Ex Dobwalls RailRoad
The Dobwalls RailRoad was a 7 1/4 inch gauge line based in Dorset at the Dobwalls Country Park.
Big Boy 4-8-8-4 'William Jeffers'
It ran for nearly 30 years, but in 2006 it closed, dismantaled ready for new devlopments!
It used to have over 11 locomotives, from steam to diesel and Petrol.
Most of the locos being American in outline, and it also had in it’s loco fleet the 71/4 inch gauge, 10ft long BIG BOY!
I never got the chance to travel on this little line as much has I would hae liked to, from what i’ve seen and heard it was a brilliant railway!
The line I believe did have 2 British outline locos too: They were LMS 4-6-2 Dutchess (Steam) and a Warship class diesel loco (Electric powered!)
The new devlopments include a new indoor centre and villas. (Should have kept the railway!)
Anyway, a wealth of the stock was bought and rebuilt at the Plowmans RailRoad also in Dorset, near Bournmouth, although the Plowmans line now has an uncertain future!
This line is based next to the Plowmans Garden Centre.
The Ex Dobwalls locos at Plowmans include:
- Severn Lamb Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No.4008 ‘William Jeffers’
- Severn Lamb 4-8-4 No.818 ‘Queen of Wyoming’
- Severn Lamb 4-8-4 No.838 ‘Queen of Nebraska’
- David Curwen 2-8-2 No.498 ‘Otto Mears’
- Severn Lamb Do-Do DDA40X No.6908 ‘Centennial’
- Severn Lamb Bo-Bo GP35 No.3008 ‘Mathias Baldwin’4
- Severn Lamb Co-Co FP45 No.5908 ‘Pioneer’
- Severn Lamb E8 A-B unit No.248 ‘Spirt of America’
The line also has some non Dobwalls locos they include:
- Romulus 0-4-0 tender loco
- Freelance diesel loco
- Roanoke 0-4-0/0-6-0 petrol locos
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I remember visiting Dobwalls over 20 years ago and it was a fantastic miniature railway. There were various routes including a desert and mountain route if I remember correctly. Apparently it all started with one small boy and a model train completely getting out of hand!
A great shame that it closed.
Regrettably we have been told that the railroad using the ex Dobwalls locos at Ferndown has been closed due to Planning issues
Yes, it is a shame, but if the planning comes through they should be able to reopen!
Cheers
J
“Old Glory” magazine advises that the locos have been sold to an Autralian and exported there
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