Silloth miniature railway

[trebor79]

There used to be a miniature railway that ran for a mile or so along the sea front at Silloth. I don't know when it was built, but it operated sporadically in the 80's and early 90's. The track was removed around 1995 although the small engine shed remained.
What happened to the rolling stock and track? I guess it must have been purchased for use elsewhere. There were both steam and diesel locos and open coaches.

Interested in what became of this little railway which I remember well from my childhood.

 

[robvulpes]

"Sir Arthur Heywood" the 2-6-2 half-scale model (built in the Silloth area, I believe) of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway's "Northern Rock" is now on the Eastleigh Lakeside Railway. See here and scroll down.

 

[Ken H]

There used to be a miniature railway that ran for a mile or so along the sea front at Silloth. I don't know when it was built, but it operated sporadically in the 80's and early 90's. The track was removed around 1995 although the small engine shed remained.
What happened to the rolling stock and track? I guess it must have been purchased for use elsewhere. There were both steam and diesel locos and open coaches.

Interested in what became of this little railway which I remember well from my childhood.

You can see the railway on the from on this old OS map I found on https://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm.

 

[John Webb]

The only information I can find in my several books on miniature railways is that it was 7.25 inch gauge. It isn't mentioned in the 1966 Ian Allan book, nor in the later editions of 1998 or 2000 - which isn't surprising as the OP says it had been removed by then!

It is mentioned briefly in the 1992 Oakwood Press book "A Survey of Seaside Miniature Railways" by D J Croft, but no photos.

 

[trebor79]

Some interesting information here, thanks folks.
I'm not sure the map does show it, I think what you can see are standard guage sidings serving the docks (all gone long ago).
From memory, it ran from behind a copse of trees on the green, around a mile or so northward (maybe less than that, I only had little legs!).
I quite like Silloth, although I haven't been for decades. It's got an interesting history and is a pleasant town in its own way.

 

[Cowley]

Some interesting information here, thanks folks.
I'm not sure the map does show it, I think what you can see are standard guage sidings serving the docks (all gone long ago).
From memory, it ran from behind a copse of trees on the green, around a mile or so northward (maybe less than that, I only had little legs!).
I quite like Silloth, although I haven't been for decades. It's got an interesting history and is a pleasant town in its own way.

I must admit that I hadn’t heard of it before, it does look nice.

 

[Calthrop]

Some interesting information here, thanks folks.
I'm not sure the map does show it, I think what you can see are standard guage sidings serving the docks (all gone long ago).
From memory, it ran from behind a copse of trees on the green, around a mile or so northward (maybe less than that, I only had little legs!).
I quite like Silloth, although I haven't been for decades. It's got an interesting history and is a pleasant town in its own way.

I made a brief visit to Silloth, this past summer; really because of my being briefly in that area anyway, and having always found Silloth interesting, largely because of its having been the terminus of a branch line from Carlisle: closed 1964, before any chance for me to travel over it. Found Silloth delightful -- nothing like the rather down-at-heel fourth-rate seaside resort that I'd anticipated: rather, a stylish place, with fine architecture and numerous green spaces -- felt to me like a smaller, northern, quite successful Bournemouth-wannabe (plus wonderful views across the estuary, to the Scottish hills). Had the miniature railway still been running, it would have been totally the icing on the cake.

 

[Ken H]

Some interesting information here, thanks folks.
I'm not sure the map does show it, I think what you can see are standard guage sidings serving the docks (all gone long ago).
From memory, it ran from behind a copse of trees on the green, around a mile or so northward (maybe less than that, I only had little legs!).
I quite like Silloth, although I haven't been for decades. It's got an interesting history and is a pleasant town in its own way.

you need to peer a bit. It runs along the boundary between beach and proper land. The small rectangle by the H of Silloth i think will be the engine shed.
The north end of the line is just short of where it says 'mile fortlet'
use my link and search for Silloth. Click the binoculars to change your location. You change the type of map with the 2 left icons that are supposed to be layers. My image is from 'old 25K'

 

[Ken H]

I made a brief visit to Silloth, this past summer; really because of my being briefly in that area anyway, and having always found Silloth interesting, largely because of its having been the terminus of a branch line from Carlisle: closed 1964, before any chance for me to travel over it. Found Silloth delightful -- nothing like the rather down-at-heel fourth-rate seaside resort that I'd anticipated: rather, a stylish place, with fine architecture and numerous green spaces -- felt to me like a smaller, northern, quite successful Bournemouth-wannabe (plus wonderful views across the estuary, to the Scottish hills). Had the miniature railway still been running, it would have been totally the icing on the cake.

There is still a little railway in the Solway holiday Village
http://www.miniaturerailwayworld.co.uk/Silloth.html

 

[Willmark92]

If you go into the scrub behind the toilets in the lifeboat station car park there is some track in concrete left