Trains Every Day for the Summer Holidays and Carnival
- Fri 23rd Jul 2010
With the the volunteers of the Hayling Seaside Railway already stretched to the limit by the rigours of the busy summer season, it is sadly not practical to run steam trains every day. So for the most part the intensive daily passenger services between Beachlands and Eastoke Corner via Mengham Road Halt, will be returning to the capable hands of the railway’s resident fleet of veteran narrow gauge diesel locomotives.
Our front page picture by Chris Rogers shows a recent photocall for the
HSR’s regular ‘Home Fleet’ which comprises classic Victorian style
steamoutline locomotive ‘Jack’ built by Alan Keef of Ross on Wye in 1988,
and veteran industrial locomotives ‘Edwin’ and ‘Alistair’, built by Ruston
and Hornsby of Lincoln in 1967 and 1940 respectively.
Trains will depart daily from Beachlands station next to the Island’s popular
Funland Amusement Park, at 45 minute intervals from 11 am and throughout
the afternoon, returning from Eastoke Corner with its popular shops, pubs
and cafes 20 minutes later, calling at Mengham Road Halt on request.
Travellers can start their journeys from either end of the line, and are
welcome to break their journey at the other end and return by later train if
they so wish.
Sample return fares for the two mile round trip are £3.50 adults, £2 children,
senior citizens and other concessions, and a ’Family’ ticket covering up to 2
adults and 2 children for only £7.
Steam Returns for Carnival Day!
The Hayling Island Carnival on Saturday 7th August is always the biggest day in
the Hayling Seaside Railway calendar. This year looks set to be no exception with the Seaside Railway volunteers planning their very own ‘Gala’ to compliment the packed programme of events taking place in ‘Carnival Field’, just a short walk from Beachlands (Funland) station.
Subject to the vagaries of the fickle English seaside weather, an intensive twotrain ‘Carnival Belle’ service will run throughout the afternoon, until the end of the Carnival Procession along Hayling Seafront which starts from Beachlands at 5pm. Trains will then continue at 45 minute intervals, with the last round trip to Eastoke Corner departing from Beachlands (Funland) as the sun starts to set at 8pm.
As this will be the first time that there has been a genuine coal fired live
steam engine available for Carnival Day services, visiting steam loco ‘Emmet’
will be hauling the lion’s share of the day’s services, with diesel locomotives
‘Jack’, ‘Alistair’ and ‘Edwin’ taking turns in rotation on the remainder.
The highlight of the afternoon will be Hayling Island’s very own ‘Royal Train’,
conveying Her Royal Highness the Carnival Princess and her attendants, in
company with the Worshipful Mayor of Havant to the Carnival Field. It is
hoped that if all goes to plan with our intensive timetable, steam locomotive
‘Emmet’ will be available to haul this particularly special service!
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