The abandoned miniature railway that was once a much-loved family attraction, reopens to the public

The Irish Sun

3 days ago

AN abandoned miniature railway has reopened to the public for the first time in seven years.
With the kids now off school for
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Basildon Miniature Railway is reopening after 7 years
Credit: Facebook
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The abandoned miniature railway was once a much-loved family attraction
Credit: Facebook
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The railway dates back to the 1980s
Credit: Facebook
Many holiday camps and kids clubs can be extremely expensive, so for any parents looking for a budget day out the Basildon Miniature Railway at Wat Tyler Country Park offers a perfect solution.
The beloved attraction finally opened its doors again last weekend, after months of renovation.
First opened way back in 1988, the miniature train fell into disrepair in the 21st century and became overgrown with bushes and weeds.
It closed down in 2019, but thanks to the help of locals and train enthusiasts, the quaint attraction is now back up and running, with visitors able to ride the train around the large country park, for just £4.
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A spokesperson for Basildon Miniature Railway said: "After a successful weekend of providing trips with members of the public riding the train for the first time in 7 years, we are pleased to announce we are open for business.
"Thank you to a great team of volunteers, Hastings Miniature Railway, and Ropley Miniature Railway for helping to make this happen."
Dan Radcliffe, a member of the Hastings Miniature Railway group, added: "Over the past year, we have been working with Basildon Miniature Railway to help bring this much-loved railway back into operation after seven years of closure.
"The new operator and his team have worked tirelessly repairing the rails, stations, and crossing points, clearing back years of foliage, etc, and yesterday was finally the day that showed all of this hard work had been worth it."
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"We at Hastings have assisted along the way, giving advice, building the new road crossing, and supplying new coaches and our own Cornish pixie.
"Ropley miniature railway has recently been assisted by lending them another familiar locomotive - RVM built Hasty.
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"This has been a fantastic project to have been involved in, and we take our hats off to Dan and his team at Basildon in bringing back to life a railway that had been feared may never reopen."
The tiny railway track was originally just 1200 yards long and in 2012 was extended towards the park's northern entrance, making the new track one kilometre long.
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It takes roughly 20 minutes to take a trip on the miniature railway, which is one of the longest in
Essex
.
The train is open on weekends, and during school
holidays
, from April until the end of September.
Where can kids eat for free this summer?
THE summer holidays are here, but entertaining the kids need not cost a fortune.
Here, we reveal where you can get free and cheap meals for your little ones during the 'endless' summer holidays.
ASDA CAFE:
Nip into an Asda cafe to feed the kids after the weekly shop.
Under-16s get a hot or cold meal for £1 at any time of day.
Little ones are covered, too.
Kids under 18 months get a free Ella's baby food pouch with any purchase.
BEEFEATER:
This family-friendly pub chain makes mornings a breeze.
Two kids under 16 eat for free with the purchase of an adult breakfast for £10.99.
It's available from 6.30am to 10.30am midweek and 7am to 11am at weekends.
BELLA ITALIA:
Book a table and order an adult meal at the Italian eatery for kids aged two to 11 to get three courses and a drink for £1.
Offer valid between 4pm and 6pm on Sundays to Wednesdays.
On Thursdays, kids eat free all day when an adult meal is ordered from the a la carte menu.
DUNELM:
Make homeware shopping a fun day out.
Dunelm's Pausa Cafes are offering free kids' meals for every £4 spent on their food or drink.
Available all day, every day.
BILL'S:
Dine in at a Bill's restaurant to get up to two free kids' meals (normally £6.95 each) with an adult meal.
Valid weekdays only until August 30.
IKEA:
Make it a food day at the Swedish home store.
On every day except Fridays, enjoy a pit stop at their famous cafe from 11am to get a kids' pasta or mac and cheese dish for 95p.
Other mini meals are available for £1.50.
PIZZA EXPRESS:
Kids up to age ten can get a free three-course Piccolo meal including dough balls, pizza or pasta and dessert with every adult meal purchased.
The offer runs every day until August 11.
TESCO:
Pop to the supermarket cafe from Monday to Friday until August 30 for free kids' meals when an adult buys any item in the cafe.
You must have a Clubcard to redeem the offer.
THE RANGE:
Kids under 16 get one free meal per adult main purchased at The Range cafes.
Options include sandwiches, a cooked breakfast and fish and chips.
All kids' meals come with a piece of fruit and a drink.
Daniel Harrison, who volunteered with the railway back in the 1980s, was given a contract to renovate it, after the previous owner's death.
'I used to go down there with my parents on Sunday day trips", he said.
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"We got talking to the owner and I volunteered my time.
"I was quite young at the time, about 12.'
Despite the success of the renovation, Daniel admitted that it hasn't all been plain sailing.
"The biggest challenge has been the railroad crossing; if you take any railway regardless of gauge across a road it's fraught with difficulties like complying with certain standards, being safe to operate, and it was a particular challenge."
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The railway has been restored with the help of volunteers
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Riding on the train costs just £4
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