Although the Cliff Lift at Saltburn is actually standard gauge I have included it as:
In is an interesting piece of railway technology with a significant history
When doing my original research, I was under the impression that it had a gauge of 4' 6" - presumably owing to some misleading information on a website somewhere.
The other two miniature railways have a fascinating history - both being established before the Second World War and both opting for steam outline, diesel powered locomotives. Although I would prefer to see live steam locos in action, I feel their history and origins so make these locos interesting in their own rights. They are certainly well engineered and with gauges of 20" and 15" are substantially built.
Loco 1932 Triton - on the North Bay Railway in Scarborough
As times goes by, I am having to travel greater distances from home to reach railways which are further than a day's travelling distance. Owing to family ill health, I have not been as mobile as previously and so my visitations are fewer and further between. However, I am planning to travel on the Snowdon Mountain Railway when we can be sure of decent weather, and also hoping to travel to the South East of England at some point before the end of the season to visit some of the railways located there.
The railway was planned as an integral part of the development of Northstead Park (formerly known as Hodgson's Slack)
The line was originally intended to be 18" gauge and then 15" gauge, the gauge promoted by Sir Arthur Heywood and Wenman Bassett Lowke as the 'Minimum Gauge' (see A short Chronology of the Minimum Gauge). Eeventually, Hudswell Clarke won the contract to supply the locomotives to a gauge of 20".
The plan for the original railway was a circular route but this was later modified into the present terminus to terminus route along the cliffs
At Scalby Mills, there was originally a balloon loop for reversing the locomotives, which included a short tunnel into the cliffs. This was replaced by a Y junction in 1962 and ultimately by the existing turntable in 1988.
The only time the railway has ceased running was between 1940 and 1945 during the Second World War.
The decision to use steam outline diesel locomotives instead of live steam locomotives was motivated by reduced operating and maintenance costs.
Neptune was the first locomotive to run on the railway and is still running today.
The original locomotives use torque converters to transfer power from the diesel engine to the driving wheels to provide a very smooth transmission and is akin to driving a steam locomotive with a single regulator and no gears. The torque converters have now been replaced by hydraulic pumps and motors.
The railway has four steam outline diesel locomotives - 1931 Neptune 4-6-2 (built in 1931), 1932 Triton 4-6-2 (built in 1932), 1933 Poseidon 4-6-2 (built in 1933) and 570 Robin Hood 4-6-4T (built 1932).
The coaching stock was originally built by Robert Hudson in Leeds. The bodies were replaced in the 1960s and again in 1991, 1998 and 2007.
The railway is open daily from April to October and then some weekends and school holidays during the winter (January excepted).
Route
Map by Svitapeneela at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47840137
My Impressions
On arriving at Peasholm station, the first thing which struck me was the size of the locomotives. As the gauge is wider than most miniature railways (ie 20" v 7¼" - 15"), the locomotives are proportionately larger.
Having paid for my ticket, I watched my loco (1931, Neptune) running around her train .....
..... making use of the balloon loop which circles the engine sheds and enables the loco to reverse direction without the need for a turntable. I am not aware of any other railways which use this clever approach, but I am willing to be corrected.
After coupling-up, within a few minutes we were off, skirting the boating lake .......
.... and passing beneath the rails of the water chute.
After passing the outdoor concert arena, we reached the cliffs and the passing loop at the former Beach Station where we passed another train travelling in the opposite direction.
Travelling on shelf cut into the cliff face ......
....... we reached Scalby Mills Station, where our loco was turned on the turntable......
...... and ran round our train ....
... ready for the return journey.
We, once more, made our way back along the cliffs to Beach Station ......
.... where we passed the returning train and the drivers exchanged tokens.
We then retraced our steps into Northstead Park .....
.... and returned to Peasholm Station.
I now took the opportunity to walk beside the line, watching the train depart .....
..... and the boat on the water chute splashing into the lake, ......
...... before being hauled back up again.
I gained a good view of trains as they passed by on the opposite side of the lake.
At Beach Station, I watched loco 1932, Triton ......
...... passing Neptune.
There are plenty of good vantage points for watching the trains pass by on the cliffs above the beach.
As they had two trains in service (which I believe they do on most operational days), the services are very regular .......
...... and so the wait is not long between trains.
And, of course, there are always the attractions of the beach, itself.
What a fine little railway this is! Although the locomotives are not steam powered, they are distinctive and interesting in their own right. Their heritage is undeniable and their size and the quality of their construction gives them poise and elegance as they ply their trade back and forth through the park and across the cliff face.
I spent a good 2-3 hours travelling on and watching the various train manoeuvres - being particularly fascinated by the balloon reversing loop at Peasholm Station. The staff were attentive and keen to discuss the railway and its locos. The railway gauge of 20" makes it fairly unique in the UK, Shipley Glen Tramway and the railway at Woburn being the only others (to my knowledge). A very interesting railway with an interesting history and heritage.
There is a cafe adjacent to the station at Peasholm and plenty of other eateries within a short walk of the park. The ticket office sells a few mementoes and a guide to the railway which elaborates on the history and operation of the railway outlined above.
The railway was first set up in 1947 by Mr. H. Dunn and was then only 300 Yards long.
In 1949 the railway obtained 4-4-4 tank loco "Blacolvesley", which was built in 1909 by Bassett-Lowke and is the oldest workable internal combustion locomotive in the world. It is now in private ownership and resides at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.
In 1953, the railway was modified to allow for the running of two trains, with a passing siding.
By 1983, the railway was more or less derelict and was acquired by the Saltburn Miniature Railway Association, a group of volunteers
During 2000 - 2003, the railway was rebuilt in its present form.
The railway currently has three steam outline diesel powered locos (4-6-2 DE Prince Charles, 0-4-0T DH George Outhwaite, 4-6-2 DH Saltburn 150) and a live steam loco, 4-4-2 Blacklock R
The railway runs at weekends throughout the year, opening at 1.00pm
Route
My Impressions
After a quick tour of the town and a ride on the Cliff Lift, I walked the length of the railway, taking various video shots and photos.
On the siding leading to the engine sheds, they were swapping over locos. 4-6-2 DH Saltburn 150 was being replaced by 4-6-2 DE Prince Charles.
This provided me with an opportunity to see Saltburn 150, before she retired to the shed.
The furthermost terminus of the railway is Forest Halt, where there is a platform and run-round loop.
I walked back up the line to the main terminus, Cat Nab, which is very close to the sea front, behind a large car park.
I bought my modestly priced return ticket and boarded the train. Before long it set off.
After rounding a 90 degree bend, the line ran parallel with Skelton Beck, passing the engine sheds and carriage sidings, before taking a right hand curve on the banks of the beck.
At Forest Halt, the loco ran round her train ......
.... before proceeding back up the line.
The track, locos and stock appeared to be in tip-top condition and the line seems to be thriving, thanks to the efforts of the volunteer workforce. Although the railway itself does not have a tea room, there are cafes within five minutes' walk at each end of the line serving a good range of refreshments. There is wheelchair access and the staff are on hand to enthusiastically answer questions.
This railway is one of the original miniature railways, most of which adopted the then popular gauge of 15 inches (see 15" gauge railways - a short chronology). Although this railway is quite short in comparison to other 15" gauge railways, it is well worth a visit as is the town of Saltburn which retains its original feel of a Victorian seaside resort.
It is the oldest operating water-balance funicular cliff railwayin the United Kingdom
It was first built in 1870, shortly after the Stockton and Darlington Railway (the first passenger carrying railway in the world) reached Saltburn
It was rebuilt in its present form in 1884
It is a water-balanced funicular railway, which means that each passenger car has a large water tank beneath the passenger compartment. When a car reaches the top of the lift, water is poured into the tank. The weight of the water counterbalances the weight of the other car which is connected to the first car with a cable. When the car reaches the bottom of the lift, the water is released from the tank and the process is repeated.
The cars carry up to 12 passengers
Their water tanks each hold 240 gallons (1100 litres)
The water released at the bottom of the lift held in a large reservoir tank and the water is pumped back up to another reservoir tank at the top of the lift.
The lift was refurbished in 1955, 1979, 1991, 2014 and 2018.
Route
My Impressions
Having visited Saltburn to photograph and ride on the Saltburn Miniature Railway, I felt I must travel on the Cliff Lift which is only a short walk from the railway. Although the lift is not narrow gauge, I felt its history and status warranted inclusion on my blog - a sort of honorary narrow gauge railway.
After watching the cars rise and descend a couple of times ......
... we paid our fare at the ticket booth at the base of the lift and made our way into the carriage.
The first thing which caught our attention was the stained glass windows which had been reinstated when the lift was refurbished in 1991.
Within a few minutes our carriage filled with passengers and the doors were closed by the attendant.
Very gently, the carriage made its way up the track, passing the descending car at the half-way point.
We then reached the booth at the top of the lift, passing beside the water-filling mechanism.
We watched the attendant at the upper booth going about the business of operating the water filling machinery and braking system as the cars ascended and descended.
Finding the whole process fascinating.
Although the cost per mile of the ticket is probably quite substantial, we felt it was well worth the modest outlay to help ensure that the lift is kept operational in its original condition. The staff are clearly very proud of this piece of Victorian technology and were willing to knowledgeably discuss its maintenance and operation.
