Ruislip Lido Railway
Encyclopedia
The Ruislip Lido Railway is a gauge miniature railway around Ruislip Lido
in Ruislip
, 14 miles (22.5 km) west of central London
. Running from the main station at Woody Bay by the lido's beach, on a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) track around the reservoir, the railway passes through Ruislip Woods
to Ruislip Lido station near the Water's Edge restaurant and the lido's car park. There are two disused stations (formally termini) on the line: Eleanor’s Loop and Haste Hill. The Woody Bay to Wellington Junction section of the railway features a double track, with passing loops at Eleanor’s Loop and Haste Hill thereby allowing two-train operation. There is a level crossing
between Haste Hill and Ruislip Lido stations.
Originally built by the Grand Union Canal Company over a much shorter route, the line has been extended in recent years and now covers over two thirds of the perimeter of the reservoir. Following several years of decline under the ownership of the local council, the railway has been operated by a voluntary society since 1979.
as part of Ruislip Lido, with short trains hauled by the Atlantic-type steam locomotive, Prince Albert. Built along the south-east shore of the reservoir, where a beach had been created, control of the lido passed to Ruislip-Northwood Urban District Council
(RNUDC) when the Grand Union was nationalised in 1948 to become part of British Waterways
.
One or two people normally staffed the line with major work contracted out. Prince Edward was replaced by a petrol-electric locomotive in 1959, although the antiquated gauge meant locomotives and rolling stock were not widely available and therefore expensive.
The RNUDC became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon in 1965. Subsequent neglect of the lido as well as its entrance fees reduced visitor numbers. In the mid-1970s the original locomotive broke down and a new one was purchased from manufacturer Severn Lamb
. It did not run for long due to a 1978 accident, which injured several people. The railway was then shut and soon began to display signs of dereliction.
In 1979, the Ruislip Lido Railway Society was established to take on the running of the railway and the line reopened ready for the summer of 1980. Keeping the line open became a struggle, with either too few passengers to pay for fuel or too many for the trains to accommodate comfortably. Despite this, work commenced on an extension around the lido to the main car park. Leaving the circuit near where the accident happened, the line carried on through woodland to Eleanor's Loop.
A new locomotive was ordered from the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
(R&ER) in Cumbria
, and named Lady of the Lakes. Previously gauge to allow trials to be carried out on the R&ER, the locomotive was converted to on arrival. Lady of the Lakes entered service just before the new station opened, equipped with newly designed carriages built in the railway's workshops. The line was extended again to Haste Hill, which involved the construction of cuttings, embankments, steep gradients and tight curves.
In 1990, a new and more powerful locomotive was purchased from Severn Lamb and Haste Hill station opened. Ballast for maintenance began to be carried on the railway using appropriate rolling stock. A storage shed was built alongside the carriage shed and a workshop in the yard at Woody Bay. Woody Bay station received a ticket office, and a control room, and the platforms were extended. A water tower was also built in preparation for the arrival in 1998 of a new steam engine, Mad Bess. The third extension from Haste Hill to the lido entrance opened in the same year.
A new diesel locomotive arrived from Severn Lamb in 2003, followed by an identical one the following year.
A special 2009 production for Halloween was held at the railway in association with the Argosy Players, a local dramatic group from the Compass Theatre
in Ickenham
. The "Mad Bess Express" purported to explain the origins of the name of the Mad Bess Wood and involved trains being met in the woods by actors dressed to resemble ghosts and ghouls.
In 2010, the Woody Bay ticket office and the nearby children's playground were damaged by vandals driving a stolen tractor.
Mad Bess, a 2–4–0 saddle tank tender locomotive, was built at the Lido by the Society between 1986 and 1998. The locomotive is based on Blanche
, which is preserved at the Ffestiniog Railway
in Wales
. Mad Bess is oil-fired to avoid the risk of fire in the woods.
The railway also has its own team of permanent way
staff who maintain the track to a high standard.
The railway is run entirely by volunteers with many young rail enthusiasts involved with its operation.
Ruislip Lido
Ruislip Lido is a reservoir and artificial beach in Ruislip, within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated between Ruislip Common, Ruislip Woods , and Poors Field....
in Ruislip
Ruislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
, 14 miles (22.5 km) west of central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Running from the main station at Woody Bay by the lido's beach, on a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) track around the reservoir, the railway passes through Ruislip Woods
Ruislip Woods
Ruislip Woods is a wooded area and National Nature Reserve covering in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The woods became the first National Nature Reserve in an urban area of England in May 1997, receiving the Green Flag Award in 2006....
to Ruislip Lido station near the Water's Edge restaurant and the lido's car park. There are two disused stations (formally termini) on the line: Eleanor’s Loop and Haste Hill. The Woody Bay to Wellington Junction section of the railway features a double track, with passing loops at Eleanor’s Loop and Haste Hill thereby allowing two-train operation. There is a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
between Haste Hill and Ruislip Lido stations.
Originally built by the Grand Union Canal Company over a much shorter route, the line has been extended in recent years and now covers over two thirds of the perimeter of the reservoir. Following several years of decline under the ownership of the local council, the railway has been operated by a voluntary society since 1979.
History
The railway was built in 1945 by the Grand Union Canal CompanyGrand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
as part of Ruislip Lido, with short trains hauled by the Atlantic-type steam locomotive, Prince Albert. Built along the south-east shore of the reservoir, where a beach had been created, control of the lido passed to Ruislip-Northwood Urban District Council
Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
Ruislip-Northwood was an urban district in west Middlesex, England, from 1904 to 1965. From its inception Ruislip-Northwood fell within the Metropolitan Police District and from 1933 it was part of the London Passenger Transport Area....
(RNUDC) when the Grand Union was nationalised in 1948 to become part of British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
.
One or two people normally staffed the line with major work contracted out. Prince Edward was replaced by a petrol-electric locomotive in 1959, although the antiquated gauge meant locomotives and rolling stock were not widely available and therefore expensive.
The RNUDC became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon in 1965. Subsequent neglect of the lido as well as its entrance fees reduced visitor numbers. In the mid-1970s the original locomotive broke down and a new one was purchased from manufacturer Severn Lamb
Severn 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...
. It did not run for long due to a 1978 accident, which injured several people. The railway was then shut and soon began to display signs of dereliction.
In 1979, the Ruislip Lido Railway Society was established to take on the running of the railway and the line reopened ready for the summer of 1980. Keeping the line open became a struggle, with either too few passengers to pay for fuel or too many for the trains to accommodate comfortably. Despite this, work commenced on an extension around the lido to the main car park. Leaving the circuit near where the accident happened, the line carried on through woodland to Eleanor's Loop.
A new locomotive was ordered from the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a minimum gauge heritage railway in Cumbria, England. The line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale, in the Lake District...
(R&ER) in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, and named Lady of the Lakes. Previously gauge to allow trials to be carried out on the R&ER, the locomotive was converted to on arrival. Lady of the Lakes entered service just before the new station opened, equipped with newly designed carriages built in the railway's workshops. The line was extended again to Haste Hill, which involved the construction of cuttings, embankments, steep gradients and tight curves.
In 1990, a new and more powerful locomotive was purchased from Severn Lamb and Haste Hill station opened. Ballast for maintenance began to be carried on the railway using appropriate rolling stock. A storage shed was built alongside the carriage shed and a workshop in the yard at Woody Bay. Woody Bay station received a ticket office, and a control room, and the platforms were extended. A water tower was also built in preparation for the arrival in 1998 of a new steam engine, Mad Bess. The third extension from Haste Hill to the lido entrance opened in the same year.
A new diesel locomotive arrived from Severn Lamb in 2003, followed by an identical one the following year.
A special 2009 production for Halloween was held at the railway in association with the Argosy Players, a local dramatic group from the Compass Theatre
Compass Theatre
The Compass Theatre is a 158 seat theatre in Ickenham, in, and owned by, the London Borough of Hillingdon.Middlesex County Council bought Ickenham Hall and its grounds in 1948 in order to convert it into a youth centre. In 1968 a theatre was built behind the hall, later named the Compass Theatre by...
in Ickenham
Ickenham
Ickenham is a suburban area centred on an old village in Greater London, part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.While no major historical events have taken place in Ickenham, settlements dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain have been discovered during archaeological surveys, and the...
. The "Mad Bess Express" purported to explain the origins of the name of the Mad Bess Wood and involved trains being met in the woods by actors dressed to resemble ghosts and ghouls.
In 2010, the Woody Bay ticket office and the nearby children's playground were damaged by vandals driving a stolen tractor.
Locomotives
Source: Ruislip Lido Railway Society| No. | Name | Built | Livery | Locomotive type | Wheel arr. |
In Traffic? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Robert | 1973 | Light blue | Diesel-hydraulic | 4w-4 | Special Events |
| 5 | Lady of the Lakes | 1986 | Red | Diesel-mechanical | 4w-4w | P-Way Use |
| 6 | Mad Bess | 1986-98 | Green | Steam 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... |
2-4-0 2-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels.... T |
Yes |
| 7 | Graham Alexander | 1990 | Blue | Diesel-mechanical | 4w-4w | Yes |
| 8 | Bayhurst | 2003 | Green | Diesel-hydraulic | 4w-4w | Yes |
| 9 | John Rennie | 2004 | Dark red | Diesel-hydraulic | 4w-4w | Yes |
Mad Bess, a 2–4–0 saddle tank tender locomotive, was built at the Lido by the Society between 1986 and 1998. The locomotive is based on Blanche
Penrhyn Main Line class
The Penrhyn Main Line class was a class of three narrow gauge steam locomotives built for the Penrhyn Quarry Railway . These locomotives were built by the Hunslet Engine Company between 1882 and 1893 and supplied specifically to work the railway that connected the Penrhyn Quarry near Bethesda in...
, which is preserved at the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Mad Bess is oil-fired to avoid the risk of fire in the woods.
Operations
When there is more than one train out on the line, one of the railway's qualified controllers will operate the control office at Woody Bay. Trains are given permission to enter different sections of the line via radio from the controller, who records who movements on a graph. No two trains can be in the same section at one time, unless one is assisting another.The railway also has its own team of permanent way
Permanent way
The permanent way is the elements of railway lines: generally the pairs of rails typically laid on the sleepers embedded in ballast, intended to carry the ordinary trains of a railway...
staff who maintain the track to a high standard.
The railway is run entirely by volunteers with many young rail enthusiasts involved with its operation.