A-TRACK-TIVE
The vintage UK train that was once the world’s smallest public railway – with new wine service launching this month
And some of the most amazing train journeys in the world
A TRAIN journey in the UK has been described by its passengers as "adorable" and a place to relive childhood.
The tiny carriages are found on a track that was once the smallest public railway in the world, linking seven stations found among some pretty impressive British countryside.
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The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway has been operating since 1927 and very little about it has changed since then.
However, its title of world's smallest public railway was lost in 1982 when the 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge Wells and Walsingham Light Railway opened in Norfolk.
The steam and diesel locomotives run from Hythe in Kent, through to the seaside village of Dungeness, via Dymchurch, St Mary's Bay, Romney Warren, New Romney and Romney Sands.
They offer people the chance to "explore this unique corner of Kent" according to the line's website, with each of the stations in walking distance of beaches and a national nature reserve at Dungeness.
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However, perhaps the trains' most striking feature is their size, being just one-third full size.
This has earned route the moniker "Kent’s Mainline in Miniature” with the small trains taking just over an hour to complete the full journey.
However, there's plenty to explore along the route, with Visit Kent writing: "A journey on one of the small trains of this heritage railway is a unique experience combining years of steam railway heritage with some of Kent's most picturesque countryside."
They also singled out Dymchurch and New Romney as particularly good stops to visit with kids.
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They continued: "At Dymchurch, a five-minute walk will take you to the village centre with its children’s amusement park, shops, cafes and sandy beach.
"Stop at New Romney Station and you can visit the Model Railway Exhibition, museum and children’s play area. There are cafes at each of these main stations too and special events throughout the year."
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Among those special events is Winston's Wine Train, a new evening service launching this month.
Along a return journey from New Romney to Dungeness passengers will watch a presentation by Kent vineyard Biddenden.
Their ticket will also include wine tasting and grazing boards.
The service launches on Saturday, April 20 and tickets are £42pp.
Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
"After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass." - Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
"Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you're whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too - as you'll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way." Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
"Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord." - Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
"From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond." - Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
"The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city's high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I've witnessed anywhere." - Ryan Gray
Other food and drink-related services include the fish and chip supper train, which sets off in both June and July this year, and a brand new early morning "breakfast safari" train.
The breakfast service travels from New Romney to Hythe at 7am on June 12, with a pre-ordered full English breakfast served as part of the route. Tickets for that are also £42.
For youngsters, Bluey the Australian blue healer pup will be popping in for a meet and greet on Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22.
Pre-ordered tickets will guarantee a seat on a special departure from Hythe to New Romney Station where Bluey will be waiting, as well as return travel on a designated train departing an hour after arrival.
The service has become a huge fan favourite over the years, with people describing it as "a real experience" that all their family love.
One person wrote on TripAdvisor: "Over the years we have brought all our family to travel on this adorable railway and it will hold a place in our hearts forever."
Another said: "If I was a kid again I don’t think I would ever want to leave. As an adult it gave me a chance to relive my childhood."
A third added: "The train was really cute and everything was clean and well looked-after.
"The stations that we went through were all nicely decorated with flowers etc., and the train is so small that it feels like a real experience."
Tickets for a "rover" day ticket, offering unlimited travel along the train start from £28 for adults and £14 for children aged 3-15.
Family tickets for two adults and up to three children are £69.
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Meanwhile, this train service runs through the UK's "most underrated" countryside.
And this five-day train service is set to ride past some of the country's most beautiful sights and comes with hotel stays.
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