Site conditions have now improved after heavy rain prevented access to the site in the Skegness Water Leisure Park.
The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway (LCLR) uses a narrow-gauge track just under a mile long within the park, using historically significant rolling stock.
Contractors began work by installing a septic tank, and will soon start the new platform and associated structures.
Interestingly, many of the LCLR narrow gauge freight wagons were specifically designed to cope with the treacherous and muddy ground commonly found in the World War 1 trenches.
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When the rain affected conditions, the planners were preparing these wagons to transport materials from the railway's headquarters to the station site.
However, after sunny and windy spells improved the conditions, these measures were no longer necessary, and contractors could use more modern transport equipment.
The older wagons may yet prove useful if further rainfall causes conditions to deteriorate.
Project funding is from:
- A grant of £24,250 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
- A contribution of £8,000 from Ellis Bros Ltd, the owner of the Water Leisure Park and LCLR host.
Volunteers from the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway Historic Vehicles Trust will be valuable in controlling labour costs.
Historic diesel locomotives in use by the LCLR include “Major J.A. Robins R.E”, “Fred”, “Wilton”, “Nocton” and “Queen Mary”. In fact, “Major J.A. Robins R.E” headed a train taking Nicola Dicker, Contracts Manager of the South East Lincolnshire Councils' Partnership (which manages the grant) and the Company Secretary of the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway Ltd., John Chappell, on a site inspection visit.
Motor Rail of Bedford built the “Major J.A. Robins R.E” 1n 1944. The carriage used to carry the party won the Morgan Award for Rolling Stock Preservation in 2023.
“Jurassic” and one or two other vintage steam locomotives are in regular use on the line
