Bickington Steam Railway

Located at Trago Mills Regional Shopping Centre, Newton Abbot, the 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) ridable miniature railway Bickington Steam Railway was opened in 1988, using equipment recovered from the Suffolk Wildlife Park, which itself was taken from Rudyard Lake.[1] It was built by Brian Nicholson, the headmaster of Waterhouses School in Staffordshire. Waterhouses was the junction for the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway. After being thwarted in an attempt to rebuild a portion of the Leek and Manifold Valley railway, Nicholson moved his railway, via Rudyard Lake and Suffolk, to Trago Mills.

Bickington Steam Railway
SR&RL 2-6-2 No. 24 'Sandy River' at Trago Mills Central station.
Overview
TerminiTrago Central (Fun Park)
Riverside Station (Car Park)
Stations3
ServicesGoose Glen Halt (Additional Car Park)
Operation
Opened1988
OwnerTrago Mills
Operator(s)Trago Mills
Technical
Line length2 mi (3.2 km)
Track length2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Track gauge10 1⁄4 in (260 mm)

Originally the railway was a 1 mile (1.6 km) double loop around two lakes with one station, 'Trago Central', but in 2006 the railway grew over 1⁄2 mile (805 m), with an extension taking it to Trago's front car park. A three-track terminus and turntable was built and named the 'Riverside Station'. A third station was added in 2008, located at the far end of the Trago site on one of the original sections of line; this was named 'Goose Glen Halt'. This was constructed in the hope that shoppers would use the ride to return to their vehicles, a near half-mile uphill walk from the main shopping complex.

The railway is a member of Britains Great Little Railways

Locomotives
No. Name Wheel arrangement Builder Built
1 E.R. Calthrop 2-6-4T Coleby Simkins 1974
750 Blanche of Lancaster 4-4-2 D. Curwen 1948
Alice 2-6-0 Simkins & Vere 1984
D5910 4w-4wDH D. Nicholson 1987
24 Sandy River 2-6-2 Coleby Simkins/Allcock/Vere 1991

B. Nicholson had commissioned the locomotive No. 1 E.R. Calthrope personally, using plans of the original E.R. Calthorp built by Kitson & Co. of Leeds for the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway.

Three of the steam locos (Alice, SR&RL No. 24 Sandy River and E.R. Calthrope) are fitted with working headlights, with No. 24 Sandy River also having a working manual ringing bell. Apart from Blance of Lancaster, all locomotives have a CD player which provides Health & Safety announcements, which are powered by a 12 volt car battery.

See also

References
  1. "Bickington Steam Railway 10 ¼ inch". Miniature Railway World. Retrieved 16 January 2013.

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