seaside miniature railways

[marcus rooksParticipant @marcusrooks98167]

information on the history and people involved

[marcus rooksParticipant @marcusrooks98167]

I am researching seaside miniature railways such as at Blackpool, Scarborough etc and I am looking for any information that our readers may have. I a especially intersted in the people behind these railways and the connection with the amusement industry.

I would like to find original correspondence about the formation of these railways especially from the likes of greenley and Bassett Lowke. However, all information would be gratefully received.

[Kevin BennettParticipant @kevinbennett25223]

hi try also this link http://www.cleethorpescoastlightrailway.co.uk/index.html it has lots of history and i went on it in the 60’s may be a good one to look at

 

thanks kevin

[MichaelRParticipant @michaelr]

There is a fine Miniature railway in Arbroath Scotland. see Here I think it was set up in the 1930s.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

If you are going round the country and not just Blackpool area, there is (maybe was) one in Poole park, and another one rings a bell at Paignton Zoo in Devon.

I think there might be something at Weston Super Mare but this may be an ME club.

Also, Peco at Beer have a large narrow gauge railway, the Beer Heights Railway.

regards David

 

 

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

I live very near Scarborough North Bay railway and have friends who work there.I have a copy of Scarborough North Bay Miniature Railway Golden Jubilee 1931-1981 which was 50p. and which I can copy for you.Send me a PM with your name and address.

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

And Barry and Porthcawl and several in North Wales .

 

There are three types of seaside miniature railway :

 

Fixed systems which go a significant distance along a promenade or even in a

few cases cross country like RHDR . Look up Greenly , Captain Howey , Davy & Paxman locomotives .

 

The fixed Fairground ride type miniature railway working on a circular or wiggly track in a relatively small area .

 

The travelling Fairground ride type miniature railway working almost always on a circular track . These were common once and a few were steam operated – look up Savages of Kings Lynn and locomotive Gazelle .

 

MW

 

 

[Ian AbbottParticipant @ianabbott31222]

South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh have one too, ’bout ten inch I think.

 

Ian

[SteveWParticipant @stevew54046]

One in Hastings. Still working in the summer I think but a bit hidden behind other ‘attractions’.

 

Used to be a great one in Danson Park (Welling) but now closed . Spent youth trying to outrun it on my bike…

 

Steve W

[maurice bennieParticipant @mauricebennie99556]

HI All Does the” ROMNEY HYTHE and DYMCHURCH ” railway come into what you are looking for? .Runs along the south KENT coast from HYTHE to the DUNGENESS atomic power station . I am often down there ,a real way out place and good fish and chips at the end of the trip. There are steam and diesel engines running each day as it is used by the general public for transport..

See you down there Maurice B

[maurice bennieParticipant @mauricebennie99556]

Hi again PS It was built before the last war and during the war carried light ack ack guns.At NEW ROMNEY there is a small museum worth a visit . If you need more info they are on the internet .Maurice B.

[Allan FergusonParticipant @allanferguson31926]

http://www.miniaturerailwayworld.co.uk/

 

has a lot of information

 

Allan F

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Is there a miniature railway in Barry? I was born there and don’t remember one. It is the home of the original BR but that was full-size.

 

One thing that may be interesting is that the Scarborough Railway had Hudswell Clark’s first two diesel hydraulic locomotives – both ‘steam express outline’ . The first DH locos ever!

 

I think they are still going, check out Hudswell Clark on wikipedia.

 

Neil

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Marcus, back in the 60’s there used to be one along the South beach promonard at Lowestoft, Suffolk. Don’t know when it was removed though, as my brothers and sisters and our parants last went there for our summer holiday in 1964, as our grandfarther died in 1965 and nana came back to live with us. Not sure whether it was a 7 1/2″ or 10″ gauge, but do remember it had an apple green steam engine pulling the open carridges, I think I can remember my older brother telling me it was a Pacific, and we often watched the driver backing it into its shed, off a turntable at the end the day.

 

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 22/01/2012 21:19:04

[RRMBKParticipant @rrmbk]

There was a minature railway on the promenade at Colwyn Bay in the 1950’s / 60’s. I believe I have a postcard of it somewhere. There has also been a railway around the Marine lake at Rhyl for many years which has recently been revived.

Not a seaside railway but there is a 10 1/4 gauge tourist passenger railway at Betws y Coed linked to the railway museum there.

 

Kind regards

 

Brian k

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hastings Min Rly is right over to the eastern side of the town.

One runs around the lake in Brooklands Park, South Lancing.

There is one in Littlehampton.

Eastbourne Min. Rly., Lottbridge Drive/or Drove, BN23 6NS tel. 01323 520229. Set up by and still operated by the Wadey family since 1992. (7 1/4″G) Can get all this sort of info just using the netty.

There is a new one recently started on Hayling Island. They are building a Sweet Pea, FULL SIZE!!

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

These seaside railways seem to have mostly been laid down a long time ago – many before the First war .

 

There was however quite a revival of interest in the late forties to fifties with the seaside holiday camp firms opening several . Butlins and Pontins both certainly had examples .

 

These holiday camp railways varied greatly in scope . Some like the one inside the Butlins complex at Barry were rather mean affairs , little more than fairground rides , yet the same company had a most extensive one at Pwllhelli .

 

Watch old episodes of ‘Hi de Hi’ and Film ‘Holiday on the Buses’ – lots of incidental clips of holiday camp railways ..

 

Mw

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I seem to remember something at Eastbourne, I think it was at the eastern side of town, was it a railway or was it model trams. I was there for a week or so in 1977, before I was into model engineering, and did not take a great deal of interest at the time. I was more interested in the Martello tower, and Beachy Head, dad was there as a Radar mechanic during the war for a time before being posted north to Scotland. Ian S C

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

> Butlins complex at Barry

 

Ah! That’s why I never saw it. We used to call the place ‘Butliz’ when I was a kid…

 

Neil

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