In the early 1940s there was a fire in the engine shed. I remember seeing pictures in the local paper (probably the Southport Visiter) of the damaged engines.

My friend, Dennis Ellis and I laid a phone cable from one end of the railway to the other to enable the two ticket offices’ to communicate. That was over 30 years ogo, and as far as I know, the phones are still working!

John sold the railway a few years ago and retired. I visited the railway a couple of years ago and spoke to the new owner. I am afraid I can’t remember his name.

As the photographs suggest, the railway has run down a lot. When Southport council sold the Pleasureland complex, it remained open for a couple of years, run by the same company that runs Blackpool pleasure beach.

After a couple of years, they decided it was not a profitable venture and the fair closed. Southport council then sold the site for development.

As soon as the site was sold, demolition started, with the wooden cycalone being destroyed first. It was then found that the land where the fair stood, had been donated to the town many years previously, with the proviso that it was always kept for entertainment purposes. The upshot of that was that the council had illegally sold the land for commercial development.

Unfortunatly the damage was done and the trade was lost, the knock on effect being the railway lost many custmers.

The children’s fairground at the other end of the line had closed many years ago (it’s now a shopping area), and the railway has suffered greatly.

Pleasureland has reopened with a new owner who is making valient efforts to frestore the fair and visitors are once again coming to the railway.

There is a children’s farm near Burscough, outside Southport. It’s called Windmill farm and they have a miniature railway there. Last time I visited I noticed that they had a couple of the diesel engines from the Lakeside railway, along with other items of rolling stock and its well worth a visit. A lot of the items are inside in a small minimature railway museum. The trains are always running and at weekends – STEAM!!!

Please forgive me for this overlong ‘note’ but I thought Iwould share a few of my many happy memories of the Lakeside Miniature Railway. It is a shame that commercial interest helped it’s demise.

Regards,

Frank Hope.

I Noticed this article a few weeks back, some great shots of the railway, i done some work here in 2008, including restoring some of those carraiges that you see in the siding, which is why there is not a full set there.

You asked on how the second platform hasnt been used in a while but is not overgrown, i can confirm that the platform does not get used anymore, the reason for this is that Lakeside dont have the need to use it, reason being the only ever run one train no matter how busy it is now(they simply add more coaches to the train running), in its “Day” Lakeside would run up to three trains at once.

As some of the photos taken suggest the railway still does get busy. Jenny (blue engine) cannot haul more than the standard two or three coaches, meanwhile golden jubilee can haul six, so at busy times at the railway, all we simply did was change engines.

I am sorry i cannot update you more than that, I last visited around august 2009, so i am unsure of the current situation lakeside is in, but as you can tell from some of your photos, some parts of the railway are in a bit of a state, e.g. graffiti on bridges and the station sign falling to peices & whilst i was working there in the 2008 season there was parts down the line were the youth could easily gain entry onto the railway.

Thankyou for posting these photos, i am glad to see people still take an interest in the railway.

Cheers

Alex

I love this railway. It’s short, sweet and packs a punch when it comes to speed as well.

Last time I rode it I noticed it was sponsored by a local paper.

Anyone notice the sign just before you turn the corner under the bridge that marks out the original end of line?

All railway enthusiasts and day trippers and tourists should ride this gem!

Cheers Paul for putting these great photos up on RM and drawing people’s attention to a classic attraction.

Long may this miniature railway prosper!

Gary