Hollycombe Steam Centre - www.simplonpc.co.uk

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	Hollycombe Steam Centre Liphook, Hampshire All images link to larger copies which will open in a new window/tab This page is under construction
	Hollycombe has an intriguing collection of steam railway locos, traction engines and steam fairground rides plus many other steam-related items. There is a 2ft gauge 'quarry railway' using two ex-Dinorwic locos and much of the original track was also ex-Dinorwic (mostly replaced). The open coaches used are also of interest having been built for the bizarre Ramsgate Tunnel Railway in the 1930s. The centre opened in 1971. See the www.hollycombe.co.uk for the latest details. The collection dates back to the late 1940s when Commander John Baldock decided to preserve some of the steam traction engines that were rapidly disappearing from British life. By the early 1960s he had acquired a significant collection of road vehicles and started to collect fairground rides. In the late '60s he extended his interests again into preserving railway equipment. The collection was eventually opened to the public and became a major Hampshire tourist attraction. At length the collection grew so large it became impossible for one person to maintain, and by 1984 Baldock decided he would have to close the operation. A Society was formed by volunteers to operate the collection. This was successful and the collection continued to expand. At the beginning of 1999 a charitable trust took over the majority of the collection, funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. For Hollycombe Information:- Official Website: www.hollycombe.co.uk Hollycombe facebook page

	Sections on this Page Narrow Gauge Quarry Railway 38 Jerry M - Hunslet 0-4-0ST built 1895 Lizzie - 0-4-0 IC loco Rolling Stock Other Narrow Gauge Images Standard Gauge Railway 50 Commodore B Standard Gauge Rolling Stock Other Standard Gauge Images Miniature Railway Jennifer - 0-4-0VBT Miniature Loco Fairground Traction Engines Fairground Tractors AEC Tractor Units Atkinson Tractor Units ERF Tractor Units F.W.D. Vanguard - Four.Wheel.Drive Tractor Guy Tractor Units Scammell Tractor Units Miniature Road Vehicles Lady Betty - Miniature Steam Lorry Royal John - Miniature Scammell Tractor Other Images Simplon Railway Pages Railways Header Page Bure Valley Railway (BVR) Epping Ongar Railway Great Central Railway Greater Anglia Railways North Norfolk Railway (NNR) Wells & Walsingham Light Railway (WWLR)	Contacts Official Website: www.hollycombe.co.uk Hollycombe facebook page Associated Pages Railways Header Page Cruise Ships Ocean Liners UK Excursion Vessels World Ferry Fleets Simplon Postcards. Home Page Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates Simplon Facebook Pages:- - Simplon Ship Postcards facebook page - Simplon Main Line Railways facebook page - Simplon Minor Railways facebook page - Simplon Piers & Lighthouses facebook page - Simplon Tramways facebook page - Simplon Cliff Lifts facebook page
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The narrow gauge railway at Hollycombe started in 1967 using equipment purchased from the Dinorwic slate quarry in north Wales. The quarry had recently abandoned its extensive internal rail system and Commander Baldock acquired the steam locomotive Jerry M along with a quantity of track and several wagons. Construction started in 1968 and reached the sandstone quarry by 1971. The line, which is 2 ft (610 mm) gauge, was later extended to include a loop, which brought the track length to its present 1½ miles. The second steam locomotive Caledonia was purchased in 1968, but is currently (2013) out of service.

Four of the five passenger coaches were bought from the Ramsgate Cliff Railway when it closed; the fifth coach was built at Hollycombe to the same design.

The line consists of a circle of track with a branch to the main station. Trains run from the station around the circle then reverse (very slowly - I could walk as fast) back down to the station with braking controlled by the guard at the end of the train with hand and air brake controls.

The coaches used on the Hollycombe Quarry Railway came from the Ramsgate Tunnel Railway and was built in the 1930s. An additional coach to matching design has been built at Hollycombe.

The Ramsgate Tunnel Railway (also known as the Ramsgate Cliff Railway, the Tunnel Railway, the Ramsgate Underground Railway and the World Scenic Railway) was an underground railway in Ramsgate, Kent, England. Following the restructuring of railway lines in Ramsgate in 1926 the section of line between Broadstairs and Ramsgate Harbour including the tunnel was abandoned. This narrow-gauge railway was opened in 1936 to connect tourist attractions and shops near Ramsgate harbour with the new railway main line at Dumpton Park.

Except for its two stations - one at each end of the tunnel - the line ran entirely underground. The line was built in less than three months, and on its completion in 1936 was one of the shortest independent railway lines in the country. It was open for only three years before being converted to a major air-raid shelter during World War II. After the war's end, it was not included in the 1948 nationalisation of British railways but remained in private hands.

Passenger numbers fell during the 1960s, and the line became economically unviable. Following a train crash in 1965, the owners decided to close at the end of September that year. The tunnel still exists, sealed and disused, but no trace of the stations remains. (Ref: wikipedia)

The Edwardian Fairground is a complete steam fair comprising rides originating from the 1870s and later. The rides include a Tidman 3 abreast Golden Gallopers roundabout, a single Steam Yacht a Razzle Dazzle being a grand aerial novelty ride with a rotating and tilting movement (returned to service 21 July 2012 following extensive restoration). S Fields Steam Circus was built between 1868 and 1872 (Currently undergoing restoration, expected to return during the 2013 season) and is the oldest surviving mechanically propelled fairground device. The fairground also has a set of Steam Swings, a Set of Walker Chair o planes, a big wheel and a Bioscope Show which is an early travelling cinema. The rides are constructed mainly from wood and, where appropriate, are powered by steam engines. There are rides for all ages and the atmosphere is completed with a number of fairground organs and a range of side stalls.