“The Crowborough Miniature Railway, located at the Goldsmiths Recreation Ground in Crowborough, will be re-opened by the Town Mayor on Good Friday, April 10th 2020 for the start of the new running season.
Crowborough Locomotive Society was established in 1989 and has built and operates the Miniature Railway at Goldsmith’s. The railway is open to the public on Saturday afternoons from Good Friday until Bonfire Night in November. It is also open on all bank holidays during the running season and is a non-profit making organisation welcoming everyone to join in from the young and not so young, families, friends and visitors for a ride around our recently extended track. Our opening times are 2.00pm. – 5.00pm.
The passenger trains are hauled mainly by steam engines with diesel outline locos to add a more modern image and to help out when steam is being temperamental. We hold many special events during the running season including children’s birthday parties on Saturday mornings, school and junior club visits and afternoon sessions to help local charities raise money for their contributions to deserving causes.
We enjoy the full support of Crowborough Town Council who have always been very helpful in making our growth and development possible. Most significant in this was their invaluable assistance in obtaining a strip of land in the field adjoining the railway in order to make possible the construction of an extension to the original oval which ran around the Millennium boating pool.
This major work took from 2014 to 2018 to complete and more than doubled the length of the train ride. The able bodied members who carried out the bulk of this work and who are now not quite so able bodied, can look on their achievement with great pride and satisfaction.
To share this development with fellow townsfolk and visitors is a most rewarding experience and we look forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the coming months once this dreary winter is behind us. “
– Contributed by Neville Watts, Crowborough Locomotive Society
You can find out more about the Locomotive Society and Miniature Railway by visiting their website:
www.crowboroughminiaturerailway.com
As featured in Issue 90 – March/April 2020
