Ridable miniature railway

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Locomotive and train on 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 [edit]

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 [edit]

21 in (530 mm) gauge [edit]

20 in (508 mm) gauge [edit]

18 in (457 mm) gauge [edit]

15 in (381 mm) gauge [edit]

Bure Valley Railway
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

12 14 in (311 mm) gauge [edit]

12 in (305 mm) gauge [edit]

10 14 in (260 mm) gauge [edit]

Wells and Walsingham Light Railway

9 12 in (241 mm) gauge [edit]

9 in (229 mm) gauge [edit]

Faversham Miniature Railway in 2007

8 14 in (210 mm) [edit]

  • Brambridge Park Garden Centre, Eastleigh, Hampshire

7 14 in (184 mm) [edit]

5 in (127 mm) [edit]

Miniature railway on Lindenhof hill in Zürich (Switzerland)
  • Crowborough Miniature Railway[52]
  • Cutteslowe Park Miniature Railway (raised & ground level), Oxfordshire, Oxford[31]
  • Hove Park Railway[53]
  • Leyland Society of Model Engineers, Lancashire[41]
  • Strawberry Line - part of Avon Valley Country Park
  • Maidstone Model Engineering Society, Mote Park, Maidstone[54]
  • Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd[43]
  • Spenborough Model & Experimental Engineers Ltd, Cleckheaton West Yorkshire BD195LL[49]
  • Tonbridge Model Engineering Society[55]
  • Bentley Miniature Railway[29]
  • Crowborough Miniature Railway[52]
  • Guildford Model Engineering Society[39]
  • 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)[46]
  • Thames Ditton Miniature Railway[43]

3 12 in (89 mm) gauge [edit]

  • Cutteslowe Park Miniature Railway, Oxfordshire, Oxford[31]
  • Leyland Society of Model Engineers, Lancashire[41]
  • Maidstone Model Engineering Society, Mote Park, Maidstone[54]
  • Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd[43]
  • Spenborough Model & Experimental Engineers Ltd, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD195LL[49]
  • Tonbridge Model Engineering Society[55]
  • Crowborough Miniature Railway[52]
  • North London Society of Model Engineers (NLSME)[46]
  • Thames Ditton Miniature Railway[43]

Miniature railways - rest of the world [edit]

18 in (457 mm) gauge [edit]

15 in (381 mm) gauge (USA) [edit]

Glenwood, South Park & Pacific engine #13

15 in (381 mm) gauge (Rest of the World) [edit]

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

12 in (305 mm) gauge [edit]

  • C&H Railroad, USA[70]
  • Folsom Valley Railway, Folsom, California USA[71]
  • Poco Loco Railroad, LaPorte, Indiana, USA
  • Wabash Frisco & Pacific Railway, Missouri, USA[72]
  • Zilker Zephyr, Zilker Park, Austin, Texas USA

7 12 in (190.5 mm) gauge (USA) [edit]

  • Los Angeles Live Steamers (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)
  • Golden Gate Live Steamers, (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[73]
  • Hesston Steam Museum (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[74]
  • Sacramento Valley Live Steamers, (108 mm/​4 14 in) and (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[75]
  • Train Mountain Railroad, Chiloquin, Oregon, USA (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[76]
  • Sagebrush Short Line Railroad, Ridgecrest CA (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[77]
  • Riverside Live Steamers, Riverside, California (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[78]
  • Great Lakes Live Steamers, Royal Oak and Southgate, Michigan. (190.5 mm/​7 12 in ? )[79]
  • Triad Live Steamers, Farmington and Harrisburg, NC. (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[80]
  • Railroad Museum of South Florida Train Village, USA (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[81]
  • Orange County Model Engineers, USA[82]
  • Willow Creek Railroad, Oregon, United States (190.5 mm/​7 12 in ?)[83]
  • Shady Dell Pacific, Pacific Northwest Live Steamers, Molalla, Oregon (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[84]
  • Illinois Live Steamers, Chicago, Illinois (190.5 mm/​7 12 in)[85]
  • Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • Lakes Park and Gulf Railroad Fort Myers, Florida

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

7 14 in (184 mm) gauge [edit]

5 in (127 mm) gauge [edit]

  • 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[90]
  • 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)[96]
  • Willans Hill Miniature Railway, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia.[91]
  • Stoomgroep West Zuiderpark, The Hague, Netherlands. - a 3 12 in (89 mm) and 5 in (127 mm) mixed raised oval.[94]
  • Swiss Vapeur Parc, Le Bouveret, Switzerland (dual gauge: 7 14 in/​184 mm and 5 in/​127 mm)[95]

3 12 in (89 mm) gauge [edit]

  • S.A.S.M.E.E. Park, Adelaide, Australia[97]

Others [edit]

See also [edit]

Media related to Ridable miniature railways at Wikimedia Commons

References [edit]

  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. ^ [1]
  10. ^ Ruislip Lido Railway website
  11. ^ Audley End Railway website
  12. ^ Beale Park website
  13. ^ Berkeley Light Railway website
  14. ^ Bickington Steam Railway website
  15. ^ Birchley Miniature Railway website
  16. ^ Eastleigh Lakeside Railway website
  17. ^ Savilles Garden Centre
  18. ^ a b Mortocombe Railway website
  19. ^ Royal Victoria Railway website
  20. ^ Rudyard Lake Steam Railway website
  21. ^ Stapleford Miniature Railway website
  22. ^ Sutton Hall Railway website
  23. ^ Vanstone Woodland Railway website
  24. ^ Wells Harbour Railway website
  25. ^ a b Barking Park Miniature Railway website
  26. ^ a b 1949 to 1962
  27. ^ [2]
  28. ^ Bekonscot Light Railway website
  29. ^ a b Bentley Miniature Railway website
  30. ^ a b c "About DMR". Dragon Miniature Railway. Retrieved 21 August 2010. 
  31. ^ a b c City of Oxford Society of Model Engineers (COSME) website
  32. ^ Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway
  33. ^ East Herts Miniature Railway website
  34. ^ Echills Wood Railway website
  35. ^ Fancott Miniature Railway website
  36. ^ Frimley Lodge Miniature Railway website
  37. ^ Great Cockcrow Railway website
  38. ^ [3]
  39. ^ a b Guildford Model Engineering Society
  40. ^ Halton Miniature Railway Society
  41. ^ a b c Leyland Society of Model Engineers website
  42. ^ Little Orchard Railway website
  43. ^ a b c d e f Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd Website
  44. ^ Mizens Railway website
  45. ^ Moors Valley Railway website
  46. ^ a b c NLSME website
  47. ^ Pinewood Miniature Railway
  48. ^ Saltwood Miniature Railway (External website link)
  49. ^ a b c (http://www.spenborough.me.uk/)
  50. ^ Strand Miniature Railway
  51. ^ Weston Park Railway website
  52. ^ a b c Crowborough Miniature Railway website
  53. ^ Hove Park Railway
  54. ^ a b Maidstone Model Engineering Society
  55. ^ a b Tonbridge Model Engineering Society
  56. ^ Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad website
  57. ^ Collegeville and Southern Railway website
  58. ^ Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad website
  59. ^ National Railway Museum website
  60. ^ Venice Miniature Railway
  61. ^ American Heritage Railroad
  62. ^ http://www.uni.edu/iowaonline/folklife/2/2/handouts/02.pdf
  63. ^ Glenwood South Park & Pacific Railroad website
  64. ^ Joshua Tree & Southern website
  65. ^ Paradise and Pacific Railroad website
  66. ^ www.redwoodvalleyrailway.com Redwood Valley Railway website
  67. ^ Sonoma Traintown website
  68. ^ Waterman & Western Railroad website
  69. ^ Springbank Express
  70. ^ C&H Railroad website
  71. ^ Folsom Valley Railway website
  72. ^ Wabash Frisco & Pacific Railway website
  73. ^ Golden Gate Live Steamers website
  74. ^ Hesston Steam Museum website
  75. ^ Sacramento Valley Live Steamers website
  76. ^ Train Mountain website
  77. ^ Sagebrush Short Line Railroad website
  78. ^ Riverside Live Steamers website
  79. ^ Great Lakes Live Steamers website
  80. ^ Triad Live Steamers, Farmington and Harrisburg website
  81. ^ Railroad Museum of South Florida Train Village website
  82. ^ Orange County Model Engineers website
  83. ^ Willow Creek Railroad website
  84. ^ Shady Dell Pacific, Pacific Northwest Live Steamers website
  85. ^ Illinois Live Steamers website
  86. ^ Burnaby Central Railway website
  87. ^ Altona Miniature Railway website
  88. ^ Keirunga Park Railway website
  89. ^ Diamond Valley Miniature Railway website
  90. ^ 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
  91. ^ a b WAGGA WAGGA Society of Model Engineers, official website. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  92. ^ "Welcome to Esch-sur-Alzette", Luxembourg National Tourist Office. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  93. ^ (http://home.datacomm.ch/slb/index.html)
  94. ^ a b "Club tracks".
  95. ^ a b Swiss Vapeur Parc
  96. ^ Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society Co-op Ltd website
  97. ^ S.A.S.M.E.E. Park, Adelaide, Australia
  98. ^ Cedar Rock Railroad
  99. ^ Brackenridge Eagle
  100. ^ AuSable Valley Railroad website
  101. ^ "The Miniature Railway". CEC: Closed Canadian Parks. Retrieved 8 July 2012. 

External links [edit]