Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway

Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway
Sheds of the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway
Locale	England
Coordinates	53°10′44″N 0°19′59″E / 53.179°N 0.333°E / 53.179; 0.333Coordinates: 53°10′44″N 0°19′59″E / 53.179°N 0.333°E / 53.179; 0.333
Commercial operations
Original gauge	2 ft (610 mm)
Preserved operations
Preserved gauge	2 ft (610 mm)
Commercial history
Opened	1960 (1960)
1966	New alignment
Closed	1985 (1985) (Abandoned)
Preservation history
2009	Reopen at Skegness Water Park
Headquarters	Humberston

The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway built in 1958 using equipment from the Nocton Potato Estate railway. It was originally located at Humberston, near Cleethorpes, and operated until 1985. The equipment was removed form storage and used to create a new railway at Skegness which opened in 3rd May 2009.

The railway was built by a group of railway enthusiasts who wished to preserve the stock and atmosphere of the Lincolnshire area potato railways. The land for the railway was leased from Grimsby Rural District Council and opened in 1960 using a Motor Rail "Simplex" locomotive and a single open bogie carriage. In 1961 a second Motor Rail locomotive was added, and the railway's first steam locomotive, Jurassic arrived. Additional equipment in the form of the passenger coach from the Sand Hutton Light Railway (closed to passengers in 1930) and two vehicles that had formerly run on the Ashover Light Railway was brought to the railway and restored, entering service in 1967 and 1962-3 respectively. Less positively, midweek carryings were adversely affected by the 1962 extension of Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport bus service to serve the Fitties holiday camp, but weekend and Bank Holiday traffic remained strong, and by 1964 the line was carrying 60,000 passengers a year.

In 1966 the railway was rebuilt on a new alignment, and extended. The line saw considerable success in the late 1960s, and another steam locomotive, Elin, arrived, although it was too heavy for the lightly laid track, which limited axle loadings to approximate 2.5 tonnes. Trains operated push-pull for many years, but an accident resulted in Railway Inspectorate requiring the installation of run-round loops so that the locomotive would always be at the head of the train, and air brakes.

The railway also became home to a number of ex-GNR items including the somersault signals used to control movements at North Sea Lane station, railings, and other platform furniture from stations on the East Lincolnshire Railway many of whose minor stations were closed in 1963.