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Chessington Zoo Railway book; A new book recording the sitory of one of the country's best loved by least recorded miniatire railways.
Topic Started: 7 Nov 2012, 12:01 PM (1,278 Views)
Phil Ashworth
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"The Chessington Zoo Railway - 1931-1985". By: Ken Bean. Publisher: The Heywood Society. 36pp, illustrated 27 b & w, 13 colour . £5.00 plus £1.10 UK post , £2.95 Europe, £3.90 Rest of the World.

Chessington Zoo in Surrey operated a 12" gauge miniature railway for over 50 years, with full trains running daily from Easter until October on an oval circuit of nearly a mile through the zoo, yet it remains one of our least documented of all such attractions. On closure the author acquired its track, one of its two best known steam-outline GWR 'Earl' based locos and five of its six open carriages.

Before removing it the author, who had known the railway in boyhood, made a point of researching the little line's history by talking first to those who ran it throughout its life at the zoo, and then by seeking out Barnards Ltd of Norwich, its builders in the 1930s.

He met senior management at Barnards who had created its various locomotives and stock in their youth, in what proved to be an extraordinarily entrepreneurial engineering company. He also met the two directors in their eighties, who in their twenties had between them designed all the six locos and rolling stock that Barnards had made for Chessington. He was thus able to secure their permission to use in this professionally produced booklet many personal photographs of their progress in building locos and carriages that they had taken in the 1930s as well as those commissioned by their family company. These together with their reminiscences give a close insight into the problems they encountered, described in text, as well as showing how deeply involved they were.

As railway enthusiasts this included the sacrifice of a much-loved Triumph motorcycle, and then the family Citroen car in their efforts to evolve workable locos that looked like steam engines but were powered by internal combustion - after the owner of the zoo, Reginald Goddard, had suffered a bad experience with a 24" gauge steam loco that their father, chairman of Barnards, had initially installed. Goddard had said after that, "I want half the size - and no steam ever again at Chessington!"

The result is what must be the most complete - if not the only - account of a railway that was apparently known to and loved by every child in the environs of south London and the south-east of England, but was and remains comparatively little known amongst miniature railway enthusiasts even to this day.

To order send a cheque, made payable to The Heywood Society, to the Hon Treasurer, Simon Townsend, 10 Cilnant, Mold , Clwyd, CH7 1GG..
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Edited by Phil Ashworth, 8 Nov 2012, 02:31 PM.
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John Nicholson
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I must say this is a superb book and all involved in the writing ,research and publication are to be congratulated.

Well done.

John
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Phil Ashworth
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In the fullness of time there will be a means of paying by PayPal. But in the meantime please feel free to send cheques if possible!

Phil
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Phil Ashworth
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The book is now available using Pay Pal.

In the fullness of time we will have a link from the main page of the society's website.. but in the meantime this link will get you through..

http://www.theheywoodsociety.co.uk/new_page_1.htm



Order now while stocks last! Ideal stocking filler for Christmas.

Phil
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Michael Crofts
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Don't miss your chance to get this. It's brilliant.
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