13 May 2005
Rhyl Miniature Railway, the oldest surviving miniature railway in Britain and a favourite for visitors to the area, has been awarded a Stage One pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the construction of a new station building which will house a museum and new visitor facilities.
Gaining the Stage One pass means that HLF will earmark a sum of £484,500 towards the project, taking the Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust a step closer to creating the new museum and interpretation facility at the station. An additional £31,500 development fund grant has been awarded to help work up more detailed plans which, if successful at Stage Two, will see the full amount rolled out.
The Rhyl Miniature Railway, which was built in 1911, was the last to be constructed by Miniature Railways of Great Britain Ltd, and its steam trains date back to the 1920s. Impressively, they still operate in good condition and for their original purpose. The plans propose to donate the railway’s privately owned collection of locomotives and rolling stock to the Trust for safe keeping. The new station building will secure the collection from vandals and allow conservation work to take place in an undercover workshop instead of being exposed to the elements.
Plans for the museum include putting a locomotive on display and introducing state-of-the-art, touch-screen audiovisuals. Through these information stations the Trust aims to educate visitors about the miniature railway, the nearby marine lake fairground, which increased visitor numbers to the railway, and the history of the main line railways to Rhyl.
Martin Buckridge, Senior Grants Officer at the HLF’s Wales office says: “As the oldest surviving railway in Britain, Rhyl Miniature Railway is of national significance and it is important that we safeguard it for future generations to enjoy and learn from. This project is an excellent community initiative that will give everyone the chance to explore the heritage of the railway, the locomotives and Rhyl as a seaside resort.”
Simon Townsend, Secretary of Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust says: “The new building should enable us to create inspirational facilities for visitors to the oldest miniature railway in the UK. Our railway is in a highly visible and accessible location and our project will bring together many aspects of social and economic regeneration. With the new facilities we plan to run the railway for 100 days per year and are confident that the number of visitors will increase from 5,600 to around 10,000.”
“This is good news for everyone, not only train enthusiasts. The railway will provide the perfect setting for a day out where people enjoy activities including an environmental trail, a play area and the fairground.”
In becoming a more open and informative heritage attraction, the railway will also provide an opportunity for volunteers who want to train in railway operation and restoration work to become involved in a local project. Local youth services and Rhyl Community College will be using the formal and informal programmes of validated vocational training.
Notes to editors
A ‘Stage One Pass’ means that money has been earmarked by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project in question. Competition at this stage is tough, and while a stage one pass does not guarantee funding, it is an indication of positive support, and money for the scheme is set aside. The applicant can then progress to stage two and submit a further, fully developed application to secure the grant. On occasion, stage one funding will also be awarded towards the development of the scheme.