Original Dreamland train

[John Humphrey]

I am still a little concerned about the sharpness of the curves for the proposed new route for the original Dreamland train. The point is that there is a resugence of interest in "miniature" 15in gauge railways (i.e. locos a quarter of full size, not to be confused with the larger 15in gauge lines which have locos a third of full size).

The curves that have been proposed will possibly permet "Billie" to run but I wonder what might happen if Dreamland ever hosts a special event with visiting quarter-size 15in-gauge locos. If somebody brought along a quarter-size Chinese "QJ" it would be a shame if it could not run at Dreamland because the curves were too sharp.

I should like to think that the Trust would consider it prudent to call in a firm like Alan Keef before the precise design of the new miniature line is finalised.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Yes but a QJ has an enormous wheelbase, and would require extremely shallow curves. I don't think it would be practical to design a railway around the possibility that one day such a loco might turn up for a guest event, especially since any railway will have to fit in among other rides, which essentially means it would have to run round the edge of the park.

Also, miniature railways are aimed at children, and they would be far more interested in riding in a miniature Eurostar than behind a steam engine, and such a ride would be ready to go at the flick of a switch. There are other places to enjoy small scale railways locally, such as the magical RH&DR.


Any ideas have to be practical as well as nostalgic.

[dave771]

I think people are getting quite confused as to what these plans mean. The plans, drawings etc are not exatly how the finished park will look. Im guessing there will be a lot of changes to the first set of plans and drawings when the park is ready to open. The Trust are working with a lot of people to make this a fantastic attraction so lets not get concerned over what has been shown in the initial plans.

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

You gotta be kidding. Kids LOVE steam engines.
Yes, I'd not worry about the scale of the drawings just yet.

[rayhol]

Fairground Equipment is exempt from the Office of Rail Regulation 'Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations' (ROGS), but a railway within a fairground, even one operated as a ride, will probably be subject to ROGS if the track gauge is greater than 350mm. While the Office of Rail Regulation probably won't want to get involved with things like curve radii, they will probably want a say in the design of crossings and stations, and I'm sure the ORR will have been consulted on the suitability of the plans for the Dreamland Railway, or a ruling obtained that ROGS wouldn't apply.

I would add that a 10 1/4" gauge railway at Dreamland would be cheaper to build and equip, could go round quite sharp curves, and wouldn't be subject to the same regulatory process that a 15" gauge line would. Most visitors wouldn't know the difference.

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

All depends, I suppose, on what could be sourced for rolling stock.
Time to start keeping an eye out for vintage equipment for sale.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Hastings Miniature Railway is probably the sort of scale to be looking at.

http://www.1066.net/miniature-railway/

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

That site hasn't been updated for 10 years. I wonder if that stuff is still being used.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

The Hastings Miniature Railway is still there, although the steam trains have long gone. It uses Alan Keef diesel engines now.

http://www.alankeef.co.uk/

[aweber1us]

It would be nice to see the railway run by a society as i think they may be able to do more with it.

[John Humphrey]

I disagree with the suggestion of having a ten-and-a-quarter inch miniature railway in Dreamland instead of a fifteen inch gauge line using the original equipment, as that would lose the point of reinstating the historic original Dreamland train. However, if the revived Dreamland had been planned to be the whole of the original site, there may then perhaps have been a case for a ten-and-a-quarter line in addition to the fifteen inch line, especially if the narrower gauge line could include reinstating the scale A3 that used to run along the stone pier.

[rayhol]

I can (just) remember the old Dreamland miniature railway.

To be honest, the new miniature railway won't really be anything like the old one. It won't have a terminus station for a start, which is a pity, but space is limited and a continuous run is easier to operate. Also, I seem to remember the old railway ran behind lots of the attractions, which wasn't particularly interesting, and the plans for the new railway show the new line running among the other attractions, which should be much more fun.

May I ask a specific question of the Powers That Be? Has guidance been sought as to whether the Dreamland miniature railway will require the involvement of the Office of Rail Regulation? As I stated in my previous post, my reading of the regulations is that a fairground railway with a track gauge of greater than 350mm might be subject to ORR rules, which wouldn't be very pleasant, but a railway with a gauge of less than 350mm would be exempt. I hope I'm wrong...

[dave771]

I can assure you that everything required will be looked into and done correctly. At the moment the final plans and attractions have not been decided or revealed so I feel it is irrelevant at the moment to discuss this any further.

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

I agree. I'm sure everything in terms of aesthetics will be taken into account this time around. Well planned will = well reviewed and well attended.

[Daniel Bates]

Has anyone considered contacting the Narrow Gauge Railway Society (address in Southampton) for advice on reinstating the Dreamland Miniature Railway?