Paradise Park - Jungle Express

In a nutshell

Gauge:         15"

Length:      250yd (one ride = two circuits)

Opened:     1976

Location:   

Paradise Park,
16 Trelissick Road,
Hayle,
Cornwall,
TR27 4HB 

Web:      http://www.paradisepark.org.uk/

Email:   info@paradisepark.org.uk
Tel:        01736 751020

 

Date of visit:     12 June 2015

 

Key Facts

• Paradise Park opened in 1973 as a small family business.
• The late Mike Reynolds created the park as a home to his growing collection of birds.
• Paradise Park has become the country's leading centre for the promotion of parrot welfare and is the base for the World Parrot Trust.
• The line has one locomotive, a diesel mechanical Lister, built in 1938.
• It has three open coaches
• The Jungle Express Train operates throughout the summer months (weather permitting). 
• There is an additional charge of £1 per person for a ride twice around the track.

 

Route

My Impressions

Before paying my entrance fee to the Park, I checked that the railway would be running as the website indicated that it was dependent on weather. On entering the park, I went immediately to the railway station (which is not far from the entrance) and awaited the arrival of the train.

Within five minutes or so, the train appeared. The steam locomotive inspired superstructure did not hide the fact that beneath was an interwar Lister locomotive with, by the sound of it, the orginal diesel engine.

The train of three open carriages, did a circuit of the track to warm up and then the driver brought her to a halt in the station area.

I paid my fare of £1.00 and spent a couple of minutes admiring the loco.....

.... before taking my seat immediately behind the loco.

There weren't many visitors to the park that day and so, after another couple boarded, we set off.

The train trundled at a respectable speed through the gardens around the house........

....... passing through a tunnel which doubles as the train shed.

After passing around the rear of the house we passed through the station and then made another circuit.

On reaching the station once more we detrained, and I once more looked over the loco.

The board outside the station indicated that another train would depart in an hour and so I wandered around the park where there is a large collection of birds of various species from all corners of the world.

There seems to be plenty to interest families and children, with a farm area, a play barn and flying displays at intervals during the day.

I indulged in a Cornish pasty in the cafe, which is adjacent to the otter, who seemed to be very active and playing to the crowd. I then made my way back to the station to take some lineside pictures and video of the train in action. Unfortunately, there did not appear to be sufficient passengers to run the train again and so I departed the park.

Video

[In preparation]