Cricket St Thomas Railway.

Dose anybody know of any plans of this line as google has thrown up nothing and this line is missing from the Rail Map on-line site so if there is a map which can be used for this as even on google sat most of it is hidden by trees so unable to see the whole course of the railway.

 

Peter Scott will have produced a plan as part of his track plan books - see http://www.scottjf.demon.co.uk/minor_railways/

 

According to the "ABC of Miniature Railways" (2nd Edition, Ian Allan, 2000) it is an end-to-end line and 800yards long. A look at http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/ST3708 shows several photos of the railway. Together with a look at Google, it seems this railway runs in an inverted 'U' around the top end of the lake, although it is masked by numerous trees.

 

When it was first built (and opened April 1985) there was a run round loop at each end when BoBo diesel Royal Anchor was used and it run round at end of each trip, at each end of the line.

If I recollect when I went back with my son in 1999 there was a Keef steam outline loco running push pull with a midway passing loop. In the loop was a second rake of stock, with poor old Royal Anchor rebuilt to look like a thatched cottage loco (!?), from the awful Blobbyland which once existed. I believe the line has just closed.

Paul

 

And was lifted a month or so ago I'm afraid. Royal Anchor was never there, it was a similar looking Guest built diesel. Royal Anchor was at Steamtown throughout the 80s until exported when the line there was sold in the late 90s.

 

Thanks Anthony for the correction - noticed the difference between the two locos. A great shame it - the line - has gone, I sensed a few years ago, the shift in focus at Cricket St T May make the line vulnerable - glad I took video and phots of the line and travelled behind the Guest and Keef locos. Paul