Narrow Gauge Railway Society issues

[John Humphrey]

Did anything come of my suggestion of a siding linking the Scenic to a new workshop in the main building (retaining the existing workshop for light maintenance?

Also, will Alan Keef (or a similar organisation) be called in to redesign the relocated Dreamland Miniaturre Railway? I am concerned that the curves are far to sharp; even if "Billie" will negotiate them, I am nor so sure about visiting locomotives. The Miniature Railway Museum Trust has said that the curves as proposed are "more like corners".

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

I think the problem is that there is insufficient space for the radius of curves required for anything other than four wheeled locomotives, or possibly purpose-built six wheeled locomotives with flangeless centre axles.

I agree it would be great to be able to host visiting engines...



(Southern Maid, my favourite RH&DR loco, alongside Typhoon at New Romney)

But these locomotives cannot traverse anything much tighter than Dungeness loop and there would not be that amount of space even if the whole of the site was available to us.



The Scenic Railway has incredibly tight curves, because trains and track were designed together, and I think we will be required to design any miniature railway with the same considerations

[dave771]

Im not aware that a layout has been decided for Billie as yet. Same applies to any other *visiting* engines that could appear at the park. As no decisions have been made yet I dont see how there can be any concerns.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

It would be good to see the "Peter Pan Railway" back, I remember it on the beach at Broadstairs in the mid-1960s, and it took up little more room than a Waltzer...

This has made me go off Googling and I have found a photo of a Peter Pan railway, this was at Skegness.




Does anyone know if the Broadstairs Peter Pan railway survives, or whether it was the same one that used to be at Dreamland?


Much though I love steam engines- I have built one myself which I used to run in my back garden- I do not think it would be practical to re-build the Dreamland Miniature Railway at the present time.

[Zoidstar]

There used to be a Miniature Railway Southend seafront the site is now the Easten side of Adventure Island I have compiled a history of the railway if anyone is intrested in reading it.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Well I would be!

[vince69619]

Me too!

(Now I feel like a proper member of a forum, my first Me Too post!)

Vince.

[Busheyfields]

Does anyone know if the Broadstairs Peter Pan railway survives, or whether it was the same one that used to be at Dreamland?

I moved to Broadstairs in 1958, at that time both the Peter Pan railway on the beach at Viking Bay and Dreamland were operational so they are not the same sets.

There were also 2 further sets at Ramsgate, one on the beach and one at "Merrie England" (later to be renamed "Pleasurama").

I'm afraid I don't know what became of any of them, as we are talking over 50 years ago I suspect they have all long since been scrapped.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Thanks for the info, I remember the Peter Pan railway at Broadstairs very well, my Mum has a photograph of me as a child on it, I will scan it sometime and post it. I remember reading somewhere that they were made by Supercar at Leamington Spa, who used to make the dodgem cars.

I would be a terrible shame if they had all been scrapped but I can't find any surviving examples on the internet.

[StoneRoad]

although railway layouts and design is not my forte*....
....I may well know a man who does that sort of thing

*mine is restorations and replicas - which might also be of help

[Zoidstar]

Well I would be!

Me too!

(Now I feel like a proper member of a forum, my first Me Too post!)

Vince.

OK will dig it out and post it up in the next day or two, it was or is going to be on another web site in a couple of months so you guys will be getting a sneek preview!

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

although railway layouts and design is not my forte*....
....I may well know a man who does that sort of thing

*mine is restorations and replicas - which might also be of help

Some very interesting photos in that link.

[porterm]

I seem to recall that Butlin's holiday centres used to have Peter Pan Railways in their fun fairs back in the 70s; I used to love them as they had quite tight bends and weaved in and out of random scenary etc.

On a side note, if they were made by Supercar, I'm pretty sure that the same company made the ghost train cars for the classic Dymchurch Ghost Train. (For those unfamiliar with this it has a roller coaster style open air drop and two outside balconies). It also used to feature a very eerie haunting witch that suddenly lit up as you went up the first inside lifthill on the left-hand side; used to scare the hell out of me in my younger days! I believe this feature was sadly stripped out in the park's Godden era.

Back on topic though, I would guess that the Butlin's railways were all scrapped, assuming they were of the Peter Pan style.

Martin

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

There's a lovely photo of Billie on the archive page, which was taken in 1974 as she was coming to the end of her days...