MINOR RAILWAYS online
Latest Infrastructure Changes & News

Below are shown the Latest Infrastructure Changes and News to hand. The most recent additions are shown in RED. Last amendment: 5th May 2008.

• Colne Valley Miniature Railway - this is a new 7.25" gauge railway, which runs inside the site of the well-known standard gauge Colne Valley Railway in Essex. The line is a "E" layout of 250yds and ran for the first time on Easter Sunday, 23rd March 2008. It was then progessively lengthened to its present extent. The station is off the north end of platform 1 at Castle Hedingham - the line then runs alongside the standard gauge railway almost to Drawell, reaching the old entrance gate. An unusual, and possibly unique, feature is removable section where it crosses a standard gauge siding. The new railway operates on most days the standard gauge railway is running, subject to staff being available. Times are 13.00 to 16.00. The track and some of the stock came from a private railway near Looe in Cornwall. (04/05/08)

• Wyevale Garden Centre, Crowland, Lincolnshire - a new 7.25" gauge railway (the "Postland Miniature Railway") opened here on Good Friday, 21st March 2008. At present it is some 200 yards in length, in an "E" layout, but there is another 1,200 yards of track to be laid. The station is located at the front of the garden centre and features three platform roads. The line then runs along the front of the garden centre, before curving to run along its eastern side. A container served by a siding, forms a shed. Public operation at the present is on selected weekends. The railway is a private venture and not connected directly to Wyevale. (04/05/08)

• Southall Railway Centre - a longer ride is now available here. Brake van rides now commence at the Eastern end of the site and pass behind the former depot building and run to a stop board near the water tower. The longer ride is thought to have started for Santa trains on 8th December 2007. (21/04/08)

• Terrific Train - the only indoor minor railway has closed! The indoor amusement park, MetroLand, in the MetroCentre at Dunston has been closed and it is assumed will be replaced with retail space. The last train presumably ran on Sunday 20th April 2008. (21/04/08)

• Drayton Manor Park - a new 2ft gauge railway opened here on Saturday 15th March, replacing the 10.25" gauge Zoo Railway. The new railway is an "E" run of around 550 yards, linking "Thomas Land" and the Zoo - the Thomas Land Railway. The existing 2ft gauge "Polperro Express" Railway continues to run as before. (21/04/08)

• Dartmoor Railway - trains have ceased to run on this standard gauge railway for the time being. This is due to owners, Ealing Community Transport, pulling out of the railway industry and selling the railway as a going concern. The last trains for the time being ran on Sunday 13th April 2008. (21/04/08)

• Barry Island Railway - the first passenger trains over the extension beyond Woodham Halt to Gladstone Bridge, ran on Saturday 1st March 2008, during the railway's "Shunter Day". This brings the total length of the line to almost 2 miles. (08/03/08)

• Ecclesbourne Valley Railway - the extension of the line to Idridgehay (from Gorsey Bank) is due to open on Saturday 8th March 2008, subject to final HMRI approval. (20/02/08)

• Drayton Manor Park - the 10.25" gauge Zoo Railway has been closed. It last ran at the end of September 2007. The track has been lifted and the railway is to be replaced by a 15" gauge "Thomas" railway, as part of a new themed "Thomas" area in the park. This is expected to open for Easter 2008. The existing 2ft gauge railway (Polperro Express) was regauged from 10.25" over the winter of 2002/2003. (02/01/08)

• Swansea Vale Railway - sadly this standard gauge railway has closed for good. Passenger trains last ran on 12th June 2005, mainly due to the condition of the track, but the railway has suffered from severe attacks of vandalism. The main reason for the closure, however, is that landlord Swansea Council wish to sell off the land to raise some finance. The railway is likely to relocate to the Gwili Railway. (02/01/08)

• Thames Ditton Miniature Railway - this 7.25" gauge miniature railway is operated by the Malden & District Model Engineers. A new section of track came into passenger use on Sunday 2nd July 2007 - this is known as "The Alps" and rises to cross the original circuit, which is now in a short tunnel at that point. The new section is covered on the first circuit. (29/10/07)

• Rotherham Model Engineers - after a number of years hard work, the society has opened a ground level 7.25" gauge line in Rosehill Victoria Park in Rawmarsh, Rotherham. The line is a simple circuit of around 200 yards and is in addtion to their existing elevated track on the same site. Public operation is on Sundays from Easter to the end of September. (25/09/07)

• Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog) - the 7.25" gauge line running at Gelerts Farm has been extended to form a triangular layout of 319 yards. To accommodate the extension, a long bridge has been built to take the line over an area of water and marsh. Trains run over all sides of the triangle during each run. A three road shed has been built, while a short length of running line remains to be laid alongside this to form a run round loop. (25/09/07)

• Northampton Ironstone Railway - after a number of years of disuse, this standard gauge railway has been granted an operating licence again. The first trains to run under this permission ran on August Bank Holiday Sunday, 26th August 2007. At the moment it is thought that the running length is around 20 chains, although more of the line will be brought up to standard for passenger trains in due course. For more details see: www.nirt.co.uk Previous recent public operations have been confined to cab rides under specific HMRI permission for each occasion. (25/09/07)

• Pinewood Steam Railway - the railway has been extended, by taking the station departure track and curving it to the right and crossing the previously unused bridge, before passing through the station on a by-pass line and then crossing the departure track on a diamond crossing and taking the original alignment out through the woods. This was opened to passengers on the first running day of the 2007 season - Easter Sunday 8th April. It was officially opened by the Mayor of Wokingham on Sunday 17th June 2007. The new section adds around 120 yards to the length of the line. (29/08/07)

• Amberley Museum Railway - the extension to this 2ft gauge railway finally opened on Sunday 26th August 2007, following HMRI inspection and laying of tarmac at the new station called "Cragside". The new track adds 380 yards to the length of the railway. Apparently "Cragside" was name of the first house in the UK to have an electric supply for domestic purposes [thanks to the Amberley Railway web site for that information!] (29/08/07)

• Wester Pickston Railway - this 5"/7.25" gauge railway is operated by the Scottish Model Engineering Trust (formerely the Perth Model Engineers). The line is formed of a simple circuit some 350 yards in length. A feature on the circuit is a large girder bridge over a small pond. Further extensions are planned in due course. The society formerely had a track site at Cromwell Park, Almondbank (which closed in 2003) and the new track at Wester Pickston Woods was completed on 3rd July 2005, with the first trial running on 10th July 2005 for a party of children from Chernobyl. Public running takes place around 2 or 3 times a year. The first in 2007 was in May, a further one [and last for 2007] was held in July. (29/08/07)

• Taunton Model Engineers - a short curve was brought into use here on Sunday 22nd July 2007. This allows trains to transverse a full circuit of the return loop, before returning to the station. Further extension of this 5"/7.25" gauge railway, which first opened in 2006, is proposed. (05/08/07)

• Norwich Model Engineers - to make handling trains easier, a return loop has been brought into use at the station on the ground level track on this railway, which is located in Eaton Park, Norwich. This was in use by 08/07/07 - although the actual opening date is not known (do please let me know if you are aware of the actual date it was first used for passenger trains). The ground level track runs alternate Sundays, with the adjacent elevated track. (05/08/07)

• Severn Valley Railway - the railway has suffered major damage to its infrastructure, following heavy thunderstorms on Tuesday night, 19th June 2007. The damage is unprecedented in the history of the line. The majority of the damage has occurred from Bridgnorth Outer Home Signal to Northwood Halt where sections of the line have been subjected to landslips, with several sections of track left suspended in air, cuttings filled with debris and at Highley, a major landslip , with the Up Starter Signal washed away, down the embankment. As a result of the flood damage, trains will operate between Kidderminster and Bewdley only. An emergency timetable has been put in place and the railway have three steam locomotives at Bewdley (46443, 45110 & 4566) to help run the service. There will be no train service between Bewdley and Bridgnorth until further notice. (28/06/07)

• Bath & West Railway - another phase of this 7.25" gauge railway, located on the grounds of the Bath & West Showground, opened on 30/05/07. This was on occasion of the 2007 Bath & West Show. The line now runs down both banks of the stream, with a temporary connecting line linking each leg. A further phase will see the line continued around the lake to form a return loop. (28/06/07)

Back to HOME page
Online Supplement - Publications - Research - Links