Miniature Track Record
The Golding Spring
Miniature Railway has
an extensive collection
of locos, owned by the
club and its members,
with visiting locos
often present. One of
the newest residents is
member-owned Ride-on-
Railways 8wBE+TAngela,
seen departing the station
on May 26. It is carrying
‘The Gullsnest’headboard
and 71D (Fratton) shed
code.PETER NICHOLSONVAMES dates from 1972 and has run an
ever-expanding railway at the Bucks Railway
Centre since 1975.
The main railway is located alongside
the Aylesbury end of the Up yard SG
demonstration line, and is a complex,
700-yard pair of loops.
The railway is fully equipped with signalling,
a workshop and sheds for locos and
carriages.
Visitors are well catered for, with a shop and
refreshments available.
The only station is Golding Spring Central,
which sees about 25,000 passengers passing
through every year.Gauge:7¼in/5in
Location:Buckinghamshire Railway
Centre, Quainton Road Station, Station
Road, Quainton, Buckinghamshire
HP22 4BY
OS ref:SP 741189
Operator:Vale of Aylesbury Model
Engineering Society (VAMES)
Tel:01296 655720 (BRC)
Email:[email protected]
Websites:www.vames.co.uk and
http://www.bucksrailcentre.org
Running days:Steaming days and
special events at BRC (Easter to
November)KNOW YOUR LINES: No. 66 Golding Spring Miniature Railway
84 •The Railway Magazine• July 2019Watford miniature line
celebrates diamond jubilee
THE 10¼in-gaugeWatford
Miniature Railway marked its 60th
anniversary on April 27-28 with a
gala event at Cassiobury Park.
The resident locos were joined
by 2-4w-2P (Shepperton Metal
Products 1970), which ran on the
line until the early 1990s, visiting
fromVanstoneWoodland Railway,
Hertfordshire.
An exhibition of photos
depicted the railway over the
years and a model railway and
cutting of a birthday cake was
attended by the Mayor ofWatford.
A commemorative book has
been published, available from
the railway or via website
http://www.watfordrailway.co.uk, for
£12.50 + £3 p&p.
Plans for the railway include
installing mains power and water,
and to secure its future for many
years to come.
Charles O’Mahoney, who tookThe last train of the 60th anniversary event at Cassiobury Park on April 28 was quadruple-headed.
Leading was Baldwin-style 2-6-0Marri(Willis of Perth, Australia 1993), followed by visiting
Shepperton 2-4w-2PMeteor V, Conway CastleBo-BoDH (Fenlow 1972) and 0-6-0DHNikki Louise(R
Prime 1988, later rebuilt at Watford Miniature Railway).SIMON MULLIGANBeale Railway commemorates
park trustee Richard Howard
THE Alan Keef 0-6-0DH
steam-outline loco delivered
new to the 10¼in-gauge
Beale Railway in February
2018 and namedHowardis
seen on March 10.
Its identity is confirmed
as Keef 103 of 2017, not as
previously stated.
The terminus station is
called Howard’s Halt, which
like the loco, is named in
memory of Richard Howard,who died in 2018. He was
the chairman of the trustees
of Child Beale Trust, which
administers the park.
The railway is located
in Beale Wildlife Park and
Gardens, Lower Basildon,
Pangbourne, Berkshire.
It runs daily: 10.30-18.00
until September 30, and
10.30-17.00, October 1 to
November 30.
PETER NICHOLSONEast Kent’s growing attractions...
THE standard-gauge East Kent
Railway (EKR), near Dover,
continues to develop the
attractions on offer to visitors.
These include the 7¼in-gauge
KneesWoodland Miniature
Railway, opened in 2015, sited next
to Shepherdswell station.
Locos used are petrol, diesel and
battery, with the main traction on
March 24 provided by No. 5, a scale
replica of a 2ft-gauge Lister 4wDloco, built by CMD Engineering
in Chatham. Work continues on
expanding the railway, including
the recent completion of a return
loop, sidings and an engine shed.
Next will be a turntable, water
feature and a bridge.
The line operates during all
special events on the EKR and on
its own events throughout the year,
weather permitting.
STUART CHAPMANTaunton Model
Engineers secure
new home base
TAUNTON Model Engineers has
secured a new site following the
enforced closure of’ 7¼in/
5in-gauge Creech Miniature
Railway in 2017.
The new home is located in the
village ofWest Buckland, near
Wellington, Somerset, the 4.14
acres of land being bought by the
club in April.
Regular working parties are
preparing the site ready to start
installing a ground-level
7¼in- gauge railway, a raised
3½in/5in-track, and all the
required club facilities.
Anyone wishing to be involved
in the project from the beginning,
is invited to contactTME via
website http://www.tauntonme.org.ukAshton Court
future secured
BRISTOL SMEE has reached
agreement with Bristol City
Council for the continued
operation of its railways at
Ashton Court.
This follows last year’s threat
of closure, which brought forth
much public support, resulting in a
temporary reprieve (RMJan, p74).
There will be a new five-year
lease, but a temporary licence
remains in place until final terms
are agreed.The new lease mean
a fare increase for adults and
children over two years old, plus
the council now requires all cars,
including those using the railway’s
car park, to‘pay and display’.
Trains run most Sundays (12.00
to 17.00) weather permitting,
March 31 until October 27, plus
‘Santa’specials on December 1,
for which tickets go on sale on
August 4.
over the line in 2017, said“the
railway had become an important
part of visits by local residents
to the park, and in fact, three
generations of his family had
travelled on the line as children”.Pilgrim,a much-travelled 0-6-0T
built by David King in 1982, has
joined the fleet for this summer on
loan from its owner.The coaches,
some track and the sheds have
been acquired from HatfieldHouse Farm Railway, Hertfordshire,
which has closed.
This railway last ran in October,
but unexpectedly failed to secure
a lease from the estate to continue
operating this year.COMPILED BY
PETER
NICHOLSON
Call: 01507 529589
email: classic.traction
@btopenworld.comYour reports and
pictures are most welcome.
Highly competitive rates
are paid, especially if
exclusive toThe RM.