Little Western Railway
7 1⁄4 in (184 mm) gauge locomotives Angkor Wat and the 125 HST. | |
| Locale | Newquay, Cornwall, UK |
| Terminus | Newquay |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Eric Booth |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Little Western Railway |
| Operated by | Little Western Railway |
| Length | 260 metres |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | May 1968 |
The Little Western Railway is a 7 1⁄4 in (184 mm) miniature railway located in Newquay in Cornwall. The railway functions as a tourist attraction, running in a circuit within the Trenance Leisure Park and is the oldest miniature railway in Cornwall.
Opening and Prices
Weather permitting, the railway operates weekends and school holidays from Easter until October half term. Rides cost £2 per person, which includes two laps of the track.
History
1968 - 2000
In 1966, Eric Booth bought his first locomotive, a scale model of a London, Midland and Scottish Railway, Royal Scot, and set about building a miniature railway. After writing to various councils in Cornwall, he was offered a number of locations, including Truro, but settled on an area of land in the Trenance Gardens in Newquay. With the former Great Western Railway viaduct towering over the site, he chose the name Little Western Railway. Building started in late 1967, opening in time for the May bank holiday weekend in 1968. In the first year, 70,000 people enjoyed a ride behind the sole locomotive, Royal Scot. Following the success of the first year, Eric invested in a Cromar White petrol Hymek to help ease the load on Royal Scot. At the time, the circular route consisted of two bridges over the river, a siding at the station, and a tunnel which was also used to store the rolling stock at night. Over the next five years, Eric added a second platform with a footbridge over the tracks, a turntable, and an engine shed, all at the station, which at the time was named Brookside Halt. Around 1970, another smaller steam engine, named Midge, an 0-4-0 tank locomotive, was added to the stock list to be used on quieter days. The line continued for several years with a good number of passengers; Royal Scot was working on and off throughout the 1970s; most of the work was done by the petrol Hymek, which was now starting to show its age. In 1980, the Hymek and Midge were sold, and a brand new Intercity 125 from Mardyke miniature locomotives was purchased for the line, and Royal Scot was left on display in the sidings. Also around this time, the station was renamed Badgers Halt. Then in 1994, the Royal Scot was repaired and ran every summer until 1997.
2000-2013
To celebrate the millennium, a new set of three sit-in carriages were ordered to replace the sit-astride carriages, which were more like benches on wheels. Over the next few years, passenger numbers started to decline, and the line was downgraded. This included the removal of the footbridge and the second platform being taken out of use. The following year, the original station was closed (also losing its name in the process), with a new, simpler station opening near the entrance to Newquay Zoo. By 2008, the line was a shadow of its former self and in need of major work, which was completed for the 2009 season, including:
- new turntable
- two new bridges
- original station re-opened next to the play park
- buildings and tunnel repaired
- half of the track totally replaced
- full mechanical and cosmetic overhaul of all rolling stock
- sidings and platform 2 reinstated by the replacement of two points.
2014 - Present
With Eric's health deteriorating, he put LWR up for sale. It was bought by local man John Littlefield, who owned the crazy golf adjacent to LWR. He set about continuing the work done in 2009; he had the 125 HST locomotive overhauled again and given a complete respray, cleared rubbish and overgrown areas, improving the look of the railway. He also bought a 0-4-0 steam locomotive named Angkor Wat, arriving in 2015, which brought an 18-year absence of steam power to an end. Sadly, in early 2016, John fell ill and passed away; his family continue to operate the railway and crazy golf.
References
This article "Little Western Railway" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Little Western Railway. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
