How long has the railway been here?
The miniature
railway was originally established at Greywood House in Walton-on-Thames in 1946.
This had to be vacated in 1965, and, after much hard work, we re-opened at our
present location in Hardwick Lane, Chertsey, in 1968.
Who owns and runs the railway?
The railway
itself is owned by the Ian Allan Group, the well-known publishing company, with
the exception of most of the locomotives, which are owned by the members. All
the staff you see operating and maintaining the railway are volunteers.
How often do you run?
We are open to
the public every Sunday afternoon from the end of April/beginning of May,
through to the end of October. Also, for the first time, in 2006, we opened on
Wednesday afternoons in August. We will be doing so again this year.
What are the opening times?
On Sundays, we
start selling tickets at 2.00pm and finish around 5.15pm. On Wednesdays these
time are 1.30pm and 4.30pm.
How many passengers do you carry?
We don’t count
the number of passengers we carry, but each train will hold about 12 people.
Allowing for those that are not full, we probably average around 10 per trip.
Last year we ran over 1560 trips, so we probably carried more than 15,000 people!!
How many different rides are there?
There are two
different journeys you can take, imaginatively called the Green and Red routes.
The Green route is a continuous ride (barring any red signals) and the Red
route involves a stop at Cockcrow Hill while the engine is turned round and
re-attached to the other end of the train. Each route has its own queue so
watch out for the coloured markers at the start of the queues!!
In addition,
we run a special train called the Gladesman, which has two engines and six
coaches and runs over a combination of the two normal routes
How long are these rides?
The Green
route is 1 mile 272 yards (1850 metres) long and the Red is 1 mile 142 yards
(1740 metres). Both take about 15 – 20 minutes. The Gladesman is 1 miles 1010
yards (2542 metres) and takes around 25 – 30 minutes.
How do I buy tickets for the Gladesman?
The Gladesman
tickets are “reservation only” and can be purchased at any time during the
afternoon. The Gladesman is usually the last rain of the day and departs
Hardwick station at around 5.15pm. Seats are limited i.e. 24, so book early to
avoid disappointment!
How many trains are there?
We currently
have 29 locomotives, 25 steam, 3 diesels and one battery-electric, and 24
coaches. There are usually six or seven engines in use at any one time. We try
and run steam trains as much as possible but we can’t guarantee that your ride
will always have a steam engine at its head. Sometimes, breakdowns happen and
we need to bring another engine into service very quickly. As it can take up to
an hour to get a steam locomotive ready, we tend to use our diesel or electric
locomotives as our emergency stand-bys.
What is the oldest engine at the
railway?
The oldest locomotive we have is the North Eastern Railway R1class 4-4-0
number 1239, which was built in 1913.
How many stations are there?
The main
terminus is at Hardwick, where you get on and off (we don’t intentionally leave
you stranded!). There is a major junction at Everglades, which you will pass
through several times We have a stop at Cockcrow Hill for Red route passengers
and two small “halts” at Jungle Halt (watch out for the wild creatures) and
Green Lane. In addition we have three signal boxes, three bridges, two
turntables, two level crossings, a viaduct and a tunnel.
Is it modelled on any particular
railway company or region?
We don’t
slavishly follow any particular company, however we do loosely follow the style
of the old Southern Railway/Region, as you might expect, being located in
Surrey. Many of our engines are modelled on their full-size Southern
counterparts and our colour scheme and station signage are Southern. We also
have a number of LMS engines as well as a variety of other types.
How fast do the trains go?
The maximum
speed limit on the railway is 10 miles an hour, however, this is not
appropriate over all sections of track and you will see small yellow numbers on
posts around the railway which indicate speed limits over points etc. If you
see a white“W”, this tells the driver to sound his whistle e.g. when leaving a
station, approaching the tunnel etc to warn anyone who may be near the track.
What scale is the railway?
The railway is
built to 1/8 scale, ie each foot on a full size engine is represented by 1½
inches on the GCR. The track is 7 ¼” gauge (the distance between the rails)
whereas full size in the UK is 4’ 8 ½”.
What is the track made of?
The rails
themselves are made from a hard-wearing aluminium alloy. The older parts of the
track have oak sleepers, to which the rail is held by large mushroom-headed
screws. These screws were put in, and their holes drilled, using a brace and
bit, which was slow and very hard work. These days, we use sleepers made from
black plastic (recycled carrier bags!) for all new track and for replacement of
rotten wooden ones. They will last much longer than the old wooden ones, which
will reduce the amount of track repairs in the future. The rail is attached
using roofing screws, put in with cordless drills. Much easier!
What current projects are being undertaken?
During Winter
2006/7, we replaced Phillips Bridge and the Viaduct. The old ones had given 30
years’ service, but were past their best. We now have two new galvanised steel
structures, which not only look better but will also be much easier to maintain.
Watch out for them during your journey.
We are also
planning a very exciting development for 2008. Planning permission has been
granted for a magnificent new station building. It will be over 60 feet long
and will replace the present collection of sheds, caravans, portacabins and
toilets.
What happens if it rains?
Everyone gets
wet! We don’t let a little thing like rain stop us. In any case, even if we
wanted to close, it would be impossible to let everyone know in time so, rather
than disappoint people, we carry on. The only exception was 13th August 2006
when the rain was so heavy it flooded Hardwick station!
How do the signalmen know where the
trains are going?
On the front
of each engine, you will see a pattern of small discs, either plain white or
white with a blue cross. The way these are arranged indicates the train’s
routing.
What is the red disc at the end of each
train for?
Exactly that!
It shows the signalman that that is the end of the train. If it’s not there, it
could mean that one or more coaches have become disconnected from the rest of
the train.
Do you run Santa Specials?
Unfortunately,
we don’t so Santa Specials. This is mainly because the winter is when we do our
repair and maintenance work on the track and signals. However, we do operate a
special night-time Halloween service, when trains run in the dark and both
passengers and staff dress for the occasion.
Can I have my birthday party at the
GCR?
You certainly
can! Ask your mum or dad to ring the Ian Allan office on 01932 255514 (Monday –
Friday) for more information and bookings.
Am I allowed to take photographs?
Yes, we are
more than happy for you to take photos; however, you must do it from one of the
public areas, e.g. the viewing enclosure. Members of the public are NOT allowed
to walk about in operational areas, however tempting it may be.
Do the signals work?
Yes. The GCR
is fully signalled in line with full-size practice and is controlled from three
signal boxes at Hardwick Central, Everglades Junction and Cockcrow Hill. Each
box is fitted with full-size lever frames and other equipment once fitted in BR
signal boxes. The signals themselves are either colour light or semaphore.
Watch them change as the trains pass. The colour lights turn from green to red
and the semaphore signals return to the horizontal “stop” position.
Where did the Ticket Office come from?
Our lovely old
ticket office was to be found in its younger days at Ravenscourt Park
Underground station on the District Line
How many members are there?
We currently
have around 60 members
How old do you need to be to become a
member?
You can become
a member of our junior section when you reach your 12th birthday.
You need to be at least 16 before you can drive a passenger train during public
opening hours or to become a signalman. There’s no upper limit!
How often do you need to volunteer to
be a member?
We ask that
all members help to run the railway at least 6 times during the summer during
public running days and a further 6 times during the winter when we do all our
maintenance of the rolling stock, signals, track and buildings.
How do I apply for membership?
Just come
along any Sunday morning and ask! Alternatively, send an e-mail to
admin@cockcrow.co.uk.