Links - Garden Railways
15 October 2004: Edward Pease heads of round the new reverse loop with an early afternoon passenger train.
This page isn't intended to be a comprehensive listing of every 16mm (or there abouts) railway that I can find on the Internet, and probably never will be. Rather, it's just a few Web sites that I like, either because the site itself is attractive and informative, or because it describes an inspiring railway; and often both!
Please don't be put out if yours isn't listed here! Although there a some sites I know of but just haven't got round to adding, the most likely reason is that I haven't found yours yet. So if you have a Web site for your garden railway, why not drop me a line? Then I can make sure it gets included.
As well as the visiting the railways listed here, you can find others on the 16mm Garden Railways WebRing which has a link on the Home page. There's also quite a comprehensive list on the Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers' Web site.
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Chidham Light Railway - Keith Brown
Location: Hampshire, UK
Scale & gauge: 16mm (1:19) scale, 32mm (2') gauge
Age: Construction began in 2002
Web site: www.chidhamlightrailway.co.uk
An excellent little railway, of which Keith has made a good job of fitting into his small back garden. His Web site's pretty good too; well worth a visit. There are some pictures of my chilly trips to the Chidham Light Railway at Christmas 2003 and 2004 on the HLR's visits page.
Fairvale Light Railway - David Hughes
Location: Hampshire, UK
Scale & gauge: 16mm (1:19) scale, 32mm (2') gauge
Age: Construction began in 2003
Web site: www.freewebs.com/fairvalelightrailway
This railway lives quite close to the HLR in Winchester and “runs a mixture of live steam and battery powered stock. The route was chosen to provide a continuous run and follows the edge of the existing lawn to disrupt the garden as little as possible.”
David is one of the younger members of the 16mm fraternity and as well as enjoying running models in the garden, he also works as a volunteer on the Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line), mainly in the loco shed at Ropley.
The Lower Bryandale Railway - Ian Stock
Location: Essex, UK
Scale & gauge: 16mm (1:19) scale, 32mm (2') gauge
Age: Construction began in 2005
Web site: web.ukonline.co.uk/sandistock
The Lower Bryandale Railway is quite a new railway, but one whose birth pains I've been privileged to witness almost from the beginning - from a distance at least! Ian contacted me a while ago through this Web site, just when he was thinking how best to make a start on a very long, thin strip of land down the side of his home.
Since then, I've watched with interest as track laying has started, the first rolling stock has appeared, and a very nice little station has been made. The railway originally took some inspiration from the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway; I suspect the initials of the Lower Bryandale are no coincidence! But, as Ian says, it's beginning to look more Welsh with every day that passes! The Web site too, is very new, but I have a feeling it's one that's worth keeping an eye on!
Maesffordd and Nant-Gorris Railway - Paul Sherwood
Location: South Norfolk, UK
Scale & gauge: 16mm (1:19) scale, 32mm (2') gauge
Age: Construction began in 2001
Web site: www.maesffordd-railway.co.uk
“Picture the scene, it's a summer afternoon, the air is heavy with the scent of garden flowers and the busy hum of bees. There's a quiet chuffing sound growing louder,... then through a break in the scenery you catch your first glimpse of the little engine shining in the afternoon sun as it pulls it's short rake of trucks towards their destination.”
The M&NGR, based on the Welsh narrow gauge - particularly the Corris Railway - runs a mixture of live steam and battery locomotives with a penchant for Mamods, it seems! Plenty of pictures on the Web site show just how photogenic this railway is, with lots of intriguing little details.
Very Small Garden Railway - John Rogers
(a.k.a. The Pigsty Hill Light Railway)
Location: Bristol, UK
Scale & gauge: 16mm (1:19) scale, 45mm gauge
Web site: http://www.johnrogers.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rails.htm
Although I've never seen it, I feel like I've ‘grown up’ with this railway as I've often referred to John's informative pages over the years.
15 years ago this railway was 2' narrow gauge on 32mm gauge track but having been abandoned
for some years, it has been resurrected as a ‘broad gauge’ line on LGB track. The new line draws its inspiration from the North Borneo Railway.
Initially a Playmobile mechanism was used. Then a Roundhouse ‘Katie’ called Hedgehog was added and eventually departed as, latterly, the emphasis has been on tram engines.
John's site includes his infamous Bleedin' Obvious page of “things so obvious that no-one tells you!”
One of the most recent additions to the railway has been a tram (‘The Orange Box’), suspiciously similar to our Barney. Though I suppose I have to admit that, even if unbeknown to me at the time, John did get there first!