by Rebecca Hannant
The Great Withernsea Railway will return with an open day this weekend.
On Sunday, June 8, James Ardin, of Holmpton, will host the third annual open day at the purpose-built miniature railway he has been developing in his back garden since 2020.
Each year, James has continued to extend the railway, with long-term plans to build a full mile of track. His annual steam locomotive events attract visitors from near and far who enjoy rides on a range of exclusive miniature engines.
This year, four steam locomotives will run: Afon Glaslyn, the Shay, Elkia Pika and first-time visitor Rakaia. Passenger trains will operate alongside a freight train pulled by resident diesel outline locomotives Escafeld and Florence.
James said: “Escafeld no 1 was built in Wortley near Sheffield. She was purchased all the way back in 2004, and her wagon was bought a year later from Little Light Railway – originally built by a SheffieldSmee member many years before. She has since lived at Abbeydale Miniature Railway, Rother Valley Railway, Scarborough, and now here at the GWR, with visits to several railways across the UK, including two that no longer exist.
“She is based on a Phoenix Locos project loco, but with several additions and alterations, she looks very different now from when first built. Predominantly, she will be used for freight trains over the weekend.
“The Shay is one of many locomotives built by the fabulous Paul Frank. She is based on an American Shay locomotive designed to haul heavy logging loads up steep hills. The Shay is a regular visitor to us and we are very grateful to her generous owner for bringing her again for everybody to enjoy.
“Regular visitors will already be familiar with Afon Glaslyn. Usually based at either Abbeydale Miniature Railway in Sheffield or here in Holmpton, she was built by the late Gerry Clarke in Porthmadog. She was a labour of love built alongside her sister loco Tarn Beck, who is based at the Littledale Light Railway in Lancaster.”
This year’s event also welcomes Rakaia for the first time.
James said: “Rakaia is a Kerr Stuart Skylark-type locomotive, originally designed for industrial and narrow-gauge railways in the early 20th century. This model is inspired by the Skylarks that operated at the East Hecla Works in Sheffield. Built as a one-off by the late Mike Marshall, Rakaia was constructed by scaling down the original full-size drawings. Today, she’s based at Abbeydale Miniature Railway in Sheffield.”
Entry is £5 for unlimited train rides. The current track runs for 3/8 of a mile, with proceeds from the day going towards extending the railway. A new storage shed and workshop are also in the planning stage, with construction hoped to begin soon.
The event will run from 11am to 3pm at Cormie House, Withernsea Road, Holmpton HU19 2QP. On site there will be face painting, cakes, bakes, and hot and cold drinks available. People will also have a first opportunity to buy tickets for the popular Steam Trains and Fireworks event on Saturday, November 1.
For more information, call 07891 778421 or email [email protected].