CHRISTMAS trains are normally a major source of income for narrow gauge lines, but coronavirus significantly affected narrow gauge festive services.
In the run-up to Christmas the 12¼in gauge Littlehampton Miniature Railway offered‘on demand’return round trips from Mewsbrook Park Station, with seating restricted to 50% of the train capacity to maintain social distancing. A bonus was steam operation provided by as-yet unnamed LMR No. 4 following major rebuilding.
The loco was built by Exmoor Steam Railway to 12¼in gauge and named Lorna Doone to run on Exmoor’s own line when it operated as a public railway between 1990-2001.
In 2000 Exmoor extensively rebuilt it into a 10¼ gauge 0-6-2 called John Remy which worked at Beale Park near Reading. This rebuild utilised the original frames and motion with a new boiler, cab and tanks. On expiry of its 10-year ticket it went to Weston Park until acquisition by Littlehampton Miniature Railway chief mechanical engineer Tom Sanders midway through 2017.