To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Littlehampton Miniature Railway is holding a gala weekend on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of June.

Throughout the weekend, three steam locomotives will be in operation, including visiting locomotives: Rosemary from Exbury Gardens in Southampton and Mad Bess from the Ruislip Lido Railway, as well as Littlehampton’s own 2-6-2T Christopher.

Rosemary is an 0-6-2 tank engine built by the Exmoor Steam Railway in 2001, and is normally to be seen hauling trains through the beautiful Exbury Gardens in the New Forest.

Mad Bess was built between 1986 and 1998. It is designated as a 2-4-0T+T which means that it is a tank engine but has a tender attached. A DVD of Mad Bess is available on the RailAdvent website.

Christopher was built by the Exmoor Steam Railway in the 1980s and was originally an 0-6-2 tank engine called Lorna Doone. It was acquired in 2017 by the Littlehampton Miniature Chief Mechanical Engineer Tom Sanders and rebuilt into a 2-6-2 tank engine. In the spring of 2021, it was named Christopher received WD lettering on the tank sides.

The Littlehampton Miniature Railway opened over the weekend of 15th to 17th of May in 1948, runs along the seafront from Norfolk Road Station in Norfolk Gardens in Littlehampton to the town’s Mewsbrook Park. It is operated by the Littlehampton Heritage Railway Association in association with Arun District Council and is staffed entirely by volunteers.

The railway will open from 10.00 to 17.00 on Saturday 24th June and from 10.00 to 16.00 on Sunday, 25th June. An intensive train service will operate on both days, with the first train from Mewsbrook Park station at 10.30.

Return tickets cost £3 for adults, £2 for children, and £9 for a family ticket for two adults and two children. There is no need to book tickets in advance.