Seaside & Holiday Island Narrow Gauge

[Pacific231G]

On 15/02/2021 at 20:07, 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.

La Baule was a real curiosity, opening in 1897 with a single Decauville loco with one other quickly added (the vertical boilered loco?) . It closed to be replaced by buses in 1903 but they proved unsatisfactory so the next year 3km of it was partially rebuilt (or possibly new track was on part of the original  route)  to operate a 'navette' (shuttle service) along the beach. That was equiped with Decauville "automotrices" - petrol railcars capable of hauling a trailer or possibly two but themselves so unreliable that for a time they were pulled by horses and eventally some "small" Decauville steam locos were used until the whole unprofitable enterprise was suspended in 1914.

It's described with half a dozen more photos here.

https://amtuir.org/03_htu_cp/03_reseau_france_cp/la_baule_cp/texte_cp_la_baule.htm

Arrivetz lists it as a "Decauville" railway and his company were very active in promoting 60cm railways including:  the Tramways de Pithiviers a Toury that, much extended using WW1 surplus material to serve the local sugar beet industry,  survived until the 1960s;  the most extensive of the French 60cm railways the 223km long network of  CdeF du Calalvados; the Royan coastal tramway  and others.

 

The CFC's coastal line in Calvados is interesting because part of it, from Corseuilles to Luc-sur-Mer  was shared, using a third rail, with the Standard Gauge d'Intêret Local  CdeF du Caen a la Mer whose double deck carriages once conveyed thousands of trippers from Caen to the beaches. The only line of the CFC not to be closed before WW2, from Luc to Caen, can be seen in film of the British D Day landings running between a wall and a road full of Sherman tanks, . That day the early morning train to Caen was ready with steam up but never ran again. Part of the track was dismantled by the  Royal Engineers in order to widen the road as a tank park but, had the landings taken place elsewhere, it probably would have closed  immediately after the war in any case.

 

Decauville was incredibly successful at promoting his railways for industrial use but far less so at actually managing public  railways which tended to have to be taken over by the local authorities. There were also a number of short 60cm railways along the north coast of France often connecting resorts or even individual hotels  to the nearest railhead (which might itself be a local metre gauge railway or tramway) These included the line to Fort Mahon (Somme), and a gaggle to the east of St.Malo in Brittany. 

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Pacific231G
grammar

[009 micro modeller]

Never been to this one but researched for a diorama a few years ago. I think it’s still open.

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Has anyone got photos of the line at Katwijk in the Netherlands, when it was still out in the dunes? It was a sort of ‘Leighton Buzzard on sea’, and in its new form the resemblance is still very close.

 

It was relocated to run around a lake some years ago, and I can’t find old photos.

[009 micro modeller]

7 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Has anyone got photos of the line at Katwijk in the Netherlands, when it was still out in the dunes? It was a sort of ‘Leighton Buzzard on sea’, and in its new form the resemblance is still very close.

 

It was relocated to run around a lake some years ago, and I can’t find old photos.

 

Is this of any interest?

 

 

Slightly off-topic, does anyone know if the model railway show at Valkenburg is still going (Covid excepted obviously)?

[Metropolitan H]

8 hours ago, Tim Hall said:

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:  

 

 

Tim,

 

Many thanks for the response, particularly the picture of the "Rail - Bike" - I will separately draw the original owner(?)'s attention to that picture. he may wish to respond further.

 

I did enjoy the videos as well.

 

Regards

Chris H

[Ben B]

Fantastic thread, this- I've been struggling for inspiration for a layout for the 7/8ths model railway competition being run through Facebook.  Nearly at the deadline, and the part built model I've made stalled and I've fallen out of love with it.  A seaside railway will allow me to re-use a lot of the bits I've gathered for it, so it's been great browsing the different lines on here to look for features to incorporate!

[Tim Hall]

1 hour ago, Metropolitan H said:

Tim,

 

Many thanks for the response, particularly the picture of the "Rail - Bike" - I will separately draw the original owner(?)'s attention to that picture. he may wish to respond further.

 

I did enjoy the videos as well.

 

Regards

Chris H

Evesham have one as well, but I can't find my snap of it.

[Nearholmer]

I like the sunshade overall roof on the station of this one 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comboio_da_Praia_do_Barril

[009 micro modeller]

19 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

I like the sunshade overall roof on the station of this one 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comboio_da_Praia_do_Barril

 

That one is also an island railway: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tavira_Island

[Northroader]

7 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

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

On a technicality, the original Holyhead breakwater Railway was broad gauge, I e 7’, I think for crane stability. It seems a popular choice, Cape Town being similar. The one depicted was a more recent standard gauge job to shift more stone from the quarry.

 

Talking broad gauge at.the seaside, wasn’t there something like a 10’ gauge “daddy long legs” at Brighton and St.Malo?

 

Still, I think everyone is having too much fun with the narrow gauge seaside to worry about that. However, may I put in a plea for the Alderney Railway? OK it’s standard gauge, but the very ethos of enjoying a trip at the seaside is very much in its being, it has a back to basics feel which could well disappear if it was on the mainland, and I’m all in favour of operating a railway with whatever you can lay your hands on, just to scratch an itch.

 

https://www.alderneyrailway.gg

[Metropolitan H]

On 14/02/2021 at 15:54, Nearholmer said:

Although miniature, as opposed to NG, railways are not really "my thing", this one deserves a mention, because its gauge was so large, at 18". It had a pretty big (one third or half full-size?) Sentinel 4W VBTG, but I can't find a picture of that on the internet. 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/19607960541

 

Kevin,

 

What you need to read is Lawson Little's "A Single to the Seashore: The Jaywick Miniature Railway" - NGRS - The Narrow Gauge No. 186 - which includes a section on the Sentinel (which wasn't - although it was based on The Sentinel designs) including its after life at New Brighton with rebuilt body works.

 

As I still have my copy of the book, I'll drop it through your letterbox next week - with some other bits.

 

Regards

Chris H

 

P.S. searching Google for "Jawick Miniature Railway" threw up at least two different views of the sentinel - both post-card images.

Edited February 16, 2021 by Metropolitan H

[Nearholmer]

For some reason, Northroader's post put me in mind of some shore fortress railways, 18" gauge I think, in Ireland.

 

For instance: https://www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/35879300150

 

I've been to one of these forts, not the one in the photo, and I'm blowed if I can remember where it was, somewhere near Kinsale, I think, and that had tiny bits of 18" track left.

 

There was a big debate in the NGRS about whether or not one/some of these fortress railways ever used locomotives.

 

In terms of date of re-equipment, they were related to the forts around Chatham, which formed a defence against attack from the landward side, and those forts were linked by an extensive 18" gauge railway (which wasn't at the seaside).

Edited February 16, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Irish Padre]

Yes. One of the famous ‘Treaty Ports’ - tiny enclaves of U.K. garrisons left inside the Irish Free State after 1922, and handed over with classical British timing in 1938, just before they were really needed! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_Ports_(Ireland)
 I doubt that locos were used. 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Irish Padre

[009 micro modeller]

29 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Talking broad gauge at.the seaside, wasn’t there something like a 10’ gauge “daddy long legs” at Brighton

 

But it was also simultaneously narrow gauge (two parallel tracks constructed to the 2’ 8 1/2” gauge used by the VER).

[Tim Hall]

4 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

But it was also simultaneously narrow gauge (two parallel tracks constructed to the 2’ 8 1/2” gauge used by the VER).

VER film, I'd forgotten about:

 

 

[papagolfjuliet]

A few more of the CCLR, mostly taken in the museum which I think is now closed. 'Sutton Belle', 'Sutton Flyer', 'Mighty Atom' and a few others.

[Tim Hall]

55 minutes ago, papagolfjuliet said:

A few more of the CCLR, mostly taken in the museum which I think is now closed. 'Sutton Belle', 'Sutton Flyer', 'Mighty Atom' and a few others.

Yes, the museum appeared very closed and all signage removed when I visited in August 19.

[009 micro modeller]

14 minutes ago, Tim Hall said:

Yes, the museum appeared very closed and all signage removed when I visited in August 19.

 

That’s odd. I didn’t think it had been open that long.

[Tim Hall]

6 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

That’s odd. I didn’t think it had been open that long.

I seem to remember a falling out was involved.....

[Northroader]

3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

For some reason, Northroader's post put me in mind of some shore fortress railways, 18" gauge I think, in Ireland.

 

For instance: https://www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/35879300150

 

I've been to one of these forts, not the one in the photo, and I'm blowed if I can remember where it was, somewhere near Kinsale, I think, and that had tiny bits of 18" track left.

 

There was a big debate in the NGRS about whether or not one/some of these fortress railways ever used locomotives.

 

In terms of date of re-equipment, they were related to the forts around Chatham, which formed a defence against attack from the landward side, and those forts were linked by an extensive 18" gauge railway (which wasn't at the seaside).

 

Hurst Castle, at the west end of the Solent, was an old HenryVIII castle, done up in the Palmerston era, and there’s still bits of a narrow gauge railway, laid to move the ammunition around, to be found there. you’ll see it running through the middle of this picture, where the folks are.

whoops, sorry, copyright.

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Northroader

[rockershovel]

Since no one appears to have mentioned it, the Campbeltown and Macrihanish. 6 miles of 2’3” gauge serving the local colliery with a profitable trade in steamer excursions and golfers. 

[009 micro modeller]

2 hours ago, Northroader said:

 

Hurst Castle, at the west end of the Solent, was an old HenryVIII castle, done up in the Palmerston era, and there’s still bits of a narrow gauge railway, laid to move the ammunition around, to be found there. you’ll see it running through the middle of this picture, where the folks are.

whoops, sorry, copyright.

 

 

See this thread: 

The thread also has some photos of my layout, loosely based on Hurst Castle and one of the first layouts I ever built.

 

 

[burgundy]

On 14/02/2021 at 10:35, Gareth Collier said:

Hastings Miniature Railway still going strong along the seafront until Covid called a temporary halt. Not to be confused with the other Hastings Miniature Railway in Alexander Park in Hastings!

Very many years since I rode on that line. Initially it ran eastwards from a station by a car park (there were a lot of them in Hastings at that time, many being a legacy of the Luftwaffe). Later the line was extended around the boating lake to the west.  The regular loco was a 0-6-0, painted in Improved Engine Green, and, in outline, rather like a Brighton C2. There was also a Hall(?) which made less frequent appearances. I vaguely remember that there was a third loco but cannot remember what it was. 

Best wishes 

Eric 

 

[melmerby]

On 13/02/2021 at 13:32, Paul H Vigor said:

Pentewan Railway, 2' 6" gauge, china clay, Cornwall - linked St. Austell to the coastal port of Pentewan.

Pentewan Dock & Concrete Co. also 2' 6" railway actually in the beach.

Each day after a high tide the little diesel (?) loco and & RB tracked digger would start digging out the sand & gravel covered tracks and carting it away in trucks.

the train would often derail whilst working the tracks with the digger lifting it back onto the rails.

 

EDIT

Some of the buildings, used by both railways at different times still exist.

Pentewan harbour entrance is totally silted up now.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by melmerby

[Marshall5]

37 minutes ago, burgundy said:

Very many years since I rode on that line. Initially it ran eastwards from a station by a car park (there were a lot of them in Hastings at that time, many being a legacy of the Luftwaffe). Later the line was extended around the boating lake to the west.  The regular loco was a 0-6-0, painted in Improved Engine Green, and, in outline, rather like a Brighton C2. There was also a Hall(?) which made less frequent appearances. I vaguely remember that there was a third loco but cannot remember what it was. 

Best wishes 

Eric 

 

The GW loco was a Saint class (actually a Court IIRC) and the other was a parallel boilered Royal Scot in maroon but with a BR crest.  The 0-6-0 was originally a pannier.  I've recently scanned some slides of the line, taken in the early 70's, but they weren't good enough to post here.

Ray.