Ruislip Lido Railway

right|300px|thumb|'Graham Alexander' is seen on the Water's Edge Station turntable with 'Lady of the Lakes' in the background with the maintenance trainThe Ruislip Lido Railway is a 12-inch (305-mm) gauge miniature railway, running around the popular tourist attraction of 'Ruislip Lido' in Ruislip, Greater London, just 14 miles (22.5 km) from the centre of London. The railway runs from the main station at Woody Bay by the lido's beach, round a 1.5-mile (2.4-km) track around the lake, through the Ruislip woods to 'Water's Edge Station' by the lido's car park. The line runs through 2 disused stations (formally termini stations), these being 'Eleanor’s Loop' and 'Haste Hill'. The section of track between Woody Bay and Wellington Junction is double track, with passing loops at Eleanor’s Loop and Haste Hill. These loops allow two-train operation on certain days of the year to take place. There is also a level crossing between Haste Hill and Water's Edge station (also known as Ruislip Lido Station).

History

The railway started operation in around 1945, with short trains being hauled by "Prince Edward" an Atlantic type steam locomotive. The line was then less than a third of what it is today - it was just a simple "Dog bone" shape circuit on the South East shore of the Lido, running around the woods.

It had been built by the Grand Union Canal Company as part of the leisure facilities at the Ruislip Lido - from which what is actually a reservoir got its current name - up until the mid 1970s / early 1980s, there was swimming in the lido, as well as pedalos, water skiing and all the other attractions of the seaside. On the South East shore, a beach was created, and it was from here the railway started. When the Grand Union was nationalised into British Waterways, control of the Lido passed into the hands of Ruislip-Northwood Urban District Council.

The staff of the line consisted of 1 or 2 people, with any major work being contracted out. "Prince Edward" left the railway in 1959, after being replaced by a petrol-electric locomotive. The unusual, and, even at this time, antiquated gauge of 12 inches between the running rails meant that locomotives and rolling stock could not be bought cheaply "off the shelf", and 12 inch gauge stock is hard to come by second hand. As such, the railway lingered on through the years. Many films were shot at the Lido during this period, with pinewood studios nearby. Identified shots of Ruislip Lido include scenes from the "Young Ones", a film starring Cliff Richard.

Ruislip-Northwood UDC became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon in 1965, but no change happened to the Lido, and neglect and over - charging users was causing patronage to decrease. In summer in the mid 1970's, the original locomotive broke down, and a new locomotive was purchased from Severn Lamb - Robert. However, it was not to be run by the council for long, since an accident occurred in 1978, where several people were hospitalised. The railway was immediately shut down, and soon the railway was showing obvious signs of dereliction. However, in 20 years time, this would be one of the most noted miniature railways in the South East. In 1979, the Ruislip Lido Railway Society Limited was formed to take over the running the railway from the council. This could happen because, in 1973, the council ordered a petrol engined locomotive from builders Severn Lamb, naming it "Robert". This, along with a few short bogie carriages, was all the society's passenger rolling stock for about five years. Reopening day happened in time for the 1980 summer season. Keeping the line open in those early days was often an uphill struggle, with passenger loadings too light to pay for the fuel or too heavy for "Robert" too pull comfortably. Despite this, work soon started on the first stage of an ultimately three stage extension programme around the Lido to the main car park. Leaving the circuit at a point near to where the accident happened, the line carried on through the woodland to a station named Eleanor's Loop.

A new locomotive was ordered from the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Cumbria, to be named "Lady of the Lakes". The locomotive was built to 15 inch gauge so trails could be carried out on the RER, and was converted to 12 inch on arrival at the RLR's new workshops, built only a couple of years earlier. The locomotive entered service just before the new station was opened, along with a new design of carriage, built in the railway's own workshops, some of which had roofs and accommodation for wheelchairs. In the years following the opening of Eleanor's Loop, the line was extended again to Haste Hill, a major engineering project that included cuttings, embankments, steep gradients and tight curves.

A new, more powerful locomotive was purchased from Severn Lamb, the builders of "Robert", called "Graham Alexander", in 1990. By the time Haste Hill was open, the railway had already amassed quite an amount of non - passenger stock for carrying ballast and other vital tasks on the now growing railway, and, so this could be stored undercover, the Permanent Way Shed was built, joining the carriage shed and the workshop in the now busy area in the yard at Woody Bay. Woody Bay station itself had seen improvements - a ticket office and control room, several platform extensions and the building of a water tower. The water tower had become necessary after construction began at the railway of the railway's first steam locomotive since "Prince Edward", "Mad Bess". "Mad Bess" was finally finished in 1998, after the third extension, from Haste Hill station to the car park and entrance was opened. This was constructed by Balfour Beattie under contract, and finished in record time. In recent years, a new carriage shed was built to replace the previous shipping container used, allowing the carriages (some of which were built at the railway) to be stored in better conditions, making sending them away to be refurbished in 2003/04 worthwhile. At the same time, the railway purchased a new diesel from Severn Lamb ('Bayhurst'), arriving in 2003, with an identical loco being ordered shortly afterwards and arriving a year later.

Locomotives

'Mad Bess', a 2-4-0 saddle tank tender locomotive, was built at the Lido by the Society between 1986 and 1998. She is oil-fired owing to the risk of fire from the woods and she is based on older sister 'Blanche' of the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales.

Operations

Radio control is the way in which trains are moved around the circuit and this practice is conducted in a highly professional manner. 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 within the railways operations.

External links

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* [http://www.ruisliplidorailway.org Official Website of Ruislip Lido Railway]