NOSTALGIA: Researcher of Skegness miniature railways needs you

The railway near the boating late in 1989.

Being a poplar seaside resort, Skegness has been host to a number of miniature railways over the years.

The first was on the North Beach in 1923, but only lasted until 1926.

Much more resilient was the well-known railway near by the Boating Lake, which opened in May 1951 and ran until 1992.

The railway at the boating lake in 1951.

Peter Scott, from Reading, is researching the history of all the miniature railways that have run within the boundaries of the old Skegness Urban District Council. This is a list of railways, which he is aware of:

· 15" gauge line on the North Beach in the 1920s.

· 10¼" gauge temporary lines operated by Ernest Dove in 1945 & 1946.

· 7¼" gauge line in the Derbyshire Miners' Holiday Centre in the 1950s.

The 15in gauge railway in the 1920s by the Figure of eight rollercoaster

· A line of unknown gauge north of the Pier in 1947 operated by Joe Tonglet.

· A temporary line of unknown gauge run for the September 1950 Carnival by Denham Till.

· 10¼" gauge line by the Boating Lake, which operated from 1951 until 1992. This was run by Denham Till, then Robert Parsons and much later Malcolm Stuart until its closure.

· 12¼" gauge electric tramway, which replaced the 10¼" gauge line, and operated 1994 & 1995.

Peter, who has already published eight books on the history of various miniature railways around the country, would be pleased to hear from any reader who has any information, postcards, photographs or memories of any of these railways.

He can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by post at 93 Josephine Court, Southcote Road, Reading, RG30 2DQ.