h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Hampshire's Miniature And Narrow Gauge Railways - A74509211
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

An article it took me four years to write.

Most of the time I do my research by visiting local libraries, but for this one I went the extra mile or two. Since 2008 my family and I have painstakingly travelled across the whole of Hampshire, by car, train and ferry, and rode on every single one of the railways listed here.

(As I wrote each section after visiting that particular railway, it does mean that it was written in different years.)

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<BB<, could you put footnotes 8 to 13 into column 1 of the table in brackets after the imperial measurement eg 3½-inch (89mm). It'll look (and read) much better.

I had the metric measurements as separate columns, but then I thought that the other columns looked squished, so I tried footnotes, but now I agree that brackets works best.

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This is a fine entry - well done

Two miniature railways I'm aware of which you may have missed:

There was one on Southsea sea front, not far from the castle/pyramids/sea life centre. Not sure if it's there now, but I used to ride on it when I was little

And just over the border, there's one in the woods at Frimley Lodge Park. This is a proper enthusiasts' railway, from what I've seen. Lots of retired men in oil-stained boiler suits turn up on weekends and bank holidays to lovingly maintain it.

Icy

It looks like the Southsea one has gone. The model village and model railway is still there, but the miniature railway itself, which was run by the same people as the one in Poole in Dorset, has gone:
http://www.miniaturerailwayworld.co.uk/poolepark.html
A shame, as I really like miniature railways. I've mentioned it as a former railway

Looks like Frimley Park Lodge Miniature Railway in Surrey is still going:
http://www.flmr.org
It does look like it is only just inside Surrey, though (why are these railways always built on the border, eh?) but rather than move this article out of Peer Review I'll mention it as a railway close to, but not within, Hampshire. Anyone wanting to do a 'Surrey's Miniature and Narrow Gauge Railways' article, that's a good place to start!

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Isn't that obvious? So you can flee Hampshire using them Wave at the boys in blue, forced to stop at the county line as you escape into a region under different jurisdiction...

Oh, and seeing you mention Bursledon Light Railway has reminded me of Horndean Light Railway, which as far as I understand was the name of the tram system running from Portsmouth to Horndean in the early 20th Century. My grandparents used to talk about it, and when I was growing up (we're talking 1970s) there was a rusting tram carriage in a nearby field.

I'm not suggesting you cover trams in your entry, unless you want to include it for the avoidance of doubt.

Covering trams would be a whole new , as it would involve not only the old trams but the proposals a decade or two ago for a tram network to run from Gosport along the old railway lines, with plans even for a tunnel beneath Portsmouth Harbour and extensions to Southampton - not that the project went anywhere beyond the planning stage.

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Just read that Frimley link. I was interested to see they warn visitors about the dirt and smuts given off by these trains. It might make an amusing piece of advice? E.g.

Remember if you visit a miniature railway you will encounter a fair amount of smut, and should take steps to protect yourself and your children from it...

I've added a section on advice on what to expect when visiting miniature railways, including common sense such as 'Don't walk on the track' etc.

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That looks great

I've updated this a little. Any other comments?

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I've added an Additional Research by Peregrin link - although he didn't actually write any of this article, he had a ride on the Eastleigh Lakeside Railway to celebrate my 29th birthday a few years ago, and I'd like that remembered.

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Well done