England’s Toy Railway.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 296, 14 December 1931, Page 6

England’s Toy Railway.

'J'OY TRAINS are run in private grounds in several parts of England, but the smallest public railway links Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch, in Kent. The engine which draws the toy train is a perfect scale model of the latest locomotives, but it stands no higher than a small boy, and runs on a track with a gauge less than two feet. The windowless carriages hold four normal-sized passengers. When the traffic is heavy the driver pushes a few more carriages from a siding and couples them to the tail. Every afternoon at 3.15 or thereabouts the toy train leaves Hythe on a nursery ride. The booking clerk, who is also porter, ticket-collector, stationmaster, and signalman, date stamps your ticket, skips round to the back door to clip it, sets the tiny signal at 44 clear,” and gives the 44 rightaway ” to the driver, who breaks coal with a tack hammer and is suspected of shovelling it into the furnace with a tablespoon. Arriving at Dymchurch passengers are requested to cross the line by the bridge, which is a little higher than a dining table. The platform matches the bridge. The Romney, Hythe, and Dymchurch toy train is the most photographed in the world. The officials are very proud of their train.