Viewing Single Post From: Simply a Man among Giants

Viewing Single Post From: Simply a Man among Giants
penrose	11 May 2008, 12:14 PM
Manager Posts: 484 Group: Member Member #7 Joined: August 15, 2006	Very interesting read Dom; it's always fascinating to hear the stories behind the little known lines. Further on the dual gauge point, in Kitchenside's book "A Source Book of Miniature & Narrow Gauge Railways", there is a photo of the 4-4-0 Maid Marion at Buckfastleigh. The caption reads Quote: In 1928 Bassett-Lowke built this model of an LMS compound 4-4-0, although it was constructed with two cylinders and not the three working in compound as on the original. The locomotive was used for many years in India on the 241mm Jhansi instructional railway to help recruits in the Indian railway service. Later, after its return to Britain, it was rebuilt for 260mm gauge and ran at Hunstanton, Watford, and on the Towans Railway, Hayle. The engine is seen here on trial on the Riverside Miniature Railway at Buckfastleigh part of which has mixed 184mm and 260mm gauge. The trackwork in 10 1/4" days (I believe) came from Hotham Park Bognor Regis (along with the Meteor locos), which had, in turn, originally come from the Bassets Manor Railway, which was dual 7 1/4" and 10 1/4" gauge. As Ian Allan had taken out the 7 1/4" rail in Hotham Park, maybe at Buckfastleigh it became the case that the third rail was put back in on a stretch of track, and the railway extended* with plain 7 1/4" trackwork? Having had a look on the Yahoo group loco database, the three locos on the second incarnation of the railway appear to be the Mardyke Deltic "Pinza" (now at Great Cockcrow), Curwen 4-4wPM 3039 (ex. Dobwalls and Weston MR) and a rebuilt Tom Smith battery electric loco. *=Miniature Railways Past & Present states the railway was extended when regauged in '79.
	Charles O'Mahoney Penrose Light Railway, Cornwall

Simply a Man among Giants · Miniature Railway World Digest