WORLD’S SMALLEST PUBLIC RAILWAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17830, 26 April 1926, Page 6

WORLD’S SMALLEST PUBLIC RAILWAY.

BUT PROMISES TO BE AS MIGHTY AS IT IS SMALL. LONDON. March 10. A miniature railway, which, the promoters declare, will have the smallest gauge, locomotives and rolling stock of any public railway in the world may shortly be in operation on the Kent coast between New Romney and Hvthe. , t Two of the engines have already been built and delivered at New Romney, and the promoters—Captain J. E. P. Howey, the Brooklands motorist, and Captain T- A. Holder —hope to open the line about the end of June. They are awaiting the sanction of the Minister of Transport to begin the laying of the track.

Nine miles long, the line will have four stations—one at New Romney, one at Hythe, and two at Dymchurch, one of which will serve the Duke of York’s Camp there. The gauge is to be only 15in, and the width of the carriages 3ft 4in. A tall man could easily overlook the tops of the carriages, which are but sft Gin high. “ Open air ” coaches will V>e but 9ft long and accommodate eight people, while closed coaches will be 14*ft long and will seat twelve people. Each train will consist of about thirty coaches, and thus accommodate 250 people. The locomotives are of the same design as the famous L. and N.E. Railway “Pacific” new type, but only one-third of their size. They are but 4ft 7in high, 3ft lin wide, and 24ft 9in long. But the Lilliput Railway promises to be as mighty as it is small. Everything connected with it will be modelled on trunk line principles. “ We shall have express trains, with slip coaches, that will operate non-stop at about an average speed of thirty miles an hour. Stopping trains 'will take about thirty minutes The carriages will be heated by steam from the engine. “ Dymchurch, which is at present, four miles from the nearest station, will be brought into railway communication with London, as people will be able to travel by the new line to New Romney, where, by just walking across a yard, they will be able to change on to the South-Eastern.”