Dobwalls Adventure Park
Encyclopedia
Dobwalls Adventure Park was a family-run visitor attraction in the village of Dobwalls, near Liskeard
, Cornwall
.
Founded in 1970, by John Southern OBE, the park was one of Cornwall's top visitor attractions.
The park consisted of two miniature railway networks complemented by large play areas and recreational grounds, both indoors and outdoors, an award-winning art gallery and woodland walks.
The park closed at the end of the 2006 season for redevelopment work. In June 2007 it was announced that it would not reopen in its original form as an adventure park.
and the Sherman Hill route of the Union Pacific Railroad
; passengers were whisked through tunnels, over bridges and trestles and into canyons.
The Rio Grande line was opened in 1970 and included a 1:25 (4%) gradient, the steepest climb anywhere in the world on a passenger-carrying miniature railway. The line wove in and out of a magnificent forest, recreating the wonders of the Colorado railroads.
The Union Pacific route was opened in 1979, due to the success of the Rio Grande system, and added another stunning miniature railway network to travel on. It was modelled closely on the real Union Pacific Sherman Hill line in Wyoming
and had a ruling gradient was 1:66 (1.51%), a very steep hill for a railway.
In October 2006 it was announced that after over 25 years in operation, the Union Pacific railroad was to close. The last train over the rails, fittingly hauled by Big Boy, ran on October 29th 2006.
June 2007 saw the announcement that the remaining Rio Grande route would not reopen for the 2008 season, and would be replaced by a shorter simplified line.
The locomotives were as follows:
Steam Locomotives
Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 No. X4008 "William Jeffers"
Union Pacific 4-8-2 No. 818 "Queen of Wyoming"
Union Pacific 4-8-2 No. 838 "Queen of Nebraska"
Rio Grande 2-8-2 No. 488 "General Palmer" (Sold separately, 2008, and due to depart the UK to Australia to Puffing Billy train steam theme park in Melbourne.)
Rio Grande 2-8-2 No. 498 "Otto Mears"
Freelance 2-6-2 No. 88 "David Curwen" (Sold in 2005 - this locomotives is now at the Eastleigh Lakeside Railway)
Diesel Locomotives
Union Pacific DDA40X Do-Do No.6908 "Centennial"
Rio Grande GP35 Bo-Bo No.3008 "Mathias Baldwin"
Santa Fe FP45 Co-Co No.5908 "Pioneer"
Amtrak E8 No. 248 "Spirit of America"
When the park closed in 2006, all the locomotives were made available for sale.
In early 2008, eight of the locomotives were sold to a gentleman in Dorset to run at Plowman's Railroad
near Ferndown in Dorset.The Dorset railway is no longer running.
The locomotives have been since been exported to Australia as part of a private project to build a seven and a quarter inch railroad next to the 'Puffing Billy Railway' in Australia..
Construction of the first phase of 15 uniquely designed holiday homes is nearing completion. For more information visit the Falcon Ridge link at the bottom of the page.
The Southern Gallery is still open at the Dobwalls site
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
Founded in 1970, by John Southern OBE, the park was one of Cornwall's top visitor attractions.
The park consisted of two miniature railway networks complemented by large play areas and recreational grounds, both indoors and outdoors, an award-winning art gallery and woodland walks.
The park closed at the end of the 2006 season for redevelopment work. In June 2007 it was announced that it would not reopen in its original form as an adventure park.
Miniature railway networks
The main attraction in the park was the gauge miniature railway networks. It was based on two very different American railroad routes, the Rio Grande Cumbres Pass lineCumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad running between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado. It runs over the Cumbres Pass, the highest point on a US passenger railway....
and the Sherman Hill route of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
; passengers were whisked through tunnels, over bridges and trestles and into canyons.
The Rio Grande line was opened in 1970 and included a 1:25 (4%) gradient, the steepest climb anywhere in the world on a passenger-carrying miniature railway. The line wove in and out of a magnificent forest, recreating the wonders of the Colorado railroads.
The Union Pacific route was opened in 1979, due to the success of the Rio Grande system, and added another stunning miniature railway network to travel on. It was modelled closely on the real Union Pacific Sherman Hill line in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
and had a ruling gradient was 1:66 (1.51%), a very steep hill for a railway.
In October 2006 it was announced that after over 25 years in operation, the Union Pacific railroad was to close. The last train over the rails, fittingly hauled by Big Boy, ran on October 29th 2006.
June 2007 saw the announcement that the remaining Rio Grande route would not reopen for the 2008 season, and would be replaced by a shorter simplified line.
Locomotives
Dobwalls was home to nine replicas of American giant locomotives, each now worth in excess of £50,000 .The locomotives were as follows:
Steam Locomotives
Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 No. X4008 "William Jeffers"
Union Pacific 4-8-2 No. 818 "Queen of Wyoming"
Union Pacific 4-8-2 No. 838 "Queen of Nebraska"
Rio Grande 2-8-2 No. 488 "General Palmer" (Sold separately, 2008, and due to depart the UK to Australia to Puffing Billy train steam theme park in Melbourne.)
Rio Grande 2-8-2 No. 498 "Otto Mears"
Freelance 2-6-2 No. 88 "David Curwen" (Sold in 2005 - this locomotives is now at the Eastleigh Lakeside Railway)
Diesel Locomotives
Union Pacific DDA40X Do-Do No.6908 "Centennial"
Rio Grande GP35 Bo-Bo No.3008 "Mathias Baldwin"
Santa Fe FP45 Co-Co No.5908 "Pioneer"
Amtrak E8 No. 248 "Spirit of America"
When the park closed in 2006, all the locomotives were made available for sale.
In early 2008, eight of the locomotives were sold to a gentleman in Dorset to run at Plowman's Railroad
Plowman's Railroad
Plowman's Railroad operates the collection of gauge American outline steam and diesel locomotives from the former Dobwalls Adventure Park and is located at Plowmans Garden Nursery & Plant Centre Ltd, 392 Christchurch Road, West Parley, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 8SW...
near Ferndown in Dorset.The Dorset railway is no longer running.
The locomotives have been since been exported to Australia as part of a private project to build a seven and a quarter inch railroad next to the 'Puffing Billy Railway' in Australia..
Redevelopment work
The park is now closed for major redevelopment which will include the construction of new holiday lodges, a new arts centre and various other adjustments designed to boost income to the park at a time when many theme parks are feeling the pinch of increasing competition and falling profits. The existing Go Kart track will also be demolished in the process. The Southern Gallery will remain until its new home is completed. It has also been announced that some of the play equipment would be removed during the redevelopment.Construction of the first phase of 15 uniquely designed holiday homes is nearing completion. For more information visit the Falcon Ridge link at the bottom of the page.
The Southern Gallery is still open at the Dobwalls site