THE COACHES OF SALTBURN MINIATURE RAILWAY

The first "coaches" were in fact 4 wheel trucks, model 7 plank open wagons fitted with seats and drawn by 2-4-0 locomotive No. 7 Parkinson Sheringham. This outfit had been used by Herbert Dunn at Seaton Carew since before the war and was withdrawn from Saltburn during 1948 and probably moved to County Durham to one of Herbert Dunn's other miniature railways.

This set was replaced by Bassett Lowke 4-4-4T locomotive, later named "Elizabeth" and two bogie coaches with reversible tramway type seats, which I believe had basket work seats and backs. These coaches may have been carried on ex-Blakesley Hall railway bogies as the loco originated Blakesley and we still have what was identified as a Blakesley bogie. A Midland Railway style brake van was marshalled between the two coaches.

These coaches were replaced, possibly when the line was extended to the Italian Gardens by 3 possibly 4 12 seater bogie coaches, possibly from Southport. During the 1953 season a two-train service was employed on busy days using this set and the 1953 delivered loco and coaches. One loco and train would stand on a siding on the beck side near the present white footbridge until the other loco and train left Cat Nab for what is now Forest Halt and was then known as Smugglers Cove. Once the outgoing train had passed the siding the first train ran to Cat Nab and ran round ready to depart. When the other train returned from the Italian Gardens it reversed into the siding and the process was repeated.

Prince Charles,(built by HN Barlow, Southport 1953) was provided with a set of 4 sixteen seater bogie coaches which I think were built locally. They were carved on wooden framed bogies with "industrial" type axle boxes and wheel sets. The simple coach underframes were constructed of 3 inch steel channel and the floors were wooden planks. The seats were fixed in 4-seat compartment fashion and were wooden slatted.

When Saltburn Miniature Railway Association took over the line there remained 3 of these coaches with the other chassis, minus bogies, lying in the grass. The S.M.R.A used 2 of these coaches until we could replace them. A new 16-seat coach with guard's platform was built first. It has a chassis of 6-inch steel channel with the flat side outermost forming the solebar. It is carried on refurbished Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Bogies. A second coach of the same design, but with the guard's platform at the opposite end, was added next. These two coaches were fully open and are both air braked.

A third coach was then added. This is again a sixteen-seater bogie coach but without the guard's platform. It is very similar to the first two, but was built with a canopy to keep the worst of the weather off the passengers. The other two new coaches then had a canopy added to each of them. These coaches are now numbered 1, 2 and 3.

When "Little Giant" started to pay visits to Saltburn it was realised that a fourth coach was required therefore number 4 was built. This is similar to the others but has no canopy and has a compressor on the guard's platform to provide compressed air for the braking system. The chassis for these four coaches were made locally and delivered to the railway along with the bogies for numbers 2, 3 and 4, and all further construction was carried out on site by association members.