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UK couple spends 8 years building garden railway with 400m track and 5 trains

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The extensive project occupies Dave and Angela Walker's quarter-acre garden in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. To support the running tracks, the couple hand-dug the necessary foundations and laid thousands of custom-made sleepers across the property. Beyond running five operational locomotives, the venue will open its doors to visitors to generate charitable funding. These upcoming community events are planned specifically to raise proceeds for the area's local lifeboat station.

Key points

  • The miniature railway serves as a showcase for various transportation memorabilia collect…: The miniature railway serves as a showcase for various transportation memorabilia collected worldwide by the couple.
  • The owners plan to open their private property to the public for charitable community gat…: The owners plan to open their private property to the public for charitable community gatherings.
  • Revenue generated from future events on the property will directly support the operations…: Revenue generated from future events on the property will directly support the operations of the local lifeboat station.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

After they married in 2017, Dave Walker came up with an unusual project. He had a unique proposal for his wife, Angela. It wasn't a romantic getaway or a home upgrade, but a project that would give them plenty of time together while testing their patience and determination along the way. What was the project? Building a miniature railway in their garden!

Angela, 55, and Dave, 54, have spent eight years working on a miniature railway running through their garden in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. They dug the track beds themselves. Over the years, they collected memorabilia and accessories from around the world, and those pieces now give the line its character. Building a railway on this scale is slow, physical work, and the couple did most of it themselves.

Four hundred metres on a quarter-acre plot

The railway runs for about 400 metres, or 1,312 feet, the BBC reported. That is, in fact, a lot of track for a quarter-acre plot, and it is laid with thousands of custom-made sleepers. Five locomotives run along the route. Miniature railways like this one…

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