A Brief History of the Great Cockcrow Railway

(Thanks to J Clarke for compiling this text)

The GCR has its origins in 1946 when John Samuel began building a 7¼” gauge railway in the garden of his home, “Greywood”, on the Burwood Park Estate at Walton-on-Thames. Over the next fifteen years a small group of volunteers assisted him in extending and working the “Greywood Central Railway”, which steadily grew from its small beginnings until a run of some ¾ mile was possible. In that time the GCR gained a reputation as one of the finest and most complete railways of its kind in the country. Samuel’s untimely death in 1962 threw the line’s future into doubt but a successful approach to the publisher, Ian Allan, confirmed the GCR would continue to exist under a new name on the present, much larger, former piggery site at Chertsey.

Construction began in mid-1965, but such is the nature of the site, on an uneven but quite severe West to East slope and boggy in places, the first piece of the railway, between Hardwick Central and Phillips Bridge, did not open until 14^th September 1968. Within a year, however, the original ‘Circuit’ from Hardwick to Everglades Junction and back had been completed. Doubling of most of the line was undertaken in the early years together with some subsequent alterations and additions to the original layout as experience of operation grew and as rising passenger numbers made it necessary to increase line capacity.

An early shot of Hardwick Central with only the right hand side of the engine shed built and no platforms! (Photo courtesy of CJ Bishop)

Anther early shot showing one the embankments being made. A modern picture is almost impossible to replicate this view due to the trees and shrubs in the foreground! (Photo courtesy of CJ Bishop)

Following purchase of additional land the branch from Everglades Junction to Cockcrow Hill opened in 1979, the return line via Greywood Tunnel coming into operation five years later. At first this line made a junction with the Down Main at Bishop’s Bridge but was run through independently to Everglades in 1989.

Other subsequent extensions took the Jubilee Line (opened 1997) round the lower car park, this project also including a spur to provide rail access to the increasingly well-equipped workshop. The Millennium Line, opened in 2000, extended the branch to form a ½ mile long loop below Cockcrow Hill.

Since early days at Greywood the railway has been noted for its strictly prototypical operation. Signal and point operation at Greywood was originally entirely mechanical. The GCR at Chertsey continued with this method, apart from a small colour light installation in the remote area of The Causeway on the climb from Phillips Bridge to Piggery Summit. From the time mains power became available in 1970 power signalling has been extended until all points and signals are now electrically worked from three signal boxes. (For further information and details and a signalling “schematic“ see the S&T section under the ‘Technical Facilities’ heading on the website.)

Locomotives in the steam fleet – between 25 and 30 in number - are built to a scale of 1½” to 1’ and are representative of the four British pre-Nationalisation companies; BR Standard and pre-Grouping engines are also represented. There are, in addition, a number of ‘instant start’ locomotives. All are in the ownership of individual members of staff and seven or eight may generally be seen working when the railway is open to the public.

In today’s competitive environment no attraction of any nature can afford to rest on its laurels or become complacent. Much work in recent years has been aimed at improving the ‘look’ of the railway’s surroundings, a cohesive approach being taken to structures like stations, signal boxes and relay rooms for example. But it has long been recognised that facilities for our visitors need improvement. Despite setbacks planning permission has at last been received for a new station building which will see the presently scattered collection of sheds and portacabins at Hardwick swept away. Construction is now scheduled for the 2008/9 winter; the ‘News’ section of the website will keep you up-to-date with progress.

A book providing a much more comprehensive history of the GCR is available from the booking office or the Ian Allan bookshop website.