Lappa Valley Steam Railway
Encyclopedia
The Lappa Valley Steam Railway is a minimum gauge railway
located near Newquay
in Cornwall
. The railway functions as a tourist attraction, running from Benny Halt (50.3756°N 5.0412°W) to East Wheal Rose
(50.3623°N 5.0416°W), where there is a leisure area.
suggested building a tramway between Par
and Newquay
, with a branch line to the East Wheal Rose
silver lead mine, which at the time was entering its most prosperous period. Treffry spent six years trying to overcome public opposition to the tramway and was forced to modify his intended route. The Treffry Tramways
were eventually built from Newquay to St. Dennis with the branch line to East Wheal Rose, and the first load of ore left East Wheal Rose on 26 February 1849 in horse-drawn tubs. 1874 saw the Treffry's network of tramways taken over by the Cornwall Minerals Railway
, who introduced steam locomotives to the line.
took over the Cornish Minerals Railway in 1896, and incorporated the East Wheal Rose branch into a new railway from Newquay to Chacewater via. Perranporth. This new railway was opened in 1905, and enabled passengers to reach the market town of Truro much quicker than they had before. The Newquay to Chacewater branch line also proved popular for holidaymakers. The railway closed on the 4th February 1963 under the Beeching cuts.
, arriving in early 1974 with 4 locally built carriages. The railway opened to the public on the 16th June 1974. A large boating lake was dug at East Wheal Rose in 1975 to drain the area, and the whole East Wheal Rose area landscaped. More locomotives arrived from Longleat in 1976, with more carriages also being built at the time. In the 1970s a gauge railway was laid around a smaller boating lake, whilst a third railway, of gauge, running a further 1/2 mi along the old trackbed was opened in May 1995.
Also there are two lakes the biggest being the boating lake, the second smaller lake being the wildlife lake, a crazy golf course and many children's play areas. Along with a gift shop and licensed
café
, and a brick
path
maze
depicting the first steam locomotive
built by Richard Trevithick
, along with many walks through the valley.
Minimum gauge railway
Minimum gauge railways have a gauge of less than or , most commonly , , or . The notion of minimum gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways and by the French company of Decauville for industrial railways....
located near Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
in 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...
. The railway functions as a tourist attraction, running from Benny Halt (50.3756°N 5.0412°W) to East Wheal Rose
(50.3623°N 5.0416°W), where there is a leisure area.
Treffry's Tramway
In 1843, Joseph TreffryJoseph Treffry
Joseph Austen Treffry was an engineer, mining adventurer, and industrialist who became a significant landowner in Cornwall, United Kingdom.-Biography:...
suggested building a tramway between Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
and Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
, with a branch line to the East Wheal Rose
East Wheal Rose
East Wheal Rose was a metalliferous mine about a kilometre south east of the village of St Newlyn East, which is about 5 km inland from Newquay on the north Cornwall coast, United Kingdom...
silver lead mine, which at the time was entering its most prosperous period. Treffry spent six years trying to overcome public opposition to the tramway and was forced to modify his intended route. The Treffry Tramways
Treffry Tramways
The Treffry Tramways were a disjoint network of horse worked mineral tramways in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. They were named after the man principally responsible for their construction, Joseph Treffry , a local land owner and entrepreneur. At their maximum extent, the Treffry Tramways...
were eventually built from Newquay to St. Dennis with the branch line to East Wheal Rose, and the first load of ore left East Wheal Rose on 26 February 1849 in horse-drawn tubs. 1874 saw the Treffry's network of tramways taken over by the Cornwall Minerals Railway
Cornwall Minerals Railway
The Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
, who introduced steam locomotives to the line.
Great Western Railway
The Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
took over the Cornish Minerals Railway in 1896, and incorporated the East Wheal Rose branch into a new railway from Newquay to Chacewater via. Perranporth. This new railway was opened in 1905, and enabled passengers to reach the market town of Truro much quicker than they had before. The Newquay to Chacewater branch line also proved popular for holidaymakers. The railway closed on the 4th February 1963 under the Beeching cuts.
Lappa Valley Steam Railway
The Lappa Valley Steam Railway was established by Eric Booth (contested as the first inventor of rigid transistor contact lenses) in the 1970s. The trackbed was cleared of the thick undergrowth that had grown since the closure of the railway in 1963, and the gauge track was laid for 1 miles (1.6 km) between Benny Halt and East Wheal Rose. A brand new steam locomotive Zebedee was built for the line by Severn LambSevern Lamb
Severn Lamb, sometimes known as Severn-Lamb, are a manufacturers of various forms of transport systems and equipment, principally aimed at the leisure market. They are based at Alcester in the English county of Warwickshire, but sell their products world-wide.The company was founded by Peter Severn...
, arriving in early 1974 with 4 locally built carriages. The railway opened to the public on the 16th June 1974. A large boating lake was dug at East Wheal Rose in 1975 to drain the area, and the whole East Wheal Rose area landscaped. More locomotives arrived from Longleat in 1976, with more carriages also being built at the time. In the 1970s a gauge railway was laid around a smaller boating lake, whilst a third railway, of gauge, running a further 1/2 mi along the old trackbed was opened in May 1995.
East Wheal Rose
At East Wheal Rose, The gauge Newlyn Branch Line and gauge Woodland Railway depart from at the top station on the Newlyn Branch Line is another children's play area.Also there are two lakes the biggest being the boating lake, the second smaller lake being the wildlife lake, a crazy golf course and many children's play areas. Along with a gift shop and licensed
Liquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, and a brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
path
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
depicting the first steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
built by Richard Trevithick
Richard Trevithick
Richard Trevithick was a British inventor and mining engineer from Cornwall. His most significant success was the high pressure steam engine and he also built the first full-scale working railway steam locomotive...
, along with many walks through the valley.
Stocklist
| Number | Name | Gauge | Type | Builder | Built | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zebedee | 0-6-4T | Severn Lamb | 1974 | Rebuilt from 0-6-2T in 1990. | ||
| 2 | Muffin | 0-6-0 | Berwyn Engineering | 1967 | Longleat House | ||
| Gladiator | 4-4wDH | Minirail | 1960 | Longleat House | Formerly a railcar | ||
| 4 | Arthur | 4wDM | Lister | 1942 | Longleat House | Rebuild of 'Pooh' (2011) | |
| Duke of Cornwall | 4w-4wPH | Severn Lamb | 1981 | Carlyon Bay, St Austell | |||
| Eric | 0-6-0DH | Alan Keef | 2008 | Named after the founder of Lappa Valley | |||
| 4-4wPH | Mardyke | 1983 | HST | ||||
| 4w+4wPH | Mardyke | 1987 | Model of Advanced Passenger Train |