The Beginnings
After a successful season, Botterill approached the council requesting a new site, and in 1949 the railway reopened on a longer double track route further to the south. This was immediately a success and the railway was run in this form for 4 years until Botterills lease ran out.
The Beginnings
After a successful season, Botterill approached the council requesting a new site, and in 1949 the railway reopened on a longer double track route further to the south. This was immediately a success and the railway was run in this form for 4 years until Botterills lease ran out.
Electrification
Cleethorpes Borough Council tendered in 1953 for a new operator and in 1954 Arthur Clethro took the reins. Clethero’s background was amusements and steam locomotives were not his ideal. Whilst he purchased the track and stations, he introduced three new battery electric loocomotives. Although abit unsighlty, they did the job, with two locomotives normally in operation with the third on ‘charge’.
Electrification
After 5 years of operation, the railway was purchased by Cleethorpes Borough Council in 1959.
In the 1960s as holidays abroad became more common, the railway at times found itself in difficult waters. The Pleasure Grounds & Development Committee often pondered whether the railway could continue to operate. In addition it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the railway after years of hard use.
Expansion
In 1972, the commiteee decided to upgrade the railway, not only making it larger but also extending it both north and south. This was in hope of a revitalised railway gaining additional visitors and reducing the ongoing maintenance issues.
R&A Developments of Scunthorpe rebuilt the railway to the odd gauge of 14 and a quarter inches. the gauge believed to be a mistake using the wrong measurements. Nevertheless it stuck. A Rio Grande steam outline locomotive built by Severn Lamb arrived alongside a locally built Flying Scotsman model.
Expansion
There were high hopes for the railway but a general decline in tourism over the late 1970s and 80s, and maintenance at a scarce level once again put the railway in financial difficultly and its future in doubt.
Rebirth
Happily, the railways fortunes were about to change. Chris Shaw approached the council and an agreement was reached to purchase the railway in 1991. Forthcoming were rolling stock upgrades, buildings added and an eventual standardisation of the track to 15 inches in 1994.
Rebirth
Continual improvements were made In 2000, Kingsway Station was resited to improve the railways profile and an extension to Humberston Station in 2007 brought the railway track to a distance of 2 miles (3.2km). In 2007, saw a extension to the line towards Buck Beck formerly named as ‘North Sea Lane’, close to the Meridian Line, Pleasure Island Family Theme Park and the Haven Holiday complexes.
This brought the total current running length to 2 miles (3.2 km).
The Future
After 20 years running the railway, Chris and his team were looking to pastures new, and with the current owners purchasing the attraction in May 2014.
The new company have brought in a raft of refurbishments including a new cafe, the refurbishment of the stations and The Signal Box Inn. New carriages and locomotives have been introduced, and there is very much a plan for the future.
If you would like to learn more about the fascinating history of the miniature railways of Cleethorpes, why not visit our museum on site or purchase a copy of Cleethorpes Miniature Railways by Peter Scott – available now in all gift shops and online.