Feature, Freight News, Rail

Making tracks

[ February 26, 2016   //   Chris ]

As a major dockside rail operator Associated British Ports (ABP) knows a thing or two about funding track improvement works.

But in its latest venture, the tracks in question are not the standard 4′ 8½” gauge but 7¼”, 5” and down to a minuscule 3½”. The rails in question belong to the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Model Engineering Society, recent beneficiaries of an ABP donation.

The GCMES miniature railway at Waltham Windmill is currrently 857 metres long but the planned extension will increase this by a further 290 metres, taking visitors riding the scale model trains through trees and into the last remaining undeveloped part of the site.

ABP’s rail operations and infrastructure manager, Humber, Matthew Parris, said: “The port estate supports multimodal transport including vessels, hauliers and trains so when the opportunity came up to financially assist the GCMES with their improvement works, we jumped at the chance to help.

“Waltham Windmill’s miniature railway means a lot to so many people in the local community and it’s great to be able to provide support in any way we can.”

Anyone who can help provide further sponsorship or labour to the GCMES, please visit: http://www.gcmes.org.uk/

Tags: ABP