Great Cockcrow Railway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Great Cockcrow Railway

Trains and visitors at the Great Cockcrow Railway station in 2004
Overview
Locale	near Chertsey, Surrey, United Kingdom
Dates of operation	1968 (1968)–
Predecessor	Greywood Central Railway
Technical
Track gauge	7 1⁄4 in (184 mm)

The Great Cockcrow Railway is a super cool miniature railway located near Chertsey, Surrey, in the UK. It's a fun place to visit, with trains that run on tracks that are 7 ¹⁄₄ in (184 mm) wide. You can usually ride these trains on Sunday afternoons from May to October. They also open on Wednesday afternoons in August and on the May Bank Holiday.

History of the Great Cockcrow Railway

How the Railway Started

The story of this railway began in 1946. A man named John Samuel started building it in his garden. His house was called 'Greywood' in Walton-on-Thames. With help from friends and volunteers, his railway grew. It became known as the Greywood Central Railway. By 1962, the track was about three-quarters of a mile long. It even had proper signals and ran on a timetable, just like a real railway!

Moving to a New Home

Sadly, John Samuel passed away in October 1962. This made the future of his railway uncertain. But then, a publisher named Ian Allan bought the railway. He moved it to its current location in Chertsey. Many of the original volunteers helped with the big move. The railway reopened to the public on September 14, 1968. It was given a new name: the Great Cockcrow Railway. This name comes from Cockcrow Hill, which is a hill nearby.

Growing Bigger and Better

Since 1968, the railway has grown a lot. It now has about two miles of track! Visitors can choose from two different routes, each about 1.25 miles long. A journey usually takes around twenty minutes.

• The 'Red Route' trains stop at Cockcrow Hill station.
• The 'Green Route' trains go past Cockcrow Hill. They travel on a 350-meter-long loop before returning.

In 2014, the railway got a brand new station building. It has a Tea Room, toilets (including ones for people with disabilities), a ticket office, and rooms for staff. The railway also holds special events. There's a Gala Day in September with visiting engines. In late October, they celebrate Halloween with night-time train rides!

Stations Along the Line

The Great Cockcrow Railway has several interesting stations:

• Hardwick Central is the main station. This is where trains start and finish their journeys. You'll find the train sheds, the ticket office, and a cafe here. The Hardwick signal box also controls train movements.
• Everglades Junction is a very important spot. The Everglades signal box controls trains coming from Hardwick Central and Cockcrow Hill. It makes sure trains go on the right tracks.
• Jungle Halt is a fun stop! Red Route trains reach this station by climbing a section called The Spur. Keep an eye out for the "residents" here!
• Green Lane is the furthest point on the railway. Green Route trains start their return trip to Hardwick Central from here.
• Cockcrow Hill used to be the end of the line for some trains. In 2000, a new track called the Millennium Line was built. Now, trains have two different routes. Red Route trains still stop at Cockcrow Hill. Passengers can watch the engine move to the other end of the train. Green Route trains go around Cockcrow Hill on the Millennium Line. They then head back to Hardwick Central.

How Signalling Works

A view of the inside of Everglades Junction Signalbox showing the Lever frame

The railway uses a special system to control trains, just like full-size railways. This system includes track circuits and signals. Signals tell train drivers when it's safe to go or when to stop.

Types of Signals

• The main stations use semaphore signals. These are signals with arms that move up and down.
• The main line uses colour-light signals. These are like traffic lights for trains, showing different colours.
• The signal boxes at Hardwick Central and Everglades Junction have special control panels. These panels have many small levers that signal operators use.
• Cockcrow Hill has a larger, older-style lever frame.

Controlling Train Movements

Signal boxes communicate with each other using special devices called Block instruments. This helps them know where trains are and keep them safe. The Everglades Junction signal box is very busy. It can have up to six trains in its area at once! To help the signal operators, this box has a "train describer." This system helps them keep track of all the trains.

Modern Technology for Signals

The signalling system is all electric. Even the semaphore signals are powered by electric parts. All signals are designed to automatically return to 'danger' (stop) once a train has passed. This is a safety feature. The points (tracks that switch trains from one line to another) are moved by small motors. These motors are very reliable, like the ones used in car windscreen wipers! If a point isn't locked correctly, the signal won't show 'clear'. This makes sure trains only move when it's safe.

Locomotives: The Engines That Pull the Trains

The Great Cockcrow Railway has a large collection of engines. There are currently 41 steam engines and 12 "instant start" locomotives. These are owned by the railway or by people who help run the trains. On operating days, you can usually see seven or eight engines in action. Others might be resting or being built by members.

Steam Locomotives

Most of the steam locomotives are based on real British mainline trains. They are built to a 1/8 scale, meaning they are one-eighth the size of the real thing. You can find engines from different famous railway companies. These include older engines and newer ones.

• The oldest steam engine was built in 1913. It's a North Eastern Railway class 'R1' (LNER D19) 4-4-0 type. It's still working today!
• The smallest is a Midge 0-4-0T.
• The largest are the 4-6-2 'Pacifics'. One of the oldest Pacifics is 'Eureka', built in 1927. It was named by Sir John Samuel because he thought it was the perfect engine for his railway.
• Other Pacific engines are based on designs from the LMS, LNER, Southern, and British Railways.
• You can also see engines with different wheel arrangements, like 2-6-0, 4-6-0, and 'Atlantics'. There are also bigger engines like 0-8-0, 2-8-0, and 2-10-0 types.

Non-Steam Locomotives

The railway also has non-steam engines. These are often battery-electric or diesel-electric. They are great for quick starts and shunting (moving carriages around).

Trains and Carriages

The railway has 28 carriages that can each seat four passengers. There are also four other carriages that are linked together in pairs. All passenger carriages and locomotives have special brakes called vacuum brakes.

• Smaller engines usually pull three carriages, carrying up to 12 passengers.
• More powerful engines can pull four carriages, carrying up to 16 passengers.

A three-carriage train, without the engine, weighs about 1.25 tons (or 1270 kg). You might also see different types of freight and engineering wagons at the railway.

List of Locomotives

Southern Railway

• 'MN' class 4-6-2 no 21C11 'General Steam Navigation'. 1993. Malachite green.
• 'T9' class 4-4-0 no 730, 2013, SR Olive Green.
• 'T9' class 4-4-0 no 30285, 2013, BR 'late emblem' lined Black.
• 'T9' class 4-4-0 no 117, 2013, SR unlined Black.
• 'H16' class 4-6-2T no 517, 2013, SR Olive Green.
• 'LN' class 4-6-0 no 30850, 'Lord Nelson', 1985, BR Lined Brunswick Green.
• 'S15' class 4-6-0 no 837, 1947, GCR (Cockcrow) unlined Black.
• Ex-LBSCR 'H2' class 4-4-2 no 2422, 'North Foreland', 1981, SR Olive Green.
• 'U'/Rebuilt 'River' class 2-6-0 no 1803, 'River Itchen', 1936, SR Olive Green.
• 'Q' class 0-6-0 no 30541, 2000, BR unlined Black.
• 'Q' class 0-6-0 no 30542, 2000, BR unlined Black.
• 'M7' class 0-4-4T, 30031, 2017, BR lined Black.

London & North Eastern Railway

• 'A3' class 4-6-2 no 2744, 'Grand Parade', 1990, Apple Green.
• GNR 'C1' class 4-4-2 no 1442, 1988, GNR Grass Green.
• NER 'R1' class 4-4-0 no 1239, 1913, GCR (Cockcrow) Pea Green.
• 'K5' class 2-6-0 no 206, 1956 Wartime lined Black.
• LNER 'K3' class 2-6-0 no 1935, 1975, LNER Apple Green.
• NER 'T2' class 0-8-0 no 1249, 'Hecate' 1986 NER lined Black.
• Louis Shaw-type Freelance 4-6-2 no 1947, 'Eureka', 1927, Greywood Central Railway lined Green.
• Louis Shaw-type Freelance 4-4-2 no 67345 "R D Lawrie", 1953, lined Malachite Green.

Great Western Railway

• '7900' 'Modified Hall' class 4-6-0 no 7915, 'Mere Hall', 1952, BR Green.
• '4700' class 2-8-0 no 4704, 2015, BR Brunswick Green.
• '1400' class 0-4-2T no 1401, 1980, BR unlined Black.

London, Midland & Scottish Railway

• '8P' class 4-6-2 no 46245, 'City of London', 1950, lined BR Red.
• '6P' class 4-6-0 no 6115, 'Scots Guardsman', 1993, LMS lined Red.
• '6P' class 4-6-0 no 6100, 'Royal Scot', 1981, LMS lined Red.
• '5MT' class 4-6-0 no 5000, 'Sister Dora', 1981, LMS lined Black.
• '5MT' class 4-6-0 no 5241, (Building date unknown) LMS lined Black.
• '5MT' class 4-6-0 no 5145, 1991, unlettered Black.
• '5MT' class 4-6-0 no 45157, 'Glasgow Highlander', 1997, 'Late' BR lined Black.
• '5MT' class 4-6-0 no 45440, 2004, 'Early' BR lined Black.
• '8F' class 2-8-0 no 8374, 1993, unlined LMS Black.

British Railways

• '7MT' class 4-6-2 no 70047, 'Lady of the Lake', 1996, BR Brunswick Green.
• '7MT' class 4-6-2 no 70054, 'Dornoch Firth', 2014, BR Brunswick Green.
• ex-'WD' class 2-10-0 no 73755, 'Longmoor', 1948, War Department unlined Green.

Other Steam Locos

• Freelance Bridget 0-4-2T 'Alison', 2006, unlined Holly Green.
• Holmside-type 0-6-0ST 'Wensleydale' NCB no. 684, 2012, lined GER Blue.
• Holmside-type 0-6-0T 'Wharfedale', 2019, Red.
• Holmside-type 0-6-0ST 'Buttercup', S&L no. 10, built date unknown, Yellow.
• Freelance/Midge 0-4-0 tender loco 'Lulubelle' no 1, build date unknown, GCR (Cockcrow) lined Brunswick Green.
• Midge GWR 0-4-0T, build date unknown, in original Greywood Central livery.

Non-Steam Locomotives

• LMS jackshaft 350 hp 0-6-0 battery-electric shunter 'Winifred' no 11, 1958, GCR (Cockcrow) Black.
• BR 350 hp Class 09 shunter 'Wilfred' battery electric 0-6-0, BR Green, Compass House Railways.
• GER C53 Tram Engine 4wBE "Livvy" built 2007, rebuilt for service 2020. LNER lined black with brown body. Surrey Locomotives.
• 'Dock Authority' 4wBE shunter 'Eddie', 2015, unlined Black. Surrey Locomotives.
• BR 204 hp Class 04 6wBE shunter, 2015, BR Blue.
• BR 'Deltic' 6w-6wPH no 55 007, 'Pinza', 1978, BR Blue. Mardyke.
• BR class 52 Western 6w-6wBE, no D1001, 'Western Pathfinder', 2016, BR Maroon. Built 17d Miniatures.
• BR class 52 Western 6w-6wBE, no D1019, 'Western Challenger', 2016, BR Green. Built 17d Miniatures.
• BR class 31 Brush Type 2 6w-6wBE, 2005, BR Green. Compass House Railways.
• BR class 14 shunter 0-6-0BE, 2017, BR Green. Phoenix Locomotives.
• "Barry" North Staffordshire Railway Battery loco, 2018, 4wBE, BR Black.
• "Annie" D226 English Electric 500hp prototype shunter. 0-6-0BE. Brunswick green. Ex Garden & Woodland Railway