Latest news with #miniature railway
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Basildon miniature railway reopens after six-year absence
A miniature railway line has reopened to the public after being closed for six restored the track at Wat Tyler Country Park in Pitsea, Essex, and the first passengers rode on the carriages on Harrison, 51, who owns the Basildon Miniature Railway company, hopes to run a service every day of the school holiday this summer."When I took it over, it was in a deplorable state, you could hardly see most of the track," explained Mr Harrison, who has spent about £50,000 on the refurbishment. "It was overgrown and there were lots of rotten sleepers - there was quite a lot to do!" Trains began running on the one mile (1.6km) railway in the 1980s, but the line was closed in of hours of work have gone in to refurbishing the track between the main station area and the marina within the extensive work is needed before the northern loop line towards the main entrance can team have two locomotives and several carriages. Mr Harrison, who works in financial services, said being driven to the railway as a child was one of his earliest memories, and he went on to volunteer for the previous owners in 1986."I was originally involved in laying some of the track, and seeing it getting into a state and knowing it had been closed down - I just wanted to get involved in bringing it back to life," he said."I think there's been a lot of keen interest [in the railway]."People who live around here will be very much aware it's been closed for quite some time and there's a level of excitement growing." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- BBC News
Miniature railway installed in Glenfield tunnel
A miniature railway has been installed in a historic tunnel in Leicester, opening it up to passengers for the first time in almost 100 Railway Tunnel was one mile (1.6km) long when it opened in 1832 and was the longest in the was used to transport coal into the city, and, according to the Leicestershire Industrial History Society, passengers last rode through it in new experience offering a trip on the miniature railway will take place at weekends in July and September. When the railway closed in the 1960s, the tunnel was bought by Leicester City Council for £ Leicestershire Industrial History Society now offers guided tours at certain times of the year. Treasurer Roger Caunt came up with the idea of installing a miniature railway said: "We've already got a miniature railway at the Abbey Pumping Station, and the owner of the track there agreed that we could take track to the tunnel at Glenfield, install it, and leave it there for operation."The Leicestershire Industrial History Society hopes to extend the track, currently just shy of 165ft (50m), to about 250ft (76m).Mr Caunt said: "We want to give the passengers a proper experience of rattling along at a slow speed, which would have been the speed in the early days of the tunnel.""Those trains were not very fast at all, and going through the tunnel would have been a bit arduous for the driver."We understand that they had to, in some cases, have wet rags over their faces, because a mile long of smoke and steam is a lot to inhale."Tickets for the miniature railway experience are free, but visitors are asked to make a donation.
