Barton House Railway facts for kids
The Barton House Railway (BHR) is a fun miniature railway located in Wroxham, Norfolk. It's a great place to visit and see small trains in action! You can usually ride these trains on the third Sunday of each month, from April to October. They also have special events throughout the year, so there's always something exciting happening.
A Journey Through Time: The History of BHR
The story of the Barton House Railway began a long time ago. The very first tracks were laid in 1960. These tracks were for trains with a special size called 3 1⁄2 in (89 mm) gauge. The railway officially opened its doors to the public in 1963. From the start, the BHR aimed to raise money for local charities.
In 1967, a very important building arrived at Barton House Railway. This was the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Honing East Signal box. It was carefully taken apart from its original spot at Honing railway station. This signal box had been standing there since 1901! After being rebuilt at BHR, it got a new life. In August 2017, the railway celebrated its 50th anniversary at its new home.
More tracks were added in 1979. This new line was called the Riverside Railway. It was built for larger trains with a 7 1⁄4 in (184 mm) gauge. In 2012, the Barton House Railway started building another new line. This line will connect the museum area to the top lawn, near the ticket office. It's still a work in progress!
In 2013, the Barton House Railway celebrated a big milestone: its 50th anniversary! There were special events and celebrations all year long, from April to October. More recently, in 2019, the BHR even set up a temporary train line back at Honing railway station. This was to mark 60 years since the original M&GN railway route closed down.
