Lappa Valley Steam Railway

Heritage Railway
name =
Lappa Valley Steam Railway



locale = Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom
terminus = St Newlyn East
linename = Newquay to Chacewater branch line
builtby = Great Western Railway
originalgauge = RailGauge|ussg
preservedgauge = RailGauge|15
owned = Lappa Valley Railway Co. Ltd
operator = Lappa Valley Railway Co. Ltd
|
stations = 2
length = 1½ miles
originalopen = 1905
closed = 4 February, 1963
stageyears = 1974
stage = Lappa Valley Steam Railway opened

The Lappa Valley Steam Railway is a RailGauge|15 minimum gauge railway located near Newquay in Cornwall. The railway functions as a tourist attraction, running from Benny Halt to East Wheal Rose where there is a leisure area.

History

Treffry's Tramway

In 1843, Joseph Treffry 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 26th 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.

Great Western Railway

The Great Western Railway 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 in the 1970s. The trackbed was cleared of the thick undergrowth that had grown since the closure of the railway in 1963, and the 15" gauge track was laid for a mile between Benny Halt and East Wheal Rose. A brand new steam locomotive "Zebedee" was built for the line by Severn Lamb, 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 7¼" gauge railway was laid around a smaller boating lake, whilst a third railway, of 10¼" gauge, running a further ½ mile along the old trackbed was opened in May 1995.

East Wheal Rose

At East Wheal Rose, The 10¼" gauge Newlyn Branch Line and 7¼" 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 café, and a brick path maze depicting the first steam locomotive built by Richard Trevithick, along with many walks through the valley.

tocklist

External links

* [http://www.chycor.co.uk/lappa-valley-railway/ Railway website]