Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway

The 15 in (381 mm) gauge Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway primarily serves holidaymakers in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England.[3] It operates from near the Cleethorpes Leisure Centre, running to the mouth of the Buck Beck.

Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway
SR&RL 2-6-2 No. 24 departing Kingsway Station
Overview
HeadquartersCleethorpes
LocaleLincolnshire, England
Dates of operation1948–
Technical
Track gauge15 in (381 mm)
Previous gauge14 1⁄4 in (362 mm)
Length2,130 yards (1.95 km)[1][2]
Cleethorpes Coast
Light Railway
 Cleethorpes Kingsway
Viaduct
over boating lake
Discovery
(former station)
Sheds & Workshop
Lakeside Central
Humberston

History
Main article: Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway timeline

The CCLR began as the Cleethorpes Miniature Railway in 1948, and ran for a distance of 300 yards (270 m) near the sea front in Cleethorpes.[4] The line was relocated and extended the following year, and between 1949 and 1971 ran southwards for 760 yards (690 m) from Cleethorpes Town to Thrunscoe (near the current Discovery Halt).[5] The line was extended at both ends in 1972: the northern terminus was relocated slightly closer to the town centre, while at its southern end it now ran as far as the Zoo.[6]

It became the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway when it was privatised in 1991,[7] and the new company renamed the termini Kingsway and Witts End. Witts End (located at zoo, which by this time had closed to visitors) was abandoned in 1994, and a new southern terminus was built at Meridian (now Lakeside). A new extension from Lakeside to Humberston North Sea Lane was opened in 2007, lengthening the railway from 1,150 yards (1,050 m) to 2,130 yards (1,950 m).[1]

In the 1960s, the line used battery locomotives. On being regauged in the 1970s, two Rio Grande steam outline locomotives built by Severn Lamb were used. Since being taken into private ownership, a variety of steam and diesel locomotives have been used, followed by petrol-driven engines with a steam outline, though genuine steam locomotives are now in operation. A National Lottery grant enabled the railways supporter association to acquire stock from the long-dismantled Sutton Miniature Railway in Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, including Bassett-Lowke Class 10 Little Giant 'Mighty Atom.'[8][9]

The railway held the Olympic Torch on Day 39 of the 2012 Olympic Torch relay with BMR locomotive 'Mountaineer' hauling the Alan Keef 'Council Rake' carriages from Kingsway station to Lakeside station.[10]

The railway was sold to Cleethorpes Light Railway Limited in May 2014 [11][12][13] and celebrated its 70th anniversary in July 2018.

Present operations

Trains run from Cleethorpes Kingsway station, next to Cleethorpes Leisure Centre, over a 40 yards (37 m) viaduct and along the sea wall, turning SSW to run past the sheds to the intermediate main station named Lakeside. The track continues 900 yards (823 m) south-east to a station named Humberston, close to the Meridian Line car park, and the mouth of the Buck Beck.

Stations
  • Cleethorpes Kingsway: Original station dismantled in 1998 and the current station built and opened in 1999 with a viaduct over the boating lake on way into the station. Station building houses gift shop.
  • Discovery Halt: No longer in use, but platform exists, accessed by means of footpath alongside.
  • Lakeside: The main terminus with engine sheds and workshops, passing loop and on the platforms a cafe, mfunction space and the Signal Box Inn 'The Smallest Pub on the Planet'.
  • Humberston: Opened in 2007, features a signal box.[14]

Operations

There are three official colour-coded timetables:

  • Blue (mid-week and off peak): 50 Minute Timetable; 1 train.
  • Green (weekends and bank holidays): 30 Minute Timetable; 2 trains.
  • Red (gala days and some special events): 15 Minute Timetable; 4 trains.

The railway has a fleet of nine steam locomotives and four internal combustion locomotives. Passenger rolling stock consists of ten fully enclosed bogie carriages, one articulated set and six open top carriages.

Steam Locomotives

Locomotives which have worked on the railway but have since left are listed in Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway timeline.

Name No Wheel Arrangement Tractive + Cyl Size Built Status Owned By
Sutton Belle[15] 1 4-4-2+T 4.25 x 6.75 Cannon Ironfoundries 1933 Stored CCLRSA
Sutton Flyer[16] 2 4-4-2+T 4.25 x 6.75 Griffin Foundry 1950 Stored CCLRSA
Mighty Atom/Prince of Wales[17] 11 4-4-2+T Bassett-Lowke 1908 Stored CLR Ltd
SRRL 24[18] 24 2-6-2+T 3000 lb 5.94 x 8 Fairbourne 1990 In Service CLR Ltd
Effie[19] 0-4-0WT Great Northern Steam 1999 Under Restoration Private Owner
O4 Class[20][21] 6284 2-8-0+T Crome/Loxley 2009 In Service T. Brackenbury
Bonnie Dundee[22][23] 11 0-4-2+T Kerr Stuart KS720/1901[24] Under Restoration R&ER (loan)
Flower of the Forest[25] 2w-2 VBT R&ER 1985 Stored R&ER (loan)

Diesel and Petrol Locomotives
Name No Wheel Arrangement Fuel/Transmission Built Status Owner
7 0-4-0 Diesel-mechanical Lister 1944 Under Restoration CLR Ltd
Dudley[26] SMR 4 Bo-Bo 4* Petrol-mechanical G & S Light Engineering 1946 Stored CCLRSA
Rachel 15 0-6-0 Diesel-mechanical G & S Light Engineering 1959 In Service CLR Ltd
DA1[27] 6 0-4-0 Diesel-mechanical Bush Mill Railway 1986 In Service CLR Ltd

Rolling Stock
NumberTypeBuiltSeatsLiveryNotes
1Enclosed Observation193014Royal Maroon with coloured liningsWas built as a drive trailer for a 2-car railcar. As the engine was an Austin 7 engine, it was fitted with an Austin logo, which it still carries today. Was converted into an ordinary coach****. It arrived at Cleethorpes in 2002.
2Enclosed193012Royal Maroon with coloured liningsBuilt for the Sutton Miniature Railway, arrived at Cleethorpes in 2002.
3Enclosed193012
4Enclosed195212
5Enclosed195212
6Enclosed Observation195214Royal Maroon with coloured liningsBuilt originally the same as no. 2-5. Rebuilt with observation in 1956. Built for the Sutton Miniature Railway, arrived at Cleethorpes in 2002.
7Open195214Red & Brown seats with black floorboards and framesBuilt for the Sutton Miniature Railway, arrived at Cleethorpes in 2002.
8Open195414
9Open195614
10Open195614
100Guard's Van197712Crimson and CreamBuilt by Severn Lamb for Longleat Railway, sold to Cleethorpes in 1990.
101Enclosed197716
102Enclosed197716
103Enclosed197716
N/ACouncil Rake1987102 + 2 wheelchair usersRoyal Maroon with cream bandArticulated set built by Alan Keef for North East Lincolnshire Council.
  • The original terminus at Lakeside Railway Station.
  • SMR 4-4-2 No. 1 'Sutton Belle' at Kingsway Railway Station.
  • SR&RL 2-6-2 No. 24 at Kingsway Railway Station.
  • BMR 0-4-0T+T 'Mountaineer' at Kingsway Railway Station.
  • BMR 0-4-0T+T 'Mountaineer' at the head of a train at Kingsway Railway Station.

References
  1. Scott 2015, p. 99.
  2. Yonge 2016, Map 27D.
  3. Scott 2017, p. 20.
  4. Bates & Bairstow 2005, pp. 109-110.
  5. Scott 2015, Chapters Three to Five.
  6. Scott 2015, p. 62.
  7. Scott 2015, Chapter Six.
  8. "SMR in its heyday". Old newspapers in Sutton Coldfield.
  9. Tidmarsh 1990.
  10. "Olympic Torch on CCLR". BBC.
  11. Ludlam 2014, pp. 47-8.
  12. "Sale of railway in 2014". Grimsby Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  13. "Sale of railway in 2014". Angus Mearns.
  14. Scott 2015b, Alpha order: Cleethorpes.
  15. "Sutton Belle in service". flickr.
  16. "Sutton Flyer in 2007". Daves Rail Pics.
  17. "Prince of Wales in 2007". Daves Rail Pics.
  18. "SRRL 24 in service". CCLR Website.
  19. "Effie in 2007". Daves Rail Pics.
  20. "6284 in service". CCLR Website.
  21. 6284 in service in 2009, via Daves Rail Pics
  22. "Bonnie Dundee in service in 2000". Daves Rail Pics.
  23. "Bonnie Dundee comes to Clethorpes". CCLR. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  24. Thomas 2017, p. 83.
  25. "SRRL 24 in service". CCLR Website.
  26. "SMR 4 in service in 2006". Narrow Gauge Heaven.
  27. "DA1 in service". flickr.

Sources
  • Bates, Chris; Bairstow, Martin (2005). Railways in North Lincolnshire. Leeds: Martin Bairstow. ISBN 978-1-871944-30-3.
  • Dow, George (1985) [1959]. Great Central, Volume One: The Progenitors, 1813-1863. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-1468-8. OCLC 60021205.
  • Ludlam, A.J. (2014). Trains to the Lincolnshire Seaside: Cleethorpes Volume 3. Ludborough: Lincolnshire Wolds Railway Society. ISBN 978-0-9926762-4-7.
  • Price, J. H. (1991). The Tramways of Grimsby, Immingham & Cleethorpes. Light Rail Transit Association. ISBN 978-0-948106-10-1.
  • Scott, Peter (2015). A History of the Cleethorpes Miniature Railway: The Story of the Seaside Miniature Railway, from Opening in 1948 to the Present Day Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, Including the Railways at Wonderland & Pleasure Island. Reading, Berkshire: P Scott. ISBN 978-1-902368-41-2. Minor Railway Histories No.7.
  • Scott, Peter (2017). Minor Railways (29th ed.). Reading, Berkshire: P Scott. ISBN 978-1-902368-45-0.
  • Scott, Peter (2015b). Track Plans of Minor Railways in the British Isles. Reading, Berkshire: P Scott. ISBN 978-1-902368-43-6. Vol.3 - Northern England.
  • Thomas, Cliff (2017). Milner, Chris (ed.). "Narrow Gauge Track Record". The Railway Magazine. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group Ltd. 163 (1393). ISSN 0033-8923.
  • Tidmarsh, John G. (1990). The Sutton Coldfield Fifteen Gauge Railway. Brighton: Plateway Press. ISBN 978-1-871980-05-9.
  • Yonge, John (2016). Martyn Brailsford (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams - Book 2: Eastern (Quail Track Plans) (4th ed.). Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps (formerly Quail Map Co). ISBN 978-0-9549866-8-1. OCLC 964924377.

Further reading
  • Holroyde, Dave; Little, Lawson (2010). The Locomotives of Severn-Lamb Ltd. Peterborough: Narrow Gauge Railway Society. ISBN 978-0-9554326-2-0.

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