9 Aug 09 - Pentney Park Railway

Pentney Park is a holiday campsite, roughly halfway between King's Lynn and Swaffham on the A47. I've driven past there dozens of times and never suspected that a little gem of a railway was hidden within....welcome to the Pentney Park Railway (PPR)....

The PPR is an elusive little devil. This weekend was the only weekend of the entire year in which trains would be running on its narrow tracks. Information is scarce about the PPR and we consider ourselves fortunate to have written to them a while ago, and received a reply, with details of this weekend's opening, last week (thanks to Bryan Webster).

I'm not sure if any trains or engines are housed permanently at Pentney. Their engine shed is roomy enough, but it seems that members of the engine-owning fraternity gather on rare occasions and bring their pride and joys with them. I had a particularly long and enjoyable chat with some chaps from the Evergreens Miniature Railway, which is located in Stickney, near Boston in Lincolnshire. We were even invited to visit them as special guests, an offer which we shall definitely take up. You can check their railway out at their website:

http://www.steamingalan.webs.com/

Today there were about six or seven engines of various sizes and types all taking turns to haul passengers around the track. It's rather incongruous to be chuffing through a campsite, past people snoozing in deckchairs or wringing out their smalls to hang on the washing line! The track is quite long, I'd guess maybe a kilometre in total, and includes a small bridge which marks the start of the loop at the furthest point from the station.

This really was great fun! The drivers have several engines out on the track at any one time, which means you're often involved in what seems like a chase. The cost was a mere £1 per person per ride, which is all donated to charity after the weekend.

We'd highly recommend keeping an eye out for the next time the PPR is in operation - we'll be going back and we hope we'll see you there!

Just When You Thought....

Just when you thought you had you list of railways sorted.....


We had "finally" settled on a list of sixteen railways. And we've done eight, so it will be a tough ride to reach the target.



But then John Mason, of the Barton House Railway, emails to let us know that there is another miniature railway at Hemsby, and there may be yet another at Holt station of the North Norfolk Railway!


This list just keeps on growing!

5 Aug 09 - Wells Harbour Railway

Welcome to the Wells Harbour Railway!

　

Our second railway of the day found us beside the football ground of Wells Football Club (“The Seasiders”) to ride on possibly the only Straight Line track of our entire adventure. The WHR links the main part of Wells with the beach and lifeboat station, which are about one mile apart.

This is an extremely popular and busy little railway, as it provides a neat short-cut for visitors to the town. As such, it must be one of the most “useful” of the railways we’re visiting, as it doesn’t simply exist as an attraction in itself. It does get very busy, so it may be worth your while biting the bullet and queuing, or telling one of your children to queue for you….

　

There are three engines taking turns on the track, and the staff are very friendly and willing to talk about what’s going on, lovely! The fare is paid for a one-way trip, and is £1.20 for adults, and £1 for children. You’ll be seated in covered carriages, which can be described as “cosy”.

Unfortunately we didn’t quite have enough time to visit the lifeboat station as Sam had spent so long playing in the nice little playground next to the town-end station…..and there was a mini-carnival taking place at the same time, so we kinda forgot about the railways for an hour or two…..
　

Wells itself is a nice little seaside town, and we’d recommend a visit. And while you’re there, hop on the WHR too!

Eight down.....eight (?) to go....

5 Aug 09 - Wells & Walsingham Light Railway

The Wells & Walsingham Light Railway connects the seaside with the christian equivalent of Euro Disney, and claims to be the longest 10 ¼ inch railway in the world. And it’s well worth visiting!
　

The timetable varies at different times of the year so it’s best to check before you travel. In August they run the maximum number of trains to coincide with the school holidays, and so it came to pass that Sam and Dad arrived in Little Walsingham (don’t go to Great Walsingham next door) with half an hour to spare before the first departure of the day at 11 a.m. It was a good thing we were early too, as Walsingham’s not an easy place to negotiate on your first visit! The tiny roads are thronged with christians of all sizes, shapes and colours, and best of all, NUNS and MONKS and VICARS IN DRESSES! All this fancy dress scenery will give you a chuckle before you even get parked.

　
Try to find a local sign for Egmere and this will put you on the right road for the station. When you find the station turn round, head back towards the village, and turn into (I think) Coker's Hill, where there’s a convenient Pray & Display (pun copyright of Sam) car park. As we drove in there were yet more vicars milling around, Walsingham’s like Father Ted, but for real. We paid £3 for five hours stay, which turned out to be perfect.

When you turn into the railway you’ll see a small shed and a tiny set of buffers - don’t worry, this IS the station. The green Walsingham sign will confirm you’re in the right place. When the train arrives take your seats, the guard will come to find you to sell you your tickets. There’s a choice of carriages, open or enclosed, so I guess your choice will depend on the weather.

　

Now that we’re seasoned railway riders, we take the back of the train on the outward journey, so we can see the whole thing as it takes a corner, then the front carriage on the way back, to be close to the engine. We’ve turned into anoraks.

　

The fares are £7.50 for an adult return, and £6 for over-threes. A little steep? Possibly, but attractions like this need to raise funds to keep going, so I’m all in favour.

　

The ride itself was absolutely beautiful at this time of year. The untouched embankments and cuttings that make up much of the route are overgrown with wildlife-friendly planting, and thousands of butterflies flutter around as the train goes by. It’s a shame there are quite so many cuttings, because they obscure some wonderful views of the Norfolk countryside. Your journey lasts about half an hour each way.

　
The station at Wells Next The Sea is actually about a kilometre away from the main part of the town. That’s not so bad on the way in, as it’s downhill and children have the excitement of the seaside ahead. To go back you may want to consider an alternative method of transport….I lugged Sam back on my shoulders, which was fun but bloomin’ hard work!

　

Altogether a lovely little railway - and your little ones may conk out on the way home!