Locomotives & Stock of the Rhyl Miniature Railway

101, JOAN

Joan was built by Albert Barnes & Co of Rhyl in 1920. She is named after Joan Butler, daughter of the Leeds steel company proprietor who owned both Albert Barnes & Co and Rhyl Amusements, which ran the funfair at the Marine Lake, Rhyl. The 'Barnes Atlantics' were designed by Henry Greenly, being slightly larger than the Class 30 'Little Giants' built a few years before by Bassett-Lowke, but still able to negotiate 80ft radius S curves. Click here to see a copy of Greenly's original drawing.  Joan, the first of the six similar locomotives, entered service at the Rhyl Miniature Railway on August Bank Holiday 1920 and she worked 1,500 miles in 1920 alone. Whilst other customers were found for two of the later engines, Joan was still at Rhyl at the end of the 1969 season when the railway was lifted because of problems with the lease of the site.

During the 1970s, Joan was used for a few years on the railway at Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester. Les Hughes bought Joan from Rhyl Amusements Ltd in 1980. In 1984, she re-entered service on the re-laid Rhyl Miniature Railway, having been returned to working order by the late Ken Dove, manager of the line. Each summer since 1987, she has worked virtually all of the steam hauled trains at Rhyl. In 1997 she was fitted with a new boiler made by Franklin & Bell of Gloucester. These people did an excellent job.

On 5th September 1997, Joan moved to the Windmill Farm Railway in Lancashire under a hire/overhaul agreement, returning in 1999. Over the winter of 2008-2009 the boiler was removed from the chassis and re-tubed, whilst during winter 2009-2010 Joan had her locomotive wheels re-tyred and also received new springs. Like the other steam locomotives at RMR, except for Billy, Joan is now owned by Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust.

 

102, RAILWAY QUEEN

This locomotive was named Michael when new, and worked at the Woodland Park Miniature Railway; a short-lived line beside the shore of the Isle of Grain, across the water from Rochester in Kent. Subsequently, it ran for a few years in the tea garden of a pub in Cheshire, before being sold during the winter of 1927/28 to Belle Vue Zoo, Manchester. Once there, it soon acquired the name Railway Queen, in honour of the Queen of the annual Railwaymen’s Carnivals, held at Belle Vue. Railway Queen returned to Rhyl in the 1980s, then joined the later No.105 Michael on display at James Pringle Weavers shop, Llanfair Pwyll Gwyn on Anglesey, before being re-returned to Rhyl in 2007.

Michael, with Railway Queen positioned outside Central Station during the 2008 Old Friends Gala weekend and when a record five Barnes Atlantics were seen together.

At the moment Railway Queen is on static display inside RMR’s Central Station. The locomotive is complete and we fancy that at some future date it may steam again, but not anytime soon. This is because the task of restoration would require a very wealthy benefactor and also absorb a lot of volunteer time, more than we currently have available.

105, MICHAEL

Michael spent the first part of its life in Rhyl with the other three locomotives Joan, John (103), and Billy. When the Railway closed, Michael spent a number of years in store, before returning to re-open the railway in 1978. It worked at the RMR and at the Dudley Zoo Railway until 1994 when Michael was placed on static display on Anglesey. It returned to Rhyl in 2007.

In 2008 it was decided to restore Michael to operation, and an order was placed for a new boiler from TRS Boilermakers. Over winter 2009-2010 a lot of work was carried out on the chassis and tender by the RMR volunteer team led by Pat Kelly. The wheels all went to Acme Precision Engineering near Wrexham where the driving wheels were re-tyred. The chassis was then built back up with new springs being put in place similar to those now on Joan. Great care has been taken to get the finish of the locative as near as possible to its 1960s appearance.

The new boiler was delivered to RMR on 11 September 2010 and on 16th December 201 the locomotive was trial steamed, its first day in steam since 1992. We expect that Michael will re-enter full service at Easter 2011 and will figure prominently throughout the 2011 operating season.

The restoration of Michael to working order has been supported financially by the Communities First Trust Fund.

BILLY

Billy was the last of the six similar locomotives built by Albert Barnes & Co. and operated on the original RMR until it closed in 1969. In 1978, it was auctioned at Sothebys where it was purchased by its present owner, Rhyl Town Council. It was then loaned back to the Rhyl Miniature Railway, where it was last steamed in 1982.

During 1985-86, Billy was restored to its present condition by Gratton Engineering of Derbu. It then spent a period on display at Rhyl main line station before moving into store when that building was developed. On 15th May 2007, this locomotive return again to Rhyl Miniature Railway and is now on loan to Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust for static display in the Alberts Barnes Room, the new museum within RMR's Central Station building. Although it would be techinically feasible to restore Billy to operation, we all think that he is fulfilling a highly useful purpose where he is now.

 

44

This little steam locomotive has been based at Rhyl Miniature Railway from July 2003. The earliest amusement park miniature railways in the UK and which operated during the 1900s, were operated by locomotives similar to this one, supplied by the Cagney brothers in New York. It is thought that our one was among those manufactured in the Cagney brothers' Jersey City workshops and that it dates from c1910.

Our engine spent the earlier part of its working life in the United States; from the 1940s, it operated with two similar engines at the miniature Lancaster and Chester Railway near Fort Mill in South Carolina. This railway was the brainchild of Colonel Elliott Springs, owner of the nearby textile mill, and was where the loco acquired its number 44. Among the vice presidents of the L & C Railway was the striptease artiste Gypsy Rose Lee, who was photographed with the engine during the 1950s.

No. 44 was acquired at auction, 'disassembled', and arrived here in the UK in March 1999. Restoration has been carried out by a team lead by Steve Bell, Arthur Jones and Frank Humphreys. The work required has been extensive, including the manufacture of a new tender and boiler together with new axles to convert the locomotive from 16in gauge back to the original Cagney 15in gauge.

Although this loco was never intended for use on tracks as long as ours, operation at Rhyl now over almost ten years has shown us what a good little locomotive design this is. This must be why so many of them were built – around 1,300; much the most commercially successful miniature locomotive design of all time.

CLARA

Clara was built by the late Trevor Guest in 1961, for service at the Dudley Zoo Railway. Although it was never a steam locomotive it does incorporate some features (like its chimney and dome) in common with steam locos from its builder. It was sold to Alan Keef and arrived at Rhyl in 1978. In the early 1980s, it lay out of use before having its wheels re-tyred and its engine overhauled. Since then, it has become indispensable to the Rhyl Miniature Railway.

Although the design has never been copied, the locomotive has always been a very practical unit in service. It starts instantly and will run all day on £2 of diesel. It does most of our work in first gear, though it does have four gears in each direction, along with air brakes and a whistle.

In June 1996, Clara was overhauled by Will Lloyd and Albert Webb and received a replacement Leyland engine. It is seen above in the present-day blue livery and marshalled between Joan and the ex Sutton Miniature Railway (S.M.R.) railcar, which made a brief visit along with S.M.R. 4-4-2, No. 2, Sutton Flyer in 2003.

Saloon Railcar

Origins of this vehicle go back to the 1957/1958 when Les Anderson and his father were running their 15in gauge railway at Severn Beach near Bristol. This was when the bodywork was first built, making up two four wheeled enclosed coaches. During the early 1970s, they operated the Longleat Railway in Wiltshire and it was there that the two bodies were united on a new steel frame, more than 20ft long and with a new roof. Subsequently, the vehicle moved to the formative Axe and Lyme Valley Railway, and was included in the sale of equipment when that scheme to reopen part of the ex BR (SR) Axminster-Lyme Regis branch line as a miniature railway folded.

At Easter 1979, the coach was in store at Birnbeck Pier near Weston-Super-Mare, ready for use on another railway there which never opened to the public. Then it was purchased by Norman Hayne, owner of the Blaise Castle Miniature Railway, north of Bristol. He converted it in 1983 to its present form as a battery electric railcar, having a 24 volt milk float motor driving on one axle. In this form the railcar operated successfully at Blaise Castle for some fifteen years, subsequently being stored on site in the shed/tunnel, where it suffered minor damage from vandals.

During July 2003 the Blaise Castle Miniature Railway was sold to Austin Moss and its equipment moved to the Windmill Farm Railway in Lancashire. This vehicle was then purchased by Simon Townsend and was delivered to Rhyl in October 2004. Having American 'Pullman' lines, it is an appropriate luxury saloon car to run with Cagney No 44 and is also our first and only all-weather carriage.

At Rhyl, the vehicle has returned to its earlier form - with open verandas at each end - and has been painted in green 'Pullman' livery. During June 2007, we purchased 'deep cycle' batteries which have enabled this vehicle to be able to operate trains in its own right. Being electrically powered it is an economic unit, being used for instance on Saturdays in the less popular months of the season.

The Lister

Our Lister diesel locomotive was built by the Dursley firm in 1938, works number 10498 to their RT design, originally with a petrol engine. It was new to Messrs John Board & Co Ltd, Portland & Cement & Lime Works, Dunball, Somerset. This system closed in 1954, when it was sold to the Eclipse Peat Co Ltd, Ashcott, Somerset. They fitted the present 14½HP 2 cylinder diesel engine and heavy duty gearbox. It worked there as Eclipse/Fisons No 10 until that railway finished in the early 1980s.

It then passed through various dealers until sold in 1988 to Jackman's Garden Centre, Woking Surrey. They had it regauged to 15in by Alan Keef Ltd, and used it on a short pleasure line which operated mainly for Santa Specials. Following a change in ownership at the garden centre the loco was sold in 1998 to Brian Gent, from whom Simon Townsend acquired it in 1999. Since then it has been painted, had new couplings fitted, wheels re-profiled, and has acquired a timber body with an overall roof.

The Lister, seen in its current guise, whilst moving museum locomotive Billy into position during the 2008 Gala weekend.

Rolling Stock

Our usual train consists of three or four of what Henry Greenly described in 1913 as 'cars de luxe'. Each coach has five seats, room for 10 adults, or rather more children when pressed, all facing forwards. The bodies are wooden, and very tough (they have had to be). They are carried on four-wheeled bogies, some of which still have axlebox covers from Messrs Milnes Voss, manufacturers of tramcars in Birkenhead during the 1910s. When suitably oiled, these bogies still roll very freely; they are truly a design that has stood the test of time.

We are proud to say that these coaches are not 'restored' (looking at them closely will confirm this!). They are simply still doing what they were originally built to do.

Joan takes a short train of De-luxe coaching stock past the former shed building in July 2008.

Over the winter of 2000/2001, a fifth coach was built by Justin Bell, similar to the four vintage examples, using two spare 'Milnes' bogies. This vehicle has since been adapted with air brakes and a section for passengers in wheelchairs.

The Guard/Brake and Wheelchair De-Luxe carriage bringing up the rear of a train in July 2008.

In November 2000, two small open passenger coaches and a bogie ballast wagon were acquired, together with parts for other small vehicles.

In May 2002, further parts of original Rhyl bogie coaches arrived, consisting of two underframes and seven more 'Milnes' type bogies. Both of these vehicles have since been fully restored, with new decking and hardwood seats. We hope (in 2011) shortly to achieve two rakes of traditional stock, like the railway had in the 1960s; one of these rakes will be in 1960s blue livery, to match with Michael.

In July 2002, two Cagney coaches were acquired, which had operated in a park near Lima in Peru. One of these is thought to be approximately 100 years old, whilst the second is an exact replica, made in Lima, using original Cagney ironwork.

Although manufactured in large numbers during the 1900s, these little vehicles are now very rare worldwide (even more so than the Cagney locomotives). We were fortunate to be able to acquire these examples from Jeremy Martin, who had discovered them and organised their restoration and export whilst he was working in Peru.

Currently these vehicles are stored; we hope to be able to again demonstrate their operation on special occasions at some time in the future.