Monday, 11 June 2012

Narrow Gauge on Hayling Island


En-route to our holiday recently we stopped off at Hayling Island, to have a ride on the Hayling Seaside Railway. This little 2' gauge pleasure line, which only opened in 2003, starts from behind the Funland funfair at Beachlands. For it's entire route of just over a mile it runs along the back of the shingle beach, with a passing station mid-way (Mengham Road) and a simple terminus at Eastoke Corner.

 
Jack, the main motive power, is an Alan Keef steam-outline diesel hydraulic, which very much looks the part even if it is a "fake". I understand the railway hopes to have a steam loco eventually. (I should point out that this was the "Jubilee" week-end, hence the smoke-box decoration - I presume it does not always run decorated with flags!)

 
At the sheds behind Funland a couple of other diesels are being seen to. Full details of the loco fleet are on the railway's website. The coaches are very nicely finished, built at the company's own "Loston Bodge"(!) works.


The train travels at a leisurely pace along it's largely unfenced route, much to the amusement of my Son who found he could keep up by running!
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