Name: Littledown Miniature Railway
Rating: 5.0

Littledown Miniature Railway

Littledown Park, Chaseside off Castle Lane East, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7 7DX, England

1-90 Years

Paid

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Description

Littledown Miniature Railway is a charming family attraction located in Littledown Park, Bournemouth, offering traditional miniature train rides in a peaceful park setting. Run by volunteers, it provides a relaxed and affordable experience that appeals to children, families, and railway enthusiasts alike. The railway has been entertaining visitors for generations and remains a much-loved local attraction.

The main attraction is the ⅓-mile miniature train ride that runs through a wooded area of Littledown Park, where passengers may spot squirrels and rabbits along the route. Trains are hauled by a mix of steam, electric (battery), and petrol locomotives, including unique engines such as Littledown Castle, Sheddon Wheals, Dart, Britannia, Ulysses, Rudyard Kipling, Village of Whatley, and Evening Star. Visitors can also watch model trains running on the Garden Railway, which operates on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, featuring live steam and battery-powered narrow-gauge models.

Train rides cost £1 per person, making it a very low-cost activity for families. A 15-ride ticket is available for £10, offering better value for frequent visitors.

Littledown Miniature Railway offers a nostalgic and gentle day out in a green park environment. The variety of locomotives and friendly volunteer-run atmosphere make each visit enjoyable and educational. It’s an ideal attraction for young children, families, and anyone who enjoys classic miniature railways in a relaxed outdoor setting.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

The Train Ride: Littledown Miniature Railway runs for 1/3 mile through a wooded area in Littledown Park. The eagle-eyed traveller may well see both squirrels and rabbits along the way. A variety of different locomotives are used to haul the trains, some belonging to the Bournemouth & District Society of Model Engineers and some owned by individual members. Your train may be hauled by a steam locomotive, an electric (battery) locomotive or a petrol locomotive.
The Garden Railway: The Garden Railway usually operates on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, and occasionally at other times. The models are to a scale of 16mm-to-the-foot representing 2ft Narrow Gauge prototypes on 32mm gauge model track (‘O’ gauge). Many of the models are real steam locomotives, whilst others are electrically powered from batteries. Most of the locomotives operate under radio control, but some are controlled manually.

What to see

Locomotives at Littledown Miniature Railway:

Littledown Castle : Littledown Castle was designed and built by a group of Society members. It has a petrol engine driving the wheels through an electric transmission system. It is typical of shunting locomotives, but is not a model of a specific design.
Sheddon Wheals: Sheddon Wheals was also designed and built by a group of Society members. Although it looks like a steam locomotive it is actually battery-powered. Some of our younger visitors notice a resemblance to a well-known engine in literature! If you look for a Cornish mine called ‘Sheddon Wheals’ you will be disappointed.
Dart: Dart is a replica of the 14XX class of locomotives used by the Great Western Railway for running their branch-line passenger trains. A similar locomotive featured in the film ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’. Having been “liberated” from the local engine-shed, it is seen in the film apparently being driven along a road!
Britannia: When the railways were Nationalised following the Second World War, each part of the system had their own types of locomotive. Standardisation was needed and new locos were designed. The first of these was 70000 Britannia. This was the first of a class of 55 loco's and still hauls special trains on the National Network.
Ullyses: Ullyses is a freelance loco reflecting a design of Electric locomotive known as a steeple cab. It is driven from a cab half way down the body rather than a cab at each end like most loco's. Similar loco's worked in industry in the North East of England. The model is Battery Electric. Despite its small appearance, it is capable of hauling a good load.
Rudyard Kipling: Rudyard Kipling is based on the designs of locomotives built in Britain for use in the hills of India. The design has a mix of British and Indian features. The loco has an elephant above the light on the front. It is named after the author of “The Jungle Book”.
Village of Whatley: Village of Whatley is a model of the full-size locomotive bearing that name. The Class 59s were first introduced into the UK in early 1986 by Foster Yeoman to undertake heavy-haulage duties, transporting aggregates from their quarries located in the Mendip Hills.
Evening Star: The Class 66 locomotive is probably the most successful design to ever run on Britain’s railways; it was decided to honour that fact by naming the last ‘66’ to be built. In a ceremony at the National Railway Museum in York, 66779 was named 'Evening Star'.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Rides cost £1 per person.
We also offer a ticket giving 15 rides for £10 for frequent travellers; please enquire at the Station.

Pricing URL: http://littledownrailway.org.uk/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

The railway is usually open for rides on Wednesdays, Sundays & Bank Holidays from 11am to 3pm, subject to volunteer availability.

Address: Littledown Park, Chaseside off Castle Lane East, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7 7DX, England

Post Code: BH7 7DX

Council: Bournemouth, Christc

County: Dorset

Littledown Park is about 4 miles North-East from Bournemouth Town Centre and is easily reached by road or by public transport. Three hours' free parking is available at the BH Live Active Leisure Centre car park. Should you wish to remain longer then please follow the instructions on the car park signage; this will advise you of the required charges that apply.
The track is a couple of minutes' walk from the car park. Take the path between the main Littledown Centre Building (Western end) and the Football Pitches. The Railway will be found towards the end of this path, where it meets the grounds of JP Morgan.