Seaside & Holiday Island Narrow Gauge

[ColinK]

Hythe Pier Tramway.

[Northroader]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Well, I've been to that one too, and it is a very nice sea-sidey walk, so its allowed.

 

(Note the rigorous logic applied to that judgement)

 

Nearby, there are some old fishing boats, sawn in half, stood on end, and made into sheds, which would be an ideal feature on a layout.

 

Or just have a roof on top?

[Pacific231G]

On 14/02/2021 at 22:12, Nearholmer said:

Also, must mention this excellent magazine. https://fr.1001mags.com/magazine/voie-libre

 

France is, as I keep saying, the real home of proper beach NG, rather than miniature, railways, and quite a few people build models inspired by them. Edition 82 was almost entirely devoted to the Cap Ferret line, models and prototype, for instance.

 

 

The Cap Ferret tramways (there have been several) are fascinating as is the rather bittersweet story of Jacques Milet, an enthusiast who, saddened by the almost total final massacre of France's narrow gauge local light railways*, decided to go one better than just visiting them before they closed and established a new one where a horse tramway had once run.

 

It takes visitors from a landing stage, where boats still arrive from Arcachon on the inland side of the peninsula,  for a mile or so across the peninsula to the excellent Atlantic  beaches.

TFCF no 2 at the 'Bassin' terminus  at the foot of the landing stage

The same train leaving the "Ocean" terminus in the dunes above the Atlantic beaches

The earlier terminus on the beach in the 1960s

In earlier days the line ran right across the dunes and onto the top of the beach but winter storms meant practically rebuilding it at the start of each season so the current terminus is in the dunes overlooking the beach 

Return train to Bassin waiting for departure at Ocean terminus

TCFC no.2 running around at Ocean terminus (next to decaying Atlantic  Wall blockhouses)

Milet opened his railway on July 13th 1952. This was about a year before the Tallylyn preservation got under way and Milet devoted his life to his dream.  Sadly, a legal fight with a local landowner and near bancruptcy took its toll on him but when he retired the local council took over the railway and it still serves its genuine transport function. In high summer it can take hours to get to Cap Ferret by road so getting there by boat and 'le p'tit train' is an attractive alternative.   

The Tramway Forestier de Cap Ferret also has the distinction of being the only loco hauled roadside tramway in public service in France and, because the area was just starting to be developed when it was built must be the only roadside tramway to have arrived before the roads  it now runs alongside.

 

I should have the Voie Libre edition somewhere but can't lay hands on it just now. AFAIR it focussed almost entirely on Milet's TCFC. This is just the latest of no less than five  600mm and 800mm gauge tramways, three of them horse drawn, that have served the Cap since 1879, but in April and May 2016 (#609, #610) RMF ran a two part article on all the tramways of Cap Ferret.

How the RMF articles compared with Voie Libre's I wouldn't like to say as it was me who wrote them. That was a couple of years before V-L's article came out but, annoyingly, RMF published mine a few months after V-L did theirs. They were quite different though as I'd done quite a lot of research on the earlier tramways.

Apart from the 1960s postcard all these photos were taken by me during my second visit to the line in 2011 and are my copyright (two of them have never been published before)  

 

* light local narrow gauge railways because there was a distinction between the standard, metre and narrower gauge "d'Interet Local" lines that came under the legal jurisdiction of local authorites and the metre gauge lines "d'Interet General" considered  part of the national network. Among these were the Reseau Breton, Vivarais and others including all of the handful  of metre gauge railways (urban tramways apart) such as those in Corsica and Provence and a few others  still open in public service.  Though narrow gauge these were noticeably "heavier" than a typical local "light railway" .

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Pacific231G
grammar

[whart57]

If you are a king, then that opens up a lot of possibilities. In 1917 King Rama VI of Siam built himself a palace by the beach of Hat Chao Samran, near Petchaburi. To get himself, his guests and their retinues to it he ordered a light railway built. This was opened in 1921.

 

Unfortunately Rama VI was a bit cash strapped and the line was poorly built and the rolling stock second hand. It turned out to be very rough riding, the track required a lot of maintenance and frequently the one engine was out of service so the king often rode in a carriage pushed by human servants.

 

Rama VI had built his palace so he had somewhere quiet to go to escape the bustle of Bangkok and the duties of the monarchy. Unfortunately the combination of the royal presence, a large number of staff to service the royal presence plus a convenient route to get there attracted every entrepreneurial Thai from miles around. It got pretty busy around the palace.

 

Rama VI abandoned the palace and railway in 1923 and he died in 1925.

 

Hat Chao Samran went on to become a popular beach resort for Thais though and I believe the palace was visited by Michael Portillo in his rail trip around SE Asia.

[Nearholmer]

I regard CF and St Trojan as the seaside railways and I'd really like to see those RMF articles - will try to get copies of those editions. Oddly, I almost like the "town" ends of the lines more that the truly beach parts, because they have a very laid-back holiday atmosphere.

 

In a similar vein, can I propose Tramways de la Baule, which had some rather insane vertical boilered locos, the nearest parallel to which in Britain would be the Alford and Sutton Tramway. I think the loco in this photo is an ordinary Decauville though https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Les_Tramways_de_La_Baule._La_Baule_-_Le_Pouliguen_(ca_1908,_Collection_AMTUIR)_(cropped).jpg

 

The various tramways at/near Royan would be competitors too, and the coastal end of the Calvados, although that was a bit too big and serious to count.

[Pacific231G]

2 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

I regard CF and St Trojan as the seaside railways and I'd really like to see those RMF articles - will try to get copies of those editions. Oddly, I almost like the "town" ends of the lines more that the truly beach parts, because they have a very laid-back holiday atmosphere.

 

In a similar vein, can I propose Tramways de la Baule, which had some rather insane vertical boilered locos, the nearest parallel to which in Britain would be the Alford and Sutton Tramway. I think the loco in this photo is an ordinary Decauville though https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Les_Tramways_de_La_Baule._La_Baule_-_Le_Pouliguen_(ca_1908,_Collection_AMTUIR)_(cropped).jpg

 

The various tramways at/near Royan would be competitors too, and the coastal end of the Calvados, although that was a bit too big and serious to count.

Let me know if you can't as I can at least send you my text (in English!) and a few more images.

[Tim Hall]

A few little films I've made of some of the railways mentioned:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends of mine own and operate a 1/12 scale model railway, Borth Aberdovey & Ynyslas Railway, which was exhibited a few times in late 2019, and hopefully again later this year. It's very 15 inch Fairbourneque, though set a touch further south. They do have a Facebook page, if anyone is interested. Some of my snaps here:

 

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by Tim Hall

[Nearholmer]

That layout looks immensely entertaining!

[Tim Hall]

10 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

That layout looks immensely entertaining!

It is! 

 

They are very talented modellers, and I get to play with it occasionally! I don't seem to be able to embed any video clips from their Facebook page onto here, unfortunately.

 

 

Forgot about this railway, which fits into this category, also another Fairbourne one:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by Tim Hall

[Irish Padre]

That Rhyl video is lovely - that ‘Railway Queen’ sequence captures much of the magic that surrounds those early miniature lines. 

[BernardTPM]

Rhyl is my local line. A few pictures I took back in 2014:

 

 

 

Some of the coaches are historic too:

 

[Metropolitan H]

I'm a little surprised that there hasn't been much - if any - mention of the "Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway", which is high on my list of destinations for a couple of nights away - when we can again! Sorry I don't have any pictures of the CCLR, but I do have pictures of a couple of my favourite 15" gauge locos that ran at Faibourne, before both spending time at Cleethorpes and now running in West Yorkshire.

 

 

 

Then in the same year (2018) there was a day trip to the RHDR which seems to be being studiously ignored by this topic.

 

 

The following year (2019) a very good day was had at the North Bay Railway - when our party was invited into the depot, so a couple more pictures are in order.

 

 

 

Finally - for tonight - I'll close with another form of motive power from the RHDR. The gentleman concerned is now a few years more senior and drives a Rover!

 

It is now time for bed and dreams of interesting trains large and small!

 

Cheers

Chris H

Edited February 16, 2021 by Metropolitan H

[Tim Hall]

6 hours ago, Metropolitan H said:

I'm a little surprised that there hasn't been much - if any - mention of the "Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway", which is high on my list of destinations for a couple of nights away - when we can again! Sorry I don't have any pictures of the CCLR, but I do have pictures of a couple of my favourite 15" gauge locos that ran at Faibourne, before both spending time at Cleethorpes and now running in West Yorkshire.

 

 

 

Then in the same year (2018) there was a day trip to the RHDR which seems to be being studiously ignored by this topic.

 

 

The following year (2019) a very good day was had at the North Bay Railway - when our party was invited into the depot, so a couple more pictures are in order.

 

 

 

Finally - for tonight - I'll close with another form of motive power from the RHDR. The gentleman concerned is now a few years more senior and drives a Rover!

 

It is now time for bed and dreams of interesting trains large and small!

 

Cheers

Chris H

Oh, yes Cleethorpes. It was only running part of its normal route due to problems with a level crossing: 

 

 

 

I've had a go on that bike, it visited Perrygrove with Redgauntlet for a Gala in 2013, whilst I was a volunteer there. Got cramp later, and hadn't even left station limits with it:

 

 

 

 

Some close up Katie action, from about 2mins38:  

 

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Tim Hall
Added a bit.

[rockershovel]

On 14/02/2021 at 20:09, stewartingram said:

I believe that loco (or the remains of it) still exist somewhere?

 

Stewart

 

That loco really is in a class of its own..

 

how about the R&ER, or the Tal-y-Lyn, which are surely holiday lines with one end at the coast? 

 

I’d propose that SG lines were eligible, under the “light railway” category, which opens the door to the North Norfolk Railway. 

 

Following that logic, NYMR’s steam services to Whitby? 

 

About as far from the sea as you can get, Peterborough’s 10 1/4” gauge Ferry Meadows Railway has been much rebuilt, and now has a quite splendid DHR 0-4-0ST with its own train. It does run beside various lakes, which must count for something...

Edited February 16, 2021 by rockershovel

[rockershovel]

I seem to recall that somewhere N of the Humber, there is a man-hauled shingle railway using temporary track, possibly associated with HM Prison Service? Sounds a thoroughly miserable affair. Can’t locate it online, which I suppose isn’t surprising. 

[Nearholmer]

North Sea Lane Camp, I think it was called, and it had locos, Listers, latterly. I have a feeling that the ‘convict railway’ closed, but a tiny bit was preserved.

 

Here we are, no ‘Lane’ in the title https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/52/Sea_Camp.htm

Edited February 16, 2021 by Nearholmer

[phil_sutters]

I can't immediately locate the Hythe Pier Railway post above, but there are a number of photos of it here - http://www.ipernity.com/doc/berny/47957824

[Hando]

2 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

North Sea Lane Camp, I think it was called, and it had locos, Listers, latterly. I have a feeling that the ‘convict railway’ closed, but a tiny bit was preserved.

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/52/Sea_Camp.htm

[phil_sutters]

6 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

North Sea Lane Camp, I think it was called, and it had locos, Listers, latterly. I have a feeling that the ‘convict railway’ closed, but a tiny bit was preserved.

Not relevant to the thread, but relevant to this post, there is an excellent collection of photos around the restoration of a convict van from the Peterhead Quarry standard gauge railway. It did end at the sea but was not for fun and frolics on the beach!  http://www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/album/959146 

[009 micro modeller]

41 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

North Sea Lane Camp, I think it was called, and it had locos, Listers, latterly. I have a feeling that the ‘convict railway’ closed, but a tiny bit was preserved.

 

Here we are, no ‘Lane’ in the title https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/52/Sea_Camp.htm

 

Is the ‘Lane’ bit from confusion with the similarly-named Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway station?

 

 I read about the North Sea Camp prison line in a ‘bookazine’ called Britain’s Weirdest Railways. This was much more recent than the IRS article so had some information about what happened to the equipment. One of the locos was plinthed at the site initially although I can’t remember if it’s still there. There were plans to revive the line as a tourist railway, with the maintenance of the equipment providing an educational/rehabilitation activity for prisoners. Some coaches were built on former wagon chassis for this but much of the equipment was eventually sold off (although possibly not all) and the coaches were sold very cheaply to the North Ings Farm Museum railway. However, they may have become redundant there now following the arrival of the ex-Abbey Light Railway coaches.

[Nearholmer]

20 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

Is the ‘Lane’ bit from confusion with the similarly-named Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway station?

That, and the fact that my perception of any holiday on the east coast is that it’s a form of punishment.

[Irish Padre]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

That, and the fact that my perception of any holiday on the east coast is that it’s a form of punishment.

My time at the RAF College Cranwell didn’t do much for my impressions of Lincolnshire as a county associated with leisure.

 

Anyone mentioned Holyhead Breakwater Railway yet ? https://www.2d53.co.uk/holyhead/Breakwater.htm

Edited February 16, 2021 by Irish Padre

[rockershovel]

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

North Sea Lane Camp, I think it was called, and it had locos, Listers, latterly. I have a feeling that the ‘convict railway’ closed, but a tiny bit was preserved.

 

Here we are, no ‘Lane’ in the title https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/52/Sea_Camp.htm

 

I shouldn’t think that a preservation attempt on the N Sea foreshore had much of a life expectancy.. or tourist pulling power, come to that. 

[Nearholmer]

7 minutes ago, Irish Padre said:

Anyone mentioned Holyhead Breakwater Railway yet

From Ireland, it may look NG, but from here it looks SG.

[Irish Padre]

Sorry - missed the NG bit. Now you can see why I struggled at Cranwell !