North Ings Farm Museum

 In a nutshell

Gauge:          2 foot (610cm)

Length:        600 yards (548m)

Opened:       1972 (Private railway) - 1990 (Public railway)

Location:    

Fen Rd, 
Dorrington, 
Ruskington, 
Lincoln 
LN4 3QB

Web:      https://northingsfarmmuseum.co.uk/

Email:    https://northingsfarmmuseum.co.uk/contact-us/

Tel.:        01526 833100

Date of visit:     3rd July 2022

Key Facts

• The railway was first established in 1972 to provide transportation for the farm's chicken and egg production facilities
• By 1981, poultry farming on the site had ceased and the railway and collecting agricultural equipment became a hobby
• In 1990, the local council suggested that the museum's collection of artefacts should be opened to the public
• The railway has eight industrial diesel locomotives and two further locos on loan from the Talyllyn Railway's Narrow Gauge Railway Museum
• There is also a freelance vertical boilered steam locomotive which is currently out of action awaiting a new boiler
• The three passenger coaches were acquired from the Abbey Light Railway after its closure in 2012
• The signal box, which is prominent on the site, was acquired from Holmes Yard at Lincoln, where it was used as a paraffin store. The lever frame inside the box is from  Skellingthorpe near Lincoln.
• The farm site is a treasure trove of farming and construction machinery and industrial narrow gauge wagons
• The museum opens on the first Sunday of each month from April to October.
• The modest entrance fee allows you to roam freely over the site and have unlimited rides on the railway.
• Hot and cold drinks and biscuits and confectionary are available

Route

My Impressions

After Google maps navigated me down various narrow winding lanes I had very little idea of where I was. Fortunately, there was a reassuring sign at the end of a farm track informing me that I had arrived and, furthermore, that the museum was open.

There was a pleasing air of informality about the museum with the owners and volunteers clutching mugs of tea, discussing the relative merits of dog clutches and the intricacies of gearboxes, or demonstrating and explaining the exhibits to visitors.

I was invited to wander the sheds and the grounds at my leisure. I started with the sheds, wherein were stored an impressive array of industrial locos .....

...... tractors of various vintages ......

..... and a lightweight Commer truck.

The grounds proved equally intriguing, with a vast array of industrial narrow gauge wagons and locos in various states and stages of renovation.

After a chat with the staff who were keen and well informed to answer any questions I posed, I took a ride on the train.

After curving round beside the signal box, the train made a descent .......

..... to the nether regions of the site.

We wound our way through the lush undergrowth ....

.... passing by the lake and then made a 1:35 climb back up towards the main part of the museum

......  and passed through the station (Pear Tree Junction), .....

before repeating the journey and then arriving back at the start.

I spent a very pleasant morning at the Museum and gained considerable knowledge of industrial locomotives and the history of the museum from the well informed and helpful staff who were in attendance.

I can thoroughly recommend a visit if you happen to be in the area on the first Sunday of a summer month. It's far more interesting than an impersonal, regimented and formalised railway museum. Particularly if you want to get down to the nitty gritty of how these things work.

Video

Bicton Woodland Railway

In a nutshell

Gauge:         18" (457 mm)

Length:        1359 yards (¾ mile - 1242m) - 1½ mile journey out and back

Opened:       1963

Location:    

 

Bicton Park
East Budleigh
Budleigh Salterton
Exeter Devon
EX9 7BJ

Web:      https://www.bictongardens.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=62_72

Email:    https://www.bictongardens.co.uk/index.php?route=information/contact  
Tel.:       01395 568465 
 

Date of visit:     28 September 2018

 

Key Facts

• The original 1963 trackplan included the station and a return loop through the Pinetum. The extension to the Hermitage was added in 1976.
• The original rolling stock for the railway came from the Royal Arsenal Railway in Woolwich which, as it was 18" gauge, dictated the track gauge for the Bicton Woodland Railway.
• The original locomotives were Woolwich (an Avonside 0-4-0T steam loco built in 1915), Bicton (an 0-4-0 Ruston Hornsby diesel built in 1942) and Carnegie (a Hunslet 0-4-0 0-4-0 articulated diesel loco built in 1954).
• Another diesel loco joined the fleet in 1974 - a Ruston Hornsby 0-4-0 which was renamed Budley.
• Seven goods wagons were also acquired from the Royal Arsenal and were subsequently converted into passenger carriages. Additional rolling stock was acquired from RAF Fauld and the Wolverton railway works which had 18" railways.
• In 2000, three locomotives and much of the rolling stock was sold to the Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey and a new locomotive was commissioned from Alan Keef Ltd. - an 0-4-0 steam outline diesel locomotive called Sir Walter Raleigh. 
• Four new carriages were also purchased from Alan Keef and Bicton was refurbished to match the steam outline appearance of Sir Walter Raleigh.
• The journey lasts about 25 minutes
• There is a well stocked restaurant and shop at in the gardens and plenty to see

Route

 

My Impressions

After paying my entrance fee to the gardens and passing through the shop and acknowledging the whereabouts of the toilets and restaurant, I made my way to the station. There was already a small queue of people awaiting the train's departure which, at this time of year, was every hour.

I showed my ticket and boarded the train, choosing the tail-end compartment in the last carriage.

With a toot, the Alan Keef diesel powered, steam outline loco pulled out. We very quickly entered a slightly wooded area on the banks of the dam which had been built for the ornamental lake.

Passing over the dam, we had a good view of Bicton House standing above the lake.

We then negotiated a triangular wye junction, .......

...... before heading out through the trees of the Pinetum.

At intervals, the driver tooted the whistle to alert us to points of interest printed on a card which we were loaned at the beginning of the journey.

At the furthermost end of the Pinetum, the track curved around and back on itself to give us an alternative perspective on the gardens.

The grounds are extremely well tended and clearly laid out. One day I must return and explore everything more thoroughly; this was a flying visit to give time to travel on the nearby Seaton Tramway in the afternoon.

We headed back towards the triangular junction ........

.... crossing over the junction for the loop, and then .......

...... taking the other branch at the wye junction.

We headed up the side of the lake towards the Hermitage, ........

..... where the line terminates with a loop.

Our loco (Sir Walter Raleigh - who was born nearby) ran round the train, .......

...... and then we set off once more.

We took the left-hand branch of the wye, .......

...... to cross the dam once more.

..... and then pulled back into the station.

I spent a short while watching the loco run round the train .........

chatting with the driver and snapping the older rolling stock, which dates from the time when the railway acquired its stock from the Woolwich Arsenal Railway.

I then made my way back to the car park and thence on to Seaton.

As can be seen from the photos and video, the railway is well established and follows an interesting route through the grounds. There is plenty more to see; not just the gardens and the house, but also a museum housing artefacts from the locality.

Given more time, I would have explored further, so it looks as if I will have to make a return visit - something I will look forward to doing.

Video

Progress Report 6

As can be seen, since my last Progress Report, I have made a trip to Yorkshire and visited:

• The North Bay Railway in Scarborough
• Saltburn Miniature Railway
• and Saltburn Cliff Lift

Although the Cliff Lift at Saltburn is actually standard gauge I have included it as:

1. In is an interesting piece of railway technology with a significant history
2. 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.

Saltburn Miniature Railway

In a nutshell

Gauge:         `15" (381mm)

Length:         5/8 mile (1 km)

Opened:     1947

Location:    

Saltburn Miniature Railway,
Saltburn-by-the-Sea,
UK

Web:        http://www.saltburn-miniature-railway.org.uk/

Email:      info@saltburn-miniature-railway.org.uk 
Tel:           01287 622712
  

Date of visit:     23 July 2017

Key Facts

• 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.

Video