Ridable miniature railway

Ridable miniature railway
Locomotive from the Chemin de fer Touristique d'Anse, France
Zooline Railroad's C.P. Huntington train.
St. Louis Zoo
Miniature railway ride at West Ryde (Sydney), Australia in 2007

A ridable miniature railway (USA: 'riding railroad' or 'grand scale railroad') is a ground-level, large scale model railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are models of full-sized railway locomotives (powered by diesel or petrol engines, live steam engines or electric motors).

Contents

Overview

Typically they have a rail track gauge between 5 in (127 mm) and 18 in (457 mm), though both larger and smaller gauges are used.

These large model railroads are most often seen in urban parks or in commercial settings, such as amusement park rides.

The major distinction between a miniature railway and a narrow gauge railway is that miniature lines use models of full-sized prototypes. There are miniature railways that run on gauges as wide as 2 ft  (610 mm), for example the Wicksteed Park Railway. There are also narrow gauge railways running on extremely narrow track as small as 15 in (381 mm) gauge or less, for example the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway, Perrygrove Railway and the Eaton Hall Railway: these are known as minimum gauge railways.

Typically in the UK miniature lines are operated as public heritage railways, though many private lines also exist, especially in the USA.

At gauges of 5 in (127 mm) and less, the track is commonly raised above ground level. Flat cars are arranged with foot boards so that driver and passengers sit astride the track. The track is often multi-gauged, to accommodate 5 in (127 mm), 3 12 in (89 mm), and sometimes 2 12 in (63.5 mm) gauge locomotives.

In Australia, most 5 inch gauge tracks are at ground level.

Australian societies are generally members of the Australian Association of Live Steamers, Ltd, which arranges Codes of Practice for Operations, Standards and Training, for the operation of miniature railways below 8 inch gauge through their subcommittee the Australian Live Steamers Safety Committee (ALSSC), and Boiler codes for the operation of miniature steam boilers through the Australian Miniature Boiler Safety Committee (AMBSC).

UK Miniature Railways

21 in (530 mm) gauge

  • Pleasure Beach Express, Blackpool, Lancashire

20 in (508 mm) gauge

18 in (457 mm) gauge

15 in (381 mm) gauge

Bure Valley Railway
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

12 14 in (311 mm) gauge

12 in (305 mm) gauge

10 12 in (267 mm) gauge

10 14 in (260 mm) gauge

Wells and Walsingham Light Railway
  • Audley End Railway, Audley End, Saffron Walden, Essex [11]
  • Berkeley Light Railway, Gloucestershire [12]
  • Bickington Steam Railway, Trago Mills, Liverton, Newton Abbot, Devon [13]
  • Birchley Miniature Railway [14]
  • Brechin Castle Centre Railway, Haughmuir, Brechin
  • Bressingham Gardens, Norfolk
  • Brooklands Pleasure Park, Worthing, Sussex
  • Chichester & District Society of Model Engineers, Chichester, Sussex
  • Drayton Manor Park and Zoo, Staffordshire
  • Eastleigh Lakeside Railway, Hampshire [15]
  • Egerton Park Sportsground, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
  • Exmouth Express, Exmouth, Devon
  • Ferry Meadows Miniature Railway, Nene Park, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
  • Happy Mount Park, Bare, Morecombe, Lancashire
  • Hastings Miniature Railway, Hastings, Sussex
  • Isle of Mull Railway, Mull, Scotland
  • Kerr's Miniature Railway, West Links Park, Arbroath
  • Kirkby Green Light Railway, Sleaford, Lincolnshire (private with open days)
  • Knebworth Park Miniature Railway, Hertfordshire
  • The Rio Grande Miniature Railway [16] Selby Road, Garforth, Leeds
  • Manor Railway, Ingfield Manor, Billingshurst, Sussex
  • Mortocombe Railway, Chilton, Oxfordshire [17]
  • Newby Hall Miniature Railway North Yorkshire
  • Paignton Environmental Park, Paignton, Devon
  • Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
  • Pettit's Animal Adventure Park, Reedham, Norfolk
  • Poole Park Miniature Railway, Poole, Dorset
  • Queens Park, Chesterfield, Derbyshire
  • Radwell Manor Railway, Radwell, Bedfordshire (closed)
  • Royal Victoria Railway, Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley, Southampton, Hampshire [18]
  • Rudyard Lake Steam Railway, Rudyard, near Leek, Staffordshire
  • Smokey Oak Railway, Woodland Park, Brokerswood, Westbury, Wiltshire
Stapleford Miniature Railway Leics
  • Stapleford Miniature Railway, Stapleford Park, Leicestershire Private but opens mid June and Aug BH each year see [19]
  • South Downs Light Railway, Pulborough, Sussex
  • St. Anne's Miniature Railway, St. Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire
  • Sutton Hall Railway, Rochford, Essex [20]
  • Vanstone Woodland Railway, Vanstone Park Garden Centre, Codicote, Hertfordshire.[21]
  • Watford Miniature Railway, Cassiobury Park, Watford, Hertfordshire
  • Wells and Walsingham Light Railway, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
  • Wells Harbour Railway, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk [22]
  • Weymouth Bay Miniature Railway, Lodmoor, Weymouth, Dorset

9 12 in (241 mm) gauge

  • Downs Light Railway, Colwall, Near Malvern, Worcestershire
  • Clevedon Fields Miniature Railway, Salthouse Fields, Somerset
  • Hall Leys Park, Matlock, Derbyshire
  • Lakeshore Railroad, South Marine Park, South Shields, Tyne & Wear
  • Barking Park Miniature Railway, Barking, Essex (Now Closed).
    Being relaid in 7 14 in (184 mm) gauge, re-opening Easter 2009.[23]
  • Danson Park, Bexleyheath, Kent 1942 (Temporary line for Holidays at Home Exhibition)
  • Danson Park, Bexleyheath, Kent 1949 to 1962 [24]
  • Sidcup Miniature Railway, Sidcup, Kent, 1945 to 1951
  • East Ham Miniature Railway, East Ham, London, 1945 to 1949

9 in (229 mm) gauge

Faversham Miniature Railway in 2007
  • Faversham Miniature Railway at Brogdale Farm, Near Faversham, Kent
  • Torry Hill Park (private miniature railway), Near Frinsted, Kent

8 14 in (210 mm)

  • Brambridge Park Garden Centre, Eastleigh, Hampshire

7 14 in (184 mm)

5 in (127 mm)

Miniature railway on Lindenhof hill in Zürich (Switzerland)
  • Crowborough Miniature Railway [51]
  • Cutteslowe Park Miniature Railway (raised & ground level), Oxfordshire, Oxford [28]
  • Hove Park Railway[52]
  • Leyland Society of Model Engineers, Lancashire [38]
  • Strawberry Line - part of Avon Valley Country Park
  • Maidstone Model Engineering Society, Mote Park, Maidstone [53]
  • Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd [40]
  • Spenborough Model & Experimental Engineers Ltd, Cleckheaton West Yorkshire BD195LL [46]
  • Tonbridge Model Engineering Society [54]
  • Bentley Miniature Railway [26]
  • Crowborough Miniature Railway [51]
  • Guildford Model Engineering Society [36]
  • Coventry Model Engineering Society (Running "Ryton Pool Miniature Railway", also 3 12 in (89 mm) gauge)
  • GEC Model Engineering Society (Running "GEC Miniature Railway", also 3 12 in (89 mm) & 7 14 in (184 mm) gauges)
  • North London Society of Model Engineers (NLSME) [43]
  • Thames Ditton Miniature Railway[40]

3 12 in (89 mm) gauge

  • Cutteslowe Park Miniature Railway, Oxfordshire, Oxford [28]
  • Leyland Society of Model Engineers, Lancashire [38]
  • Maidstone Model Engineering Society, Mote Park, Maidstone [53]
  • Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd [40]
  • Spenborough Model & Experimental Engineers Ltd, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD195LL[46]
  • Tonbridge Model Engineering Society [54]
  • Crowborough Miniature Railway [51]
  • North London Society of Model Engineers (NLSME) [43]
  • Thames Ditton Miniature Railway[40]

Miniature railways - rest of the world

18 in (457 mm) gauge

  • Aotea Railway, Aotea Lagoon, Porirua, New Zealand
  • Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, Los Gatos, California, USA [55]
  • Collegeville and Southern Railway, USA [56]
  • Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad, USA [57]
  • National Railway Museum, Adelaide SA (also operate the Semaphore & Fort Glanville Tourist railway) [58]
  • Venice Miniature Railway, Venice Beach, Venice, California, (1943–1968),[59]

15 in (381 mm) gauge (USA)

Glenwood, South Park & Pacific engine #13

15 in (381 mm) gauge (Rest of the World)

One of the Chemin de fer Touristique d'Anse's train in France

12 in (305 mm) gauge

  • C&H Railroad, USA [68]
  • Folsom Valley Railway, Folsom, California USA [69]
  • Poco Loco Railroad, LaPorte, Indiana, USA
  • Wabash Frisco & Pacific Railway, Missouri, USA [70]
  • Zilker Zephyr, Zilker Park, Austin, Texas USA

7 12 in (190.5 mm) gauge (USA)

  • Los Angeles Live Steamers (190.5 mm/7 12 in)
  • Golden Gate Live Steamers, (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [71]
  • Hesston Steam Museum (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [72]
  • Sacramento Valley Live Steamers, (108 mm/4 14 in) and (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [73]
  • Train Mountain, Chiloquin, Oregon, USA (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [74]
  • Sagebrush Short Line Railroad, Ridgecrest CA (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [75]
  • Riverside Live Steamers, Riverside, California (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [76]
  • Great Lakes Live Steamers, Royal Oak and Southgate, Michigan. (190.5 mm/7 12 in ? ) [77]
  • Triad Live Steamers, Farmington and Harrisburg, NC. (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [78]
  • Railroad Museum of South Florida Train Village, USA (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [79]
  • Orange County Model Engineers, USA [80]
  • Willow Creek Railroad, Oregon, United States (190.5 mm/7 12 in ?) [81]
  • Shady Dell Pacific, Pacific Northwest Live Steamers, Molalla, Oregon (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [82]
  • Illinois Live Steamers, Chicago, Illinois (190.5 mm/7 12 in) [83]

7 12 in (190.5 mm) gauge (Rest of the World)

7 14 in (184 mm) gauge

  • Altona Miniature Railway, Victoria, Australia (127 mm/5 in and 184 mm/7 14 in) [85]
  • Many Model Engineering Societies in New Zealand, including
    • Kapiti Miniature Railway & Associates, Raumati Marine Gardens, Raumati Beach, New Zealand (5 in/127 mm and 7 14 in/184 mm) dual gauge)
    • Keirunga Park Railway, Havelock North, New Zealand.[86]
    • Canterbury Society of Model and Experimental Engineers, Christchurch, host of 2006 CANMOD International Convention
  • Diamond Valley Miniature Railway, Eltham Victoria, Australia (184 mm/7 14 in) [87]
  • Finnish Railway Museum, Hyvinkää, Finland
  • MVRail, Morphett Vale Railway, Morphett vale, Weatsheaf Rd, South Australia, www.mvrail.org.au
  • Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway, Toronto, Canada
  • S.A.S.M.E.E. Park, Adelaide, Australia [88]
  • Willans Hill Miniature Railway, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia.[89]
  • Lankelz Railway in Esch-sur-Alzette, south-eastern Luxembourg.[90]
  • Stoomgroep West Zuiderpark, The Hague, The Netherlands. - A sizeable network in "Zuiderpark", a big city park [91]
  • Swiss Vapeur Parc, Le Bouveret, Switzerland (dual gauge: 7 14 in/184 mm and 5 in/127 mm) [92]

5 in (127 mm) gauge

  • Hawkes Bay Model Engineering Society, Anderson Park,Napier, New Zealand - 3 12 in (89 mm) and 5 in (127 mm)
  • Northern Districts Model Engineering Society, Balcatta, Western Australia, Australia - 2 12 in (63.5 mm), 3 12 in (89 mm), 5 in (127 mm) and 7 14 in (184 mm)
  • S.A.S.M.E.E. Park, Adelaide, Australia [88]
  • Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society, West Ryde, New South Wales, Australia (127 mm/5 in and 89 mm/3 12 in and 63.5 mm/2 12 in) [93]
  • Willans Hill Miniature Railway, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia.[89]
  • Stoomgroep West Zuiderpark, The Hague, The Netherlands. - a 3 12 in (89 mm) and 5 in (127 mm) mixed raised oval.[91]
  • Swiss Vapeur Parc, Le Bouveret, Switzerland (dual gauge: 7 14 in/184 mm and 5 in/127 mm) [94]

Others

See also

Media related to Ridable miniature railways at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ^ Combe Martin Wildlife Park website
  2. ^ website Eaton Hall Railway
  3. ^ Evesham Vale Light Railway website
  4. ^ Kirklees Light Railway website
  5. ^ website Longleat
  6. ^ website Markeaton
  7. ^ Hotham Park Railway website
  8. ^ Littlehampton Miniatur Railway website
  9. ^ Ruislip Lido Railway website
  10. ^ Beale Park website
  11. ^ Audley End Railway website
  12. ^ Berkeley Light Railway website
  13. ^ Bickington Steam Railway website
  14. ^ Birchley Miniature Railway website
  15. ^ Eastleigh Lakeside Railway website
  16. ^ Savilles Garden Centre
  17. ^ a b Mortocombe Railway website
  18. ^ Royal Victoria Railway website
  19. ^ Stapleford Miniature Railway website
  20. ^ Sutton Hall Railway website
  21. ^ Vanstone Woodland Railway website
  22. ^ Wells Harbour Railway website
  23. ^ a b Barking Park Miniature Railway website
  24. ^ a b 1949 to 1962
  25. ^ Bekonscot Light Railway website
  26. ^ a b Bentley Miniature Railway website
  27. ^ a b c "About DMR". Dragon Miniature Railway. http://dragonrailway.webs.com/aboutdmr.htm. Retrieved 21 August 2010. 
  28. ^ a b c City of Oxford Society of Model Engineers (COSME) website
  29. ^ Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway
  30. ^ East Herts Miniature Railway website
  31. ^ Echills Wood Railway website
  32. ^ Fancott Miniature Railway website
  33. ^ Frimley Lodge Miniature Railway website
  34. ^ Great Cockcrow Railway website
  35. ^ [1]
  36. ^ a b Guildford Model Engineering Society
  37. ^ Halton Miniature Railway Society
  38. ^ a b c Leyland Society of Model Engineers website
  39. ^ Little Orchard Railway website
  40. ^ a b c d e f Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd Website
  41. ^ Mizens Railway website
  42. ^ Moors Valley Railway website
  43. ^ a b c NLSME website
  44. ^ Pinewood Miniature Railway
  45. ^ Saltwood Miniature Railway (External website link)
  46. ^ a b c (http://www.spenborough.me.uk/)
  47. ^ (http://home.datacomm.ch/slb/index.html)
  48. ^ Strand Miniature Railway
  49. ^ Weston Miniature Railway website
  50. ^ Weston Park Railway website
  51. ^ a b c Crowborough Miniature Railway website
  52. ^ Hove Park Railway
  53. ^ a b Maidstone Model Engineering Society
  54. ^ a b Tonbridge Model Engineering Society
  55. ^ Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad website
  56. ^ Collegeville and Southern Railway website
  57. ^ Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad website
  58. ^ National Railway Museum website
  59. ^ Venice Miniature Railway
  60. ^ American Heritage Railroad
  61. ^ Glenwood South Park & Pacific Railroad website
  62. ^ Joshua Tree & Southern website
  63. ^ Paradise and Pacific Railroad website
  64. ^ www.redwoodvalleyrailway.com Redwood Valley Railway website
  65. ^ Sonoma Traintown website
  66. ^ Waterman & Western Railroad website
  67. ^ Springbank Express
  68. ^ C&H Railroad website
  69. ^ Folsom Valley Railway website
  70. ^ Wabash Frisco & Pacific Railway website
  71. ^ Golden Gate Live Steamers website
  72. ^ Hesston Steam Museum website
  73. ^ Sacramento Valley Live Steamers website
  74. ^ Train Mountain website
  75. ^ Sagebrush Short Line Railroad website
  76. ^ Riverside Live Steamers website
  77. ^ Great Lakes Live Steamers website
  78. ^ Triad Live Steamers, Farmington and Harrisburg website
  79. ^ Railroad Museum of South Florida Train Village website
  80. ^ Orange County Model Engineers website
  81. ^ Willow Creek Railroad website
  82. ^ Shady Dell Pacific, Pacific Northwest Live Steamers website
  83. ^ Illinois Live Steamers website
  84. ^ Burnaby Central Railway website
  85. ^ Altona Miniature Railway website
  86. ^ Keirunga Park Railway website
  87. ^ Diamond Valley Miniature Railway website
  88. ^ a b SA Society of Model & Experimental Engineers (S.A.S.M.E.E.) unofficial home page, located in S.A.S.M.E.E. Park
  89. ^ a b WAGGA WAGGA Society of Model Engineers, official website. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  90. ^ "Welcome to Esch-sur-Alzette", Luxembourg National Tourist Office. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  91. ^ a b "Club tracks".
  92. ^ Swiss Vapeur Parc
  93. ^ Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society Co-op Ltd website
  94. ^ Swiss Vapeur Parc
  95. ^ Cedar Rock Railroad
  96. ^ Brackenridge Eagle
  97. ^ Círculo Madrileño Ferroviario website
  98. ^ AuSable Valley Railroad website

External links


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