on the 13th May 2025.

Check out my Trains Playlist on YouTube for more.

A train at Sant'Agnello railway station in Italy

An FE220 train on the Circumvesuviana railway network in Italy.

This is a train arriving at Sant'Agnello railway station heading to Sorrento on the 13th May 2025.

Check out my Trains Playlist on YouTube for more.

The Stratford Flyer steam train passing through Adswood, Stockport

The Stratford Flyer steam train service from the Railway Touring Company passing through Adswood in Stockport, Greater Manchester at 7.47am on Saturday 8th March 2025.

The service was hauled by Black 5 locomotive No. 45212.

GBRf 66725 train passing through Reddish South station in Stockport, Greater Manchester

The GB Railfreight Class 66 locomotive No. 66307 was named 'Ipswich Town' this year.

Although when it passed through Reddish South station in Stockport, Greater Manchester on the 18th November 2024 it was quite mucky indeed!

The Peaks Express steam train passing through Shaw Heath, Stockport

The Peaks Express steam train passing through Shaw Heath, Stockport at lunchtime on Sunday 27th October 2024.

The service was pulled by LMS Stainer Class 5 4-6-0 No. 45212.

An "L" Train in Chicago, August 2024

A Chicago "L" Train passing above street level in August 2024.

MENTOR Overhead Line Test Train in Stockport

A MENTOR Overhead Line Test Train in Stockport on the 31st August 2023.

MENTOR stands for Mobile Electrical Network Testing, Observation and Recording.

Heritage Train passing through Edgeley, Stockport

Early morning train nerdery in Edgeley, Stockport on Saturday 24th August 2024.

This was the West Coast Railways Unadvertised Express from Crewe to Carlisle.

InterCity 125 Heritage Train passing through Edgeley, Stockport

Early morning train nerdery in Edgeley, Stockport on Saturday 24th August 2024.

This was the Hanson & Hall Unadvertised Express InterCity 125 from Crewe to Edinburgh.

It's really saying something when a Midland Mainline InterCity 125 that I used to commute into London from Luton on is considered a heritage train!

Mini Golf now open at Play2Day in Wisbech

There's a new Adventure Mini Golf course at Play2Day in Guyhirn, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

We heard about the plans for the new course back in 2021 and have seen photos of the new outdoor minigolf course on the Play2Day Facebook Page - and it's railway-themed!

It looks ace.

With an address of "The Old Station Yard" was the course going to be anything other than train-themed!

We often pass through Wisbech en route to see family and friends in East Anglia, and have driven past Play2Day before. We're looking forward to swinging by on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

You can find out more about the Adventure Golf / Mini Golf course on the Play2Day website and Facebook Page.

Checking out the info on the Play2Day centre they've also got a Lazer Tag! Another of my favourite sports.

The last train

I last travelled on a train a year ago today!

A train at Stockport railway station on the 11th March 2020

The journey was a short one - from Stockport to Manchester Piccadilly and back - as I was heading into town for the Marketing Show North at the Digital City Expo at Manchester Central. That was the last event I attended before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

I wonder where my next train journey will take take me and when it'll be?

The Tyne & Wear Metro turns 40 today

The Tyne and Wear Metro light rail system is 40 years old today.

The The Tyne & Wear Metro system opened on this day in 1980. The network was opened in stages between 1980 and 1984 with the trains running on a mixture of old railway routes and new track to bespoke stations.

A Tyne & Wear Metro train crossing the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne

The first route to open was Haymarket to Tynemouth.

A Tyne & Wear Metro service heading into Newcastle from Byker

Street art on the Tyne & Wear Metro

We were in Newcastle and Gateshead for the World Transplant Games last year and while in the area went Space Invader hunting. Three of the mosaic tile pieces by the French street artist Invader can be found at Gateshead Interchange Tyne & Wear Metro station.

Space Invader NCL_21 downstairs in Gateshead Interchange metro station

A closer look at Invader NCL_21

NCL_19 is above ground at Gateshead Interchange

Invader NCL_20 is deep underground at Gateshead Interchange