Creech Grange 1936…

Today’s Creech Barn Railway, built on the grounds of the Creech Estate on Purbeck, is a 2ft gauge demonstration line for a collection of small industrial and cane locomotives from around the world…

However, it is not the first railway on the site. After the First World War an 18” gauge tramway built using surplus materials purchased from the Ministry of Supply depot at Deptford was constructed to connect the grange with the Southern railway, just north of Corfe. This diminutive line crossed fields without major earthworks and little trace can be found today. Pictured is ‘James’, a Hunslet product of the period with a short supply train, at the standard gauge interchange siding in the early summer of 1936. The tramway fell out of use during the Second World War and was lifted in the 1950s, sadly the locomotives were all scrapped.

Creech Grange was my first foray in to what my good friend Tim and I coined 6point5 and is still here in my collection. Using the Busch H0f system is held great promise for a new and exciting scale, but alas, availability of the donor mechanisms meant that after several years and numerous kits, the range I developed with Steve at Light Railway Stores / Narrow Planet was discontinued. However, we went on to create Planet Industrials, culminating in the Victory. Until next time, more soon…

Donate

I love writing and creating material for the blog. If you enjoy what you read and engage with I would be appreciative of any donation, large or small, to help me keep it advert and restriction free.