Many years ago there was a suburban rail line alongside the norrn bank of the River Clyde here in Glasgow. It was closed by Dr Beechings cuts (expected as far as that dead line was concerned. Anyway i went upstairs as it was on an embankment and onto the isalnd plaform. The booking office window had a shutter down soIi knocked it and the sole station staff member a porter looked suroprise to see anyone at Whiteinch Riverside. I asked for a single to the next station Scotstoun East. His mouth actually fell opem looking kind of gobsmacked and he commented that no-one had ever got a ticket there amongst the very few passengers as it was so close. You could see it along the track and in walking terms not much over 5 minutes. He duly issued a ticket and I got off my 2 minute journey at the next stop. The porter there came out the booking office to see if anyone had got off and collect tickets. He toook mine and then stared at it then me in puzzlement. "You got on at Whiteinch Riverside to here?" I smiled and said "Yes". He shook his head in sheer wonderment and suggested it was a pointless journey but stoically I smiled and said they were stations and there was a ticket. He watched me disappearing down the stairs and shook his head before going back inside. I did find the reaction at both places quite funny.
Your shortest railway trip?
- Thread starter rjhowie
- Start date
Torpedo423
Steam Forever
I was in San Francisco a few years back and we wanted to ride a street car, so we get on and less then 200 feet later it comes to the end of it's run.
We got on the next car a few minutes later and ended up getting stuck in down town San Francisco at 11pm
We got on the next car a few minutes later and ended up getting stuck in down town San Francisco at 11pm
I don't think I ever made the actual journey, and I'm not sure if this is really true, but I believe that when a Northern Line LU train arrived at Charing Cross station, the back end of it was still in Embankment station. Therefore the trip distance was less than the length of one underground train!
Mick Berg.
Mick Berg.
Saxham_Market
New member
It could well be true. The station entrances are only six hundred feet or so apart, and I'd expect the Embankment platforms to extend back toward Charing Cross - if they went very far the other way they'd extend under the Thames, and I can't say that excavating the station tunnel beneath a river would be my first choice!
BLACKWATCH
Mechanical Engineer
Approximately 100 yards on the footplate of 'Flying Scotsman' at Doncaster in the 1960's.
captainkman
You are reading this.
Once I tripped and faceplanted in coal dust and soot at a loco depot!
It was a trip! Near a railway!
It was a trip! Near a railway!
my shortest was at the Kansas City, Belton, and Grandview railway. they used to cross an old Wooden trestle and go into Clinton (or so i've been told) but the trestle isn't used anymore. you can still see the trestle through the trees from old highway 71. anyway, the line is only 2.5 miles, the shortest tourist ride i've ever been on.
on an interesting side note, they have two old worn out steam engines (Frisco 1632, a Russian Dec 2-10-0, and a 2-8-0, Okmulgee Northern #5 "Tommy," a 2-8-0). both are missing many parts, both don't have either their main or eccentric rods, headlights, bells, and the 1632 has a tenderfull of scrap. its very saddening to see them like this. I'd love to see them get the 2-8-0 running (she'd be the easiest to maintain), but unless they can cross the bridge again, it would be pointless.
anyway enough rambling. its my specialty.
on an interesting side note, they have two old worn out steam engines (Frisco 1632, a Russian Dec 2-10-0, and a 2-8-0, Okmulgee Northern #5 "Tommy," a 2-8-0). both are missing many parts, both don't have either their main or eccentric rods, headlights, bells, and the 1632 has a tenderfull of scrap. its very saddening to see them like this. I'd love to see them get the 2-8-0 running (she'd be the easiest to maintain), but unless they can cross the bridge again, it would be pointless.
anyway enough rambling. its my specialty.
About 100 metres on a ganger's quadracycle, up and down one of the display tracks at the WA Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society's Rail Transport Museum, during one of their open days back in 1994. It was fun rolling up and down that short stretch of track. 
Either that, or a quick trip between Claisebrook and McIver stations on the Midland and Armadale lines of the Perth suburban network - they're only about 400 metres apart, and due to the high speed and acceleration of Perth's A set EMUs, no sooner has a train left McIver it's arriving at Claisebrook.
Even better is the journey was free - Claisebrook and McIver are within Perth's 'free transit zone' (the cost is subsidized by car parking fees in the city), being inner city stations. Sadly though, travel between them is no longer truely 'free' (a so-called 'Smartrider' smart card ticket is required for travel with the cost being automatically refunded if you travel between those stations), but it was still free when I made that brief journey (back in the 1990s).
Either that, or a quick trip between Claisebrook and McIver stations on the Midland and Armadale lines of the Perth suburban network - they're only about 400 metres apart, and due to the high speed and acceleration of Perth's A set EMUs, no sooner has a train left McIver it's arriving at Claisebrook.
Even better is the journey was free - Claisebrook and McIver are within Perth's 'free transit zone' (the cost is subsidized by car parking fees in the city), being inner city stations. Sadly though, travel between them is no longer truely 'free' (a so-called 'Smartrider' smart card ticket is required for travel with the cost being automatically refunded if you travel between those stations), but it was still free when I made that brief journey (back in the 1990s).
A few days ago, I rode on the back walk way of and Ann Arbor caboose from the front gate of the Michigan Steam Railroad Institute to the back shop. Just over a foot ball field long. Then back to the front gate in the cupola of that caboose. Just a little 20 toner pulled and pushed us back and fourth.
stagecoachdriverdave
Matt
My daily commute to university; Southgate to Oakwood on the Piccadilly line - one stop, about 2 minutes! (£1.30 is totally worth that extra 20 minutes in bed!)
Shortest "trip" as in one passenger station to another has rather more contenders than longest trip.
However I would probably also go for Charing Cross to Embankment on the tube, with the caveat it was part of a longer overall journey which necessitated a change of train/line at one or other of the stations.
I think I also did the Charing Cross to Waterloo East hop, again a very short journey no more than about half a mile.
Then you could consider railways in entertainment or theme parks where you jump on or off to move round the attraction, some of those are quite short.
Probably this topic needs a few sub-headings:
Mainline/Heavy Rail
Rapid Transit (Subway)
Rapid Transit (Tram)
Tourist or Attraction Railways.
However I would probably also go for Charing Cross to Embankment on the tube, with the caveat it was part of a longer overall journey which necessitated a change of train/line at one or other of the stations.
I think I also did the Charing Cross to Waterloo East hop, again a very short journey no more than about half a mile.
Then you could consider railways in entertainment or theme parks where you jump on or off to move round the attraction, some of those are quite short.
Probably this topic needs a few sub-headings:
Mainline/Heavy Rail
Rapid Transit (Subway)
Rapid Transit (Tram)
Tourist or Attraction Railways.
One the first try we didn't move an inch.
Got on a train at my local station Dapto to go to Sydney.On the train sitting there for about 5 minutes at the platform waiting to leave then a guy come along from the staff & said the trains were running that late ours had been cancelled.He then told us to go to the other platform as the train which was supposed to leave 45mins before ours was pulling into the station in about 5 minutes time.
We eventually arrived in Sydney earlier than we should have as the train we were on had less stops than the one which was cancelled.
Dave
Got on a train at my local station Dapto to go to Sydney.On the train sitting there for about 5 minutes at the platform waiting to leave then a guy come along from the staff & said the trains were running that late ours had been cancelled.He then told us to go to the other platform as the train which was supposed to leave 45mins before ours was pulling into the station in about 5 minutes time.
We eventually arrived in Sydney earlier than we should have as the train we were on had less stops than the one which was cancelled.
Dave
trainzguru1
Route Builder
Mine was 5 minutes a cow had stumbled across the line so we had to reverse back to the station and get off as we could not move the cow
FLWBStrainman
New member
50 or 75 feet probably. Too many switching movements to know 