Ridable miniature railway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 1 Overview 2 UK Miniature Railways 2.1 1 ft 8 in (508 mm) gauge 2.2 18 in (457 mm) gauge 2.3 15 in (381 mm) gauge 2.4 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) gauge 2.5 12 in (305 mm) gauge 2.6 10+1⁄2 in (267 mm) gauge 2.7 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge 2.8 9+1⁄2 in (241 mm) gauge 2.9 9 in (229 mm) gauge 2.10 8+1⁄4 in (210 mm) 2.11 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2.12 5 in (127 mm) 2.13 3+1⁄2 in (89 mm) gauge 3 Miniature railways - rest of the world 3.1 18 in (457 mm) gauge 3.2 15 in (381 mm) gauge (USA) 3.3 15 in (381 mm) gauge (Rest of the World) 3.4 12 in (305 mm) gauge 3.5 7+1⁄2 in (190.5 mm) gauge 3.6 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) gauge 3.7 Others 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Overview

Typically they have a 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+¹⁄₂ in (89 mm), and sometimes 2+¹⁄₂ in (63.5 mm) gauge locomotives.

[edit] UK Miniature Railways

[edit] 1 ft 8 in (508 mm) gauge

• North Bay Railway, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

[edit] 18 in (457 mm) gauge

• Bicton Woodland Railway, Bicton Park, Devon
• Heath Park Tramway, Cardiff
• Sundown Adventure Land, Retford, Nottinghamshire
• Terrific Train, New Metroland, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear
• Royal Arsenal Railway, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, south east London (1873-1966)

[edit] 15 in (381 mm) gauge

• Bellevue Park Railway, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Blackpool Zoo Railway, Lancashire
• Blenheim Park Railway, Oxfordshire
• Bure Valley Railway Aylsham, England
• Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, Lincolnshire
• Conwy Valley Railway Museum, Betws-y-Coed, in North Wales
• Combe Martin Wildlife Park, Devon ^[1]
• Craigtoun Miniature Railway, Craigtoun Park, St. Andrews
• Duffield Bank Railway, Derbyshire (closed)
• Eaton Hall Railway, Cheshire (closed) ^[2]
• Evesham Vale Light Railway,
  Evesham Country Park, Twyford,
  Evesham, Worcestershire^[3]
• Fairbourne Railway, Wales (re-gauged)
• Gulliver's Land, Milton Keynes
• Gulliver's World, Warrington, Cheshire
• Haigh Country Park Railway, Greater Manchester
• Heatherslaw Light Railway, Northumberland
• Kirklees Light Railway, Clayton West, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire ^[4]
• Knowsley Safari Park (The Lakeside Railway), Prescot, Merseyside
• Lakeside Miniature Railway, Southport, Merseyside
• Lappa Valley Steam Railway, Cornwall
• Lightwater Valley Themepark, Ripon, North Yorkshire
• Longleat House Railway^[5]
• Markeaton Park Light Railway, Derby ^[6]
• Marwell Zoo, Colden Common, Hampshire
• Oakwood Adventure Park, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
• Paradise Park, Hayle, Cornwall
• Paultons Park, Ower, Romsey, Hampshire
• Perrygrove Railway, Gloucestershire
• Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Cumbria
• Rhiw Valley Light Railway, Manafon, Powys
• Rhyl Miniature Railway, Clwyd
• Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, Kent
• Saltburn Miniature Railway, Cat Nab, Cleveland
• Sand Hutton Miniature Railway, Yorkshire (closed)
• Sherwood Forest Railway, Nottinghamshire
• Waveney Valley Railway, Bressingham Gardens, Norfolk
• West Midlands Safari Park, Worcestershire
• Windmill Farm Railway, Burscough, Lancashire
• Wildlife Park, Chard Cricket St Thomas, Chard, Somerset

[edit] 12+¹⁄₄ in (311 mm) gauge

• Exbury Gardens Steam Railway, Beaulieu, Hampshire
• Fairbourne Railway, Gwynedd
• Hotham Park Railway, Bognor Regis ^[7]
• Newchapel Railway, Horne, Horley, Surrey

[edit] 12 in (305 mm) gauge

• Anglesey Model Village, Newborough
• Ruislip Lido Railway, Greater London ^[8]

[edit] 10+¹⁄₂ in (267 mm) gauge

• Beale Park, Pangbourne, Berkshire ^[9]

[edit] 10+¹⁄₄ in (260 mm) gauge

• Audley End Railway, Audley End, Saffron Walden, Essex ^[10]
• Berkeley Light Railway, Gloucestershire ^[11]
• Bickington Steam Railway, Trago Mills, Liverton, Newton Abbot, Devon ^[12]
• Birchley Miniature Railway ^[13]
• Brechin Castle Centre Railway, Haughmuir, Brechin
• Bressingham Gardens, Norfolk
• Brooklands Pleasure Park, Worthing, Sussex
• Brookside Miniature Railway,
  Brookside Garden Centre, Poyntom ^[14]
• 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 Valley 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, 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

[edit] 9+¹⁄₂ 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+¹⁄₄ 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

[edit] 9 in (229 mm) gauge

• Brogdale Horticultural Trust, Faversham, Kent
• Torry Hill Park (private miniature railway), Near Frinsted, Kent

[edit] 8+¹⁄₄ in (210 mm)

• Brambridge Park Garden Centre, Eastleigh, Hampshire

[edit] 7+¹⁄₄ in (184 mm)

• Barking Park Light Railway: Re-opened Easter 2009 ^[23]
• Beer Heights Light Railway, Devon
• Bekonscot Light Railway ^[25]
• Bentley Miniature Railway ^[26]
• Bolebroke Castle Miniature Railway
• Conwy Valley Railway Museum, Wales
• Coate Water Miniature Railway
  (Combined 7+¹⁄₄ in (184 mm) and 5 in (127 mm)), Swindon
• Danson Park, Bexleyheath, 1946 to 1948 ^[24]
• Dobwalls Forest Railroad, Cornwall (closed)
• Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway ^[27]
• Echills Wood Railway, Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire ^[28]
• Fancott Miniature Railway, Bedfordshire ^[29]
• Frimley Lodge Miniature Railway ^[30]
• Great Cockcrow Railway ^[31]
• Guildford Model Engineering Society ^[32]
• Halton Miniature Railway Society, Runcorn, Cheshire^[33]
• Leyland Society of Model Engineers, Lancashire ^[34]
• Little Orchard Railway, Suffolk ^[35]
• Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd ^[36]
• Mizens Railway, Woking, Surrey ^[37]
• Mortocombe Railway, Chilton, Oxfordshire ^[17]
• Moors Valley Railway, Dorset ^[38]
• North London Society of Model Engineers (NLSME) ^[39]
• Plowman's Railroad, Dorset
• Pugneys Light Railway, Wakefield
• National Railway Museum, York
• Saltwood Miniature Railway - ^[40]
• Strand Miniature Railway, Gillingham, Kent^[41]
• Swanley New Barn Railway, Kent
• Thornes Park Miniature Railway, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
• Weston Miniature Railway, Somerset ^[42]
• Weston Park Railway, Shropshire ^[43]
• Willow Wood Railway, Stowupland, Suffolk.
• Wolds Way Lavender Narrow Gauge Railway
• Wintringham, North Yorkshire (used to transport harvested lavender, logs and passengers)

[edit] 5 in (127 mm)

• Hove Park Railway^[44]
• Leyland Society of Model Engineers, Lancashire ^[34]
• Strawberry Line - part of Avon Valley Country Park
• Maidstone Model Engineering Society, Mote Park, Maidstone ^[45]
• Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd ^[36]
• Tonbridge Model Engineering Society ^[46]
• Bentley Miniature Railway ^[47]
• Crowborough Miniature Railway ^[48]
• Guildford Model Engineering Society ^[32]
• Coventry Model Engineering Society (Running "Ryton Pool Miniature Railway", also 3+¹⁄₂ in (89 mm) gauge)
• GEC Model Engineering Society (Running "GEC Miniature Railway", also 3+¹⁄₂ in (89 mm) & 7+¹⁄₄ in (184 mm) gauges)
• North London Society of Model Engineers (NLSME) ^[39]

[edit] 3+¹⁄₂ in (89 mm) gauge

• Leyland Society of Model Engineers, Lancashire ^[34]
• Maidstone Model Engineering Society, Mote Park, Maidstone ^[45]
• Malden and District Society of Model Engineers Ltd ^[36]
• Tonbridge Model Engineering Society ^[46]
• Crowborough Miniature Railway ^[48]
• North London Society of Model Engineers (NLSME) ^[39]

[edit] Miniature railways - rest of the world

[edit] 18 in (457 mm) gauge

• Aotea Railway, Aotea Lagoon, Porirua, New Zealand
• Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, USA ^[49]
• Collegeville and Southern Railway, USA ^[50]
• Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad, USA ^[51]
• National Railway Museum, Adelaide SA (also operate the Semaphore & Fort Glanville Tourist railway) ^[52]
• Venice Miniature Railway, Venice Beach, Venice, California, (1943-1968), ^[53]

[edit] 15 in (381 mm) gauge (USA)

• American Heritage Railroad, Illinois, USA ^[54]
• B.A.D. Great Northern Railroad, California, USA
• Glenwood South Park & Pacific Railroad, California, USA ^[55]
• Hillcrest & Wahtoke Steam Railroad, California, USA
• Joshua Tree & Southern GSD, California, USA ^[56]
• Laurel Run Railroad, Pennsylvania, USA
• Little Toot Railroad, Illinois, USA
• Look Park, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
• Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens, Wisconsin, USA
• Nickel Plate Railroad, California, USA
• Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, Ohio, USA
• Orland, Newville and Pacific Railroad, California, USA
• Paradise and Pacific Railroad, Scottsdale Arizona, USA ^[57]
• Phoenix & Holly Railroad, Oregon, USA
• Redwood Valley Railway, in Tilden Regional Park, California, USA ^[58]
• Riverside and Great Northern Railway, Wisconsin, USA
• Riverview & Twin Lakes Railroad, Wyoming, USA
• Sonoma Traintown, California, USA ^[59]
• Tiny Town Railroad, Colorado, USA
• Waterman & Western Railroad, USA ^[60]

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

• Bal Bahran Park Railway, Delhi, India
• Bear Creek Park Train, British Columbia, Canada
• Bush Mill Railway, Port Arthur, Australia
• fr:Chemin de fer Touristique d'Anse, France
• Dalaas Waldbahn, Austria
• Donauparkbahn, Vienna, Austria
• Dresdner Park Liliputbahn, Germany
• Driving Creek Railway, New Zealand
• Killesberg Park Railway, Stuttgart, Germany
• Parkeisenbahn Auensee, Leipzig, Germany
• Prater Liliputbahn, Vienna, Austria
• Sakuradani Light Railway, Japan
• Springbank Express, London, Ontario, Canada ^[61]
• Shuzenji Romney Railway, Japan
• Whangaparaoa Narrow Gauge Railway, New Zealand

[edit] 12 in (305 mm) gauge

• C&H Railroad, USA ^[62]
• Wabash Frisco & Pacific Railway, Missouri, USA ^[63]
• Zilker Zephyr, Zilker Park, Austin, Texas USA

[edit] 7+¹⁄₂ in (190.5 mm) gauge

• Assiniboine Valley Railway (191 mm/7.52 in)
• Los Angeles Live Steamers (191 mm/7.52 in)
• Golden Gate Live Steamers, (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[64]
• Hesston Steam Museum (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[65]
• Sacramento Valley Live Steamers, (108 and 191 mm/4.25 and 7.52 in) ^[66]
• Train Mountain, Chiloquin, Oregon, USA (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[67]
• Sagebrush Short Line Railroad, Ridgecrest CA (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[68]
• Riverside Live Steamers, Riverside, California (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[69]
• Great Lakes Live Steamers, Royal Oak and Southgate, Michigan.((191 mm/7.52 in) ? ) ^[70]
• Triad Live Steamers, Farmington and Harrisburg, NC. (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[71]
• Railroad Museum of South Florida Train Village, USA (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[72]
• Orange County Model Engineers, USA ^[73]
• Willow Creek Railroad, Oregon, United States ((191 mm/7.52 in) ?) ^[74]
• Burnaby Central Railway, Burnaby, BC, Canada (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[75]
• Shady Dell Pacific, Pacific Northwest Live Steamers, Molalla, Oregon (191 mm/7.52 in) ^[76]

[edit] 7+¹⁄₄ in (184 mm) gauge

• Altona Miniature Railway, Victoria, Australia (127 mm/5 in and 184 mm/7+¹⁄₄ in) ^[77]
• 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+¹⁄₄ in/184 mm) dual gauge)
  • Keirunga Park Railway, Havelock North, New Zealand. ^[78]
  • Canterbury Society of Model and Experimental Engineers, Christchurch, host of 2006 CANMOD International Convention
• Diamond Valley Miniature Railway, Eltham Victoria, Australia (184 mm/7+¹⁄₄ in) ^[79]
• Finnish Railway Museum, Hyvinkää, Finland

[edit] Others

• Cedar Rock Railroad, 16 in (406 mm) gauge, USA ^[80]
• Saint Louis Zoological Park, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
• Wenatchee Riverfront Railway, Wenatchee, Washington, USA
• Washington Park and Zoo Railway, 2 ft 6 in (762 mm), Portland, Oregon, USA
• Brackenridge Eagle, San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, Texas, USA ^[81]
• Matsudayama Herb Garden, Matsuda, Kanagawa, Japan - includes Romancecar (Odakyū 10000 series HiSE) replica
• Kiddieland Amusement Park, Melrose Park, Illinois, USA
• Círculo Madrileño Ferroviario, at Madrid Delicias Train Museum, Spain (5 in/127 mm gauge) ^[82]

[edit] See also

• Media related to Ridable miniature railways at Wikimedia Commons

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Grand Scales Quarterly the US magazine of grand scale railroading
• Miniature Railway World
• Live Steam Tracks

v • d • e World Railways & Tramways of 15 in (381 mm) Gauge United Kingdom Bellevue Park Railway · Blackpool Zoo Railway · Blenheim Park Railway · Bure Valley Railway · Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway · Conwy Valley Tramway · Combe Martin Wildlife Park · Craigtoun Miniature Railway · Duffield Bank Railway · Eaton Hall Railway · Evesham Vale Light Railway · Gulliver's Land · Gulliver's World · Haigh Country Park Railway · Heatherslaw Light Railway · Kirklees Light Railway · Lakeside Railway (Knowsley Safari Park) · Lakeside Miniature Railway (Southport) · Lappa Valley Steam Railway · Lightwater Valley Themepark · Liverpool Garden Festival Railway · Longleat House Railway · Markeaton Park Light Railway · Marwell Zoo · Oakwood Adventure Park · Paradise Park (Cornwall) · Paultons Park · Perrygrove Railway · Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway · Rhiw Valley Light Railway · Rhyl Miniature Railway · Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway · Saltburn Miniature Railway · Sand Hutton Miniature Railway · Sherwood Forest Railway · Waveney Valley Railway (Bressingham) · West Midlands Safari Park · Windmill Farm Railway · Wildlife Park, Chard United States American Heritage Railroad · B.A.D. Great Northern Railroad · Glenwood South Park & Pacific Railroad · Hillcrest & Wahtoke Steam Railroad · Joshua Tree & Southern GSD · Laurel Run Railroad · Little Toot Railroad · Look Park · Milwaukee County Zoo Safari Railroad · Nickel Plate Railroad · Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation · Orland, Newville and Pacific Railroad · Paradise and Pacific Railroad · Phoenix & Holly Railroad · Redwood Valley Railway · Riverside and Great Northern Railway · Riverview & Twin Lakes Railroad · Sonoma Traintown · Tiny Town Railroad · Waterman & Western Railroad Rest of World Bal Bahran Park Railway (Delhi, India) · Bear Creek Park Train (Canada) · Bush Mill Railway (Tasmania) · Chemin de Fer d'Anse (France) · Dalaas Waldbahn (Austria) · Donauparkbahn (Austria) · Dresdner Parkeisenbahn (Germany) · Driving Creek Railway (New Zealand) · Killesberg Park Railway (Germany) · Parkeisenbahn Auensee (Germany) · Prater Liliputbahn (Austria) · Sakuradani Light Railway (Japan) · Shuzenji Romney Railway (Japan) · Whangaparaoa Narrow Gauge Railway (New Zealand) Others Arlesdale Railway (fictional) · Fairbourne Railway (re-gauged)