Glasgow Garden Festival Railway - 1988

Living up in Glasgow these days, I was fascinated to discover that Glasgow had a new 2 foot gauge railway for one year only, as an attraction of the Garden Festival of 1988. All traces long gone and try as I might I can find pretty much no info on the railway.

It seems 3 locos were constructed, steam outline diesels made to look a bit like slightly caricature-ish Caledonian single wheelers.

Does anyone know where they came from? And did any make it into preservation? And what of the carriages?

Photo sourced from wikipedia.



https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glasgow_Garden_Festival_-_Narrow_gauge_railway.pdf

 

A quick Google search suggests that the locos were built by Severn Lamb, and the trains were eventually sold on to Japan. Interesting video here:

 

At least one loco is still operating with the original Japanese purchasers, Kamori Kankō: https://rusutsu.com/en/amusement-park/attractions/

 

That's a relief.

 

Similar story at Liverpool and Gateshead I believe.

 

Liverpool and Gateshead used locos from Ravenglass and Romney. Don't forget Stoke-on-Trent! That used Severn Lamb diesel locos, two of which ended up in Spain, one in Mauritius, and one rebodied is now BAZALGETTE at Crossness Pumping Station.

 

LOCO! I meant LOCO! Now corrected.

 

Think of the thread mayhem if it had autocorrected to "Lew".........,.......

Thanks for a smile to start the day.

 

My mother and her sister went on one of their coach trips to the one in Liverpool. Both were most effusive about the day. "Oh, you'd have liked the little trains, Howard", which indeed I would. Out of several hundred photos taken between them, one might've hoped for a couple with a train somewhere in sight!

 

A previous thread on the Liverpool Garden Festival railway https://www.national-preservation.c...pool-1984-15-gauge-railway.37923/#post-509779
Watching the trains from my 3rd floor lab window made going to work almost pleasant! I must look out the photos and scan them.
Ray.

 

It was the Liverpool Garden Festival railway which began my love of steam, aged three: I've still never recovered from the sight of Black Prince and River Irt, as you can see from my profile!

RPSI, FfRS, TRPS, RERPS, RHDRA, WLLRPC

 

I vaguely remember visiting with my parents, as a 13 year-old! There was quite a queue for the train and I recall some Glaswegian girls in the queue next to us having a lively conversation about the pronunciation of Tate & Lyle (they were saying T*t and Lil!!!). Don't remember much of the train ride, except to say that would have been the highlight of my day (as opposed to looking at plants and flowers).