Thompson Park Miniature Railway, Burnley, Lancashire, UK

October 2025 Newsletter

So, we are now in our Autumn/Winter maintenance period with plenty to do for the 10 or so regulars who attend the Railway, more members turning up to help would be very welcome but hey ho! we just get on with it.

As alluded to in my previous newsletter we have been experimenting with plastic sleepers and finding out how to work with them. We have trial fitted 3 in the lowest part of our Railway which can flood in heavy rain particularly at this time of year when fallen leaves can block the drains. We have learnt the best method of fastening them down and we await to see developments. They are considerably more expensive than the tannalised timber we now use but will last far longer in the long run. Final decisions will be made in due course.

All the coaching stock has been fully serviced, the braking systems checked, and new coupling draw hooks fitted. In addition, all of them have been turned on our turntable to even out wheel wear. They are ready to go again, some of them having an outing on the Halloween trains we ran last Sunday. Their next outing will be on our Santa Trains on December 6th and 7th noon till 2pm, no need to book.

As previously mentioned on Sunday 26th October we had been asked to provide trains by the Friends of Thompson Park to help with a Halloween event they were planning, We were happy to oblige and a very successful day was enjoyed with scary stuff being supplied by us ( not in the form of our members, though there were moments when that could be disputed (you know who you are !) and also by the Friends. There was face painting for the children and it could be said that some of our drivers did not need that !!! and a great day was enjoyed by all, I think.

We have been working on building a new low level carriage shed to accommodate our growing stock, it is built from block and we will be integrating it into the landscape as much as possible, A member has supplied the rail and turnouts necessary but it is still in the early days of construction.

We, in the track Dept, (PWay) have maintenance to do on the track as usual but often the weather is against us, we have just completed a complete refurb. of the track on the inner loop down from the shed area to the diamond crossing by the Beech Garden. Replacement sleepers fitted where necessary, existing sleepers rescrewed and all the fishplates changed and reballasting carried out. We have spot work to carry out around the Railway still which will happen when we are back to full strength however the track is safe to run. We did have trouble with a turnout on the station approach which was a repeat of a situation we had about 3 months ago, it was sorted then but it has reappeared for some reason however we intend to correct this with a new hydraulic ram we have acquired to change the switch blades. This is due to be fitted very soon. We are reaching the stage when our stock of ballast stone will have to be topped up which is a pricey item.

Most importantly we have replaced our clubhouse kettle with a permanently boiling water heater meaning that instant hot water for the essential brews is always on tap.  Is that the most important job that has been carried out so far in the winter season ? Quite possibly.

Bret Harrison P Way Dept.