Britannia Park & The American Adventure

Miniature Railways - Colin Peake's Photographs

1st June 2007

It is unusual to be able to tell the complete history of a 15" gauge line within these pages, but this is one I've researched and written about over the last few years. Some might call me obsessed.....

The 15" gauge railway at Britannia Park was built using materials from the railway at the 1984 Liverpool International Garden Festival. In it's original form the railway was half a mile long, with a planned extension of approx half a mile. This line was only open for 12 weeks of the 1985 season before Britannia Park went into receivership. Motive power was on loan from the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, 4-6-4DH 'Shelagh of Eskdale'.

The line was reincarnated under the new ownership of the park as The American Adventure. When the park reopened in in 1987, the line had been re-modelled, being shortened at the northern end and extended at the southern end. Both new terminii had turntables, allowing the new Severn-Lamb locomotives to always work 'smokebox' first. A second locomotive and train was delivered to the park in 1988, allowing two trains to be used, passing in the loop at Trading Post.

In time for the 1989 season the railway was re-modelled yet again, to a circuit around the lake in the centre of the park. This involved quite major civil engineering to create a trackbed along the water's edge, and diversion of part of the existing route. The line continued in this form until the end of the 1996 season, the last under the control of the Granada Group. In 1997 the park was sold to Ventureworld, who reversed the direction of travel around the circuit and later repainted the trains, losing the original markings and identities of the locomotives.

2005 sees the start of a two year refurbishment plan for the park, including removal of some of the larger rides (Missile and Nightmare Niagara) and closure of some areas of the park to allow work to take place. The park is now aiming at the 4-14 year old age group as it's target market. Happily the railroad is still in operation and is even featured in some publicity!

In December 2006 the future of the park park was uncertain, I photographed the trains in their winter storage position on the waterfront, taken during winter opening of the indoor play area. January 2007 saw the news that the park was going to close for good, and all the rides were to be sold. A trip around the perimeter of the site (a public footpath) found the line to the eastern side of the lake lifted and all the rolling stock lined up by the entrance area ready to be removed from the site.

After some speculation as to where the railway had been sold to, a tip-off through the Miniature Railway World Forum led me to TwinLakes Park near Melton Mowbray, a developing leisure park who have also purchased other rides from the American Adventure. In the storage area (viewable from public areas of the park) could be found all of the American Adventure stock and track. We await further developments with interest!

My thanks to Peter Scott for allowing me to use photographs from his collection illustrating changes over the years, and to Peter Van Zeller of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway for allowing me to use the photographs taken by the late Douglas Ferriera in 1985. Thanks to Ian of the MRW Forum for the TwinLakes tip-off!

'Exhibition' station on the original Britannia Park Railway. 'Shelagh of Eskdale' has arrived with ex-Liverpool Garden Festival rolling stock. 624x425	'Shelagh of Eskdale' runs around at 'Exhibition' station. To the left are parts from station shelters originally erected at Liverpool. 624x425	A rough guide to the location of 'Exhibition' station, under the pirate ship and wagon wheel at The American Adventure. 624x425
'Shelagh of Eskdale' runs around at 'Trading Post' station. The site to the left is now Spaceport USA. This loop survived the 1987 rebuild of the line. 624x425	Awaiting departure from 'Trading Post'. The guards coach has curtains dating back to use at Liverpool, it was to have carried the Queen there, but the RH&DR saloon was used instead. 624x425	Looking in the same direction from slightly further north, the red line marks the Britannia Park formation, also used 1987-8 by The American Adventure. 624x425
For the opening of The American Adventure in 1987, the line was remodelled, being shortened at the north end to a new station called 'Silver City Halt'. 'No. 1' is a Severn-Lamb 2-6-0DH built in 1986. 624x425	At the southern end of the lake the line was extended from 'Trading Post' to a new terminus called 'Santa Anna Halt'. Ironically this extension had been planned but not built by Britannia Park. 624x425	For the 1989 season the railway was remodelled as a circuit, on a new formation around the lake. 'General George Custer' a 1988 built Severn Lamb 2-6-0DH is seen at 'Wharfside Halt' 624x425
Some heavy engineering was required to complete the circuit. Around 2m of land was reclaimed around the lake edge to accomodate the line. 'No. 1' is seen here near Wharfside. 624x425	'No. 1' is seen waiting at 'Wharfside Halt'. The fake shark was sadly removed c.2003. The new circuit also had halts at Silver City and Niagara Falls. 624x425	'General George Custer' is seen at the new 'Santa Anna Halt' on the circuit. The old terminus station was retained as a stock storage siding, although the building was demolished during 1998. 624x425
Under new ownership the trains were turned to operate anti-clockwise in 1997. The 1988 built Severn-Lamb is seen in the storage siding early in 1998. 567x426	The 1986 built locomotive is seen here near Wharfside. Both locos were repainted prior to the 1998 season, unfortunately by 2004 the condition of the locos left a lot to be desired. 568x425	The former 'Silver City' terminus is seen in 1998, this area is now an adventure playground, however the building remains, as a food outlet! 567x425
I returned to the park in 2005 hoping to see the trains freshly painted. Unfortunately they are in the same condition as last year, and one coach of the red train has gone missing! 567x425	One carraige in the black train does appear to have new seats, flooring and a slight repaint, however the other stock is untouched, as seen here near Silver City Halt. 567x425	The train seen here on the stretch of line alongside the lake. The fort behind the train is currently closed for refurbishment. 425x567
A view of the trains in winter storage on the waterfront in the park. 567x425	By February 2007 the trains were removed from the track ready to leave the park. 567x425	The track to the eastern side of the lake was still intact at the time of my visit. 567x425
A view through the trees of the trains lined up ready to leave. 567x425	The track to the western side of the lake was lifted. 567x425	May 2007 found the trains stored at TwinLakes park near Melton Mowbray. 567x425
From a climbing frame a closer view could be taken of the trains. 567x425	Another view of the trains at TwinLakes 567x425	The track has also moved here ready for re-use. 567x425