On the Narrow Gauge:
Narrow Gauge Railways & the Lincolnshire Area of the
Narrow Gauge Railway Society
(Information on narrow gauge preserved railways to follow.)
This page has been 'under construction' for too long. Suffice it to say that I have been involved in narrow gauge railways for many, many years. My first introductions to the narrow gauge were to the gravel pit railway at Burton Fen, near Lincoln and the ironstone tramways at Greetwell, and to the industrial scene at Newsum's joinery works on the Fosse Dyke in Lincoln. In those days, fifty years ago there was also open access to the Docks at Boston, Lincs., and it was on Sunday visits to these that that I first experienced the 'potato railway' at Nocton. Notes on other lines in the 'West End' of Lincoln and 'Newsums' are available. Whilst they are not narrow gauge there are some interesting diagrams of Lincoln's railways in the 1950-59 period, These show the extensive system of 'industrial' lines in the City at that time.
I have worked as a 'Traffic Volunteer' (Guard) on the Talyllyn Railway (Mid-Wales) for over forty years. On my journeys to Tywyn I have often stopped to visit my friends on the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway, and my involvement with the smaller gauges has led to me being Secretary of the Lincolnshire Area of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society. The Lincolnshire Area of the NGRS (generally) meets on the 2nd Wednesday of alternate months at the 'Unison Club', Beaumont Fee, Lincoln, LN1 1UL, with a start time of 7.30pm. We offer a range of events that we hope is of interest to all interested in narrow gauge and minor railways.
Our current programme (and an idea of the sort of things we get up to are below.
Narrow Gauge Railway Society :Narrow Gauge Railway Society - 'Yahoo' Discussion Group
2007 Programme
February 14th: 'Health & Safety Sahib? No Problem Sahib' 'What is Health & Safety' - 23 years in India & Nepal :Tim Hudson
April 11th 'Cuba' :Lawson Little
June 14th :'A Week of N.G. days out'. Alan Bowler
August 8th.'Compressed Air Locomotives': Nick Kelly
October 10th: 'A - Z of Narrow Gauge Railways in Britain: from the resources of the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, Tywyn'. Chris White
December 12th.: AGM & Slideshow
2008 Programme
February 13th: 'Welshpool Topics': Dave Billmore
April 9th: 'Railroading the States - 2006/7: Colorado & Wyoming'. Mick Melbourne & friends
June 11th. 'A - Z of Narrow Gauge Railways in Britain: from the resources of the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, Tywyn': Part 2. Chris White
August 13th. 'Muscles on Railways': A return visit by ... Nick Kelly
October 1st: Narrow Gauge in Ontario, in the 1860s, 70s and 80s: Rod Clarke
October 8th: 'Ratty Topics': John Taylor
December 10th: AGM & Slideshow - limited to 15 minutes per speaker - 'first timers' go first!
2009 Programme
February 11th: Ironstone Mining from Greetwell to Barkston. Stewart Squires
April 8th: The Great Alex Hurd 2009 Video Show by the one and only ... Alex Hurd
June 10th: Steam on the Cambrian & Talyllyn in the 1960s; (& hopefully) Austrian Narrow Gauge in the 1980s (film by John Smallwood & Ed Lund): John Smallwood
August 12th. The Modern Industrial Railway - Europe, the UK and the USA: Nick Kelly
October 14th: 'When the Wall Came Down'. Graham Lightfoot
December 9th AGM & Slideshow - limited to 15 minutes per speaker - 'first timers' go first! (and, as agreed, in 2009 people with slides and first timers get first go).
2010 Programme
February 10th: Slow Train to Sargan: Tim Lockley
April 14th: Steam in Central & East Africa: David Mitchell
June 9th: Running the Cambrian section. Larry Bridges
August 11th. 2'0" gauge in the British Isles: Fred Pugh
October 13th: Kirby Green Miniature Railway. Stuart Ravell
December 8th. AGM & Slideshow - limited to 15 minutes per speaker (and, as agreed, in 2009 first timers get first go)
2011 Programme
February 9th: Peru & Bolivia - narrow gauge, standard gauge, & Lake Titicaca steamers.Tim Hudson
April 13th : TBA
June 8th ‘Fifty Years a Volunteer’ - Gordon Rhodes TBC
August 10th; ‘The Hudswell Clarke Story’ : Ron Redman TBC
October 12th ‘Colorado - Railroad Heaven’ - Graham Lightfoot
December 14th: AGM & Slideshow - limited to 15 minutes per speaker - 'first timers' go first!
.Membership of the Lincolnshire Area Group of the NGRS is open to anyone interested in narrow gauge and light or industrial railways - membership of the NGRS is not necessary to attend our meetings. For further details please contact me (ngrs [at] photrek.co.uk) or telephone me on 01522 524672.
The Area Group had for many years a 'Newsletter': This is the last edition to be published.