Some things never change. We were 10 minutes late, but eventually, with a whistle and a gust of steam, we were off. Perhaps because it was a Tuesday, and the first train of the day, there was only a smattering of 'railway enthusiasts' (the polite term for trainspotters) and a large family with young children in my carriage.
The headquarters of the Watercress Line, the route by which watercress from Hampshire water meadows made its way to London markets, is at Alresford. Period details (1923 to 1947 to be precise), such as tin adverts for Capstan Navy Cut cigarettes and old-fashioned luggage trolleys, crowd the station - the uniformed guards and station master even sport fob watches.
Within minutes we had built up a steady rhythm, and the canopy of trees vanished above billows of steam. At Ropley we passed the sheds where engines are restored and maintained. Rusting shells stood next to antique coaches and colossal locomotives like flagship Bodmin (number 34016), sparkling in its green and black livery. 'That one looks like Henry,' sang the children.
Mike Burke, the driver, worked for British Rail for 40 years. Seventeen years ago he began volunteering on the Watercress Line and has driven steam engines for the past five years. His footplate crew includes a fireman (the man who shovels coal into the furnace) and a trainee, the Rev Peter Hutchinson who spends his weekends in slightly less infernal surroundings.
These machines are behemoths. Our locomotive, a freight engine designed by a Scot, Robert Urie, and built in 1920, is 120 tonnes of cast steel. It was retired in 1966 but, as Mike points out, it was obviously designed to last 100 years and more. Mike ran through a few figures: the optimum temperature for the furnace is 6,000F. It gobbles one tonne of coal during a one-hour round trip from Alresford to Alton and back again.
I asked him what the special appeal of steam trains was. 'I do this for the exhilaration - these are living machines,' he said. There is no doubt that the footplate is where the action is: there is a furious heat from the furnace and coal dust, grease, dials, levers and noise everywhere else.
But despite all this activity, steam travel is far from quick. 'The engines are capable of 70 miles per hour, but we are limited to 25 by law. However the track is currently being upgraded so we can go up to 50 miles per hour, which will make us the fastest steam railway in the country,' says Mike, with a gleam in his eye.
Watercress Line trains run throughout the summer and there are several special events. ADay Out with Thomas week runs from 5 to 13 August, while adults may be interested in the Harley Davidson Weekend (19 and 20 August) and the Real Ale Train (16 September). Call 01962 733810 for information (talking timetable: 01962 734866) or visit www.watercressline.co.uk
Along the same lines...
Talyllyn Railway
Tywyn Wharf to Nant Twernol, Snowdonia
Home to Edward Thomas, the engine which became Peter Sam in the Rev W. Awdry's Thomas the Tank Engine stories, the Talyllyn Railway (01654 710472) steams its way from Tywyn deep into Snowdonia National Park. Celebrate Peter Sam's birthday on 28 August or board the railway's special vintage train for a seven-day spectacular of treasure hunts, picnics and craft fairs for Victorian Week, which runs to 5 August. Hop off the train to explore the waterfalls at Dolgoch or Castell y Bere, a ruined thirteenth-century Welsh castle.
Bluebell Railway
Sheffield Park round trip via Horstead Keynes and Sheffield Park, Sussex
Not only is this line Britain's first preserved standard gauge passenger railway, but this year it also became the new home of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis in the recent production of The Railway Children . The railway takes an 18-mile trip through Sussex countryside stopping at Kingscote and Sheffield Park, where you can explore the engine sheds. This weekend Horsted Keynes Station hosts 500 vintage cars, tractors, motorbikes and steam engines for the Bluebell's Annual Steam Fair. A joint steam fair and rail ticket costs £10 for adults and £4 for children. Call 01825 723777 or visit www.bluebellrailway.co.uk
Nene Valley Railway
Stibbington to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
A haunted tunnel awaits those who dare on the Wansford to Peterborough Nene Valley Railway. Train drivers have seen ghosts of nineteenth-century tunnel workers and even the spectre of a stationmaster's cat once crushed by a train. If you ever come out the other side, you will uncover a bird observation hide at Yarwell Junction, as well as nature trails, pony rides, boat trips and a minature railway at Ferry Meadows and Orton Mere. Call 01780 784444 for tickets. Families cost £19.50 (two adults, three children), £8 for adults, £4 for children .
Severn Valley Railway
Kidderminster, Worcestershire, to Bridgnorth, Shropshire
As you wind through the idyllic Severn Valley, you can hop off to picnic in the beautiful Severn Valley Park and Nature Reserve, or to clamber among the castle ruins at Bridgnorth. Make sure you keep the doors locked as you cross the 200ft single-span Victoria bridge, high above the river. For further information call 01299 403816 or visit www.svr.co.uk Tickets cost £9.60 for adults, £3.60 for children or £23 for families (two adults, four children).
The Lappa Valley Steam Railway
Benny Halt to East Wheal Rose, Cornwall
Be prepared for a day of adventure when you meet the Lapp Valley Steam trains, Zebedee and Muffin. They will take you on a tour through wild Cornish countryside and deposit you at East Wheal Rose mine, where the action begins. Paddle canoes, have a crack at crazy golf, puzzle through the maze or simply sit and gorge on scones and clotted cream. Visit www.lappa-railway.co.uk or call 01872 510317. Tickets cost £5.90 for adults, £3.90 for children and £17.50 for families (two adults, two children).
Peak Rail
Matlock Riverside to Rowsley, The Peak District
For your chance to ride the most famous locomotive in the world, visit the Peak Railway until 6 August for the Flying Scotsman. After travelling through rolling Peak District countryside, you can go for a donkey ride at Rowsley Station, which will also house a bouncy castle, a brass band and an old-time fair. Visit www.peakrail.co.uk or call 01629 580381 for tickets for the Flying Scotsman (£10 for adults, £5 for children).
Kent and East Sussex Railway
Tenterden, Kent, to Bodiam, Sussex
Steam back in time and ride to the National Trust's castle at Bodiam. Joint tickets available from 01580 765155; £10 for adults, £5 for children.
A Day Out with Thomas
Your chance to meet Thomas face to face. Heritage Railways around the country are holding special Thomas days which offer unlimited rides on a Thomas replica steam engine. To celebrate the launch of Thomas and the Magic Railroad , the London Transport Museum is staging an exclusive exhibition that will bring together Thomas memorabilia and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. A family ticket costs £13.95 (two adults, two children). Call the Thomas helpline for the diary - 0870 241 2532.
The National Railway Museum, York.
Clamber on to the North York Moors Railway or The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (where the original of The Railway Children was filmed) to be carried towards York's National Railway Museum, the biggest of its kind in the world (01904 621 261). Summer specials to 31 August include old-time fairground rides, vintage steam and minature train rides. Children under 17 go free, adult tickets cost £6.50.
