Harlington Locomotive Society
Encyclopedia
The Harlington Locomotive Society, also informally known as the Harlington Miniature Railway is a trestle railway about half a mile in length through an old orchard in the village of Harlington
, London Borough of Hillingdon
, Greater London
.
house with kitchen and workshop, powered steaming bays and a brick built station & signal box
. Parking for visitors and disabled access and facilities are available. It has some resemblance to the Parkreisen of the BRD and the Pionerbahn of the DDR, though the facility is for the use of adult hobbyists and does not have the didactic purpose of training potential future railway employees.
Service facilities are located in the centre of the western loop of the track. Locomotives are steamed there and then switched into the running line on a rotatable section of track. A facility for checking boiler pressure performance is located here.
As early as the 1950s, the railway incorporated a treadle operated signalling system to regulate the traffic. The weight of the wheels operated the treadles, which caused the signal behind to change to red and being cleared to green at the next treadle along the line.
.
The route encircles the orchard, and is of a figure of eight shape, though the arms of the "8" do not cross.
Both 3½" and 5" gauge locomotives can be run on the line, which has three rails - one giving a 3½" gauge, the other 5", with a common third rail. The passenger cars which straddle the line are of 5" gauge.
, later EMI
, the Aeolian Company
's Factory and Fairey Aviation
and the engineering facilities of Heathrow Airport are near at hand. So, there is an extensive potential membership base that has provided a willing and expert membership. Most of the surrounding land has been developed as relatively low cost housing, and so the HLS pays deference to the history of the local area, before urbanisation, one of market gardens and orchards, serving London, whilst finding a novel use as a leisure facility.
. But coverage in the specialist railway and children's press is longstanding. Arthur Mee
's Children's Newspaper carried a long article in the 1950s, and the railway has been covered frequently by broadcasters such as the BBC
.
Harlington, London
Harlington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon, on the northern perimeter of London Heathrow Airport. It is situated west of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
, London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
, Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
.
Description
It is set in an orchard, the club has a large circuit of track of both 5" & 3 1/2" gauge track incorporating a small tunnel, a clubCountry club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
house with kitchen and workshop, powered steaming bays and a brick built station & signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
. Parking for visitors and disabled access and facilities are available. It has some resemblance to the Parkreisen of the BRD and the Pionerbahn of the DDR, though the facility is for the use of adult hobbyists and does not have the didactic purpose of training potential future railway employees.
Service facilities are located in the centre of the western loop of the track. Locomotives are steamed there and then switched into the running line on a rotatable section of track. A facility for checking boiler pressure performance is located here.
As early as the 1950s, the railway incorporated a treadle operated signalling system to regulate the traffic. The weight of the wheels operated the treadles, which caused the signal behind to change to red and being cleared to green at the next treadle along the line.
The site
It was donated to the society many years ago, and is east of the High Street, HarlingtonHarlington, London
Harlington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon, on the northern perimeter of London Heathrow Airport. It is situated west of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
.
Operation
Besides a membership scheme it is frequently open to the public and trips are afforded for a relatively small charge.The route encircles the orchard, and is of a figure of eight shape, though the arms of the "8" do not cross.
Both 3½" and 5" gauge locomotives can be run on the line, which has three rails - one giving a 3½" gauge, the other 5", with a common third rail. The passenger cars which straddle the line are of 5" gauge.
History
The local area had many engineering companies (or companies employing engineers) including HMVHMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
, later EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, the Aeolian Company
Aeolian Company
The Æolian Company was a manufacturer of player organs and pianos.- History :It was founded by New York City piano maker William B. Tremaine as the Æolian Organ & Music Co. to make automatic organs, and, after 1895, as the Æolian Co. automatic pianos as well. The Æolian Company was a...
's Factory and Fairey Aviation
Fairey Aviation
The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Greater London and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Greater Manchester...
and the engineering facilities of Heathrow Airport are near at hand. So, there is an extensive potential membership base that has provided a willing and expert membership. Most of the surrounding land has been developed as relatively low cost housing, and so the HLS pays deference to the history of the local area, before urbanisation, one of market gardens and orchards, serving London, whilst finding a novel use as a leisure facility.
Publicity
The concept is highly photogenic and many clips can be found on YoutubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. But coverage in the specialist railway and children's press is longstanding. Arthur Mee
Arthur Mee
Arthur Henry Mee was a British writer, journalist and educator. He is best known for The Harmsworth Self-Educator, The Children's Encyclopaedia, The Children's Newspaper, and The King's England...
's Children's Newspaper carried a long article in the 1950s, and the railway has been covered frequently by broadcasters such as the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.