this railway currently has no name - because it doesn't exist yet

2' (60cm) gauge in the garden

July 2007 diary

I used to have a 5" gauge railway around my garden in England which was not really stable enough for young children; as they fidgetted the trains had a habit of derailing. It was a good start though and I learnt a lot and thoroughly enjoyed building it. When my wife and I moved to New Zealand in 2005 I sold the 5" gauge equipment and said that if I was to build anything here it would be 7.25" or larger.

The thought of building a line here in New Zealand recently got a new lease of life and I started looking at my options. Once you go above 5" gauge prices go up quickly; and a new Maxitrak 7.25" loco can set you back a lot of money. I don't know what made me look, but it turns out that much larger stock is actually cheaper, perhaps because it is less practical. When I found I could buy a "real" 2' gauge locos for less than the price of a 7.25" loco I was intrigued.

On a recent holiday back to the UK I managed to explore several 2' gauge railways and I fell in love with the Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway. I thought if I could do a fraction as well as they have done I would be more than happy. So, my quest began for more information and not least how much it was going to cost me.

I am currently searching out places I can source 2' gauge rolling stock and equipment.

I have found that there are currently two Motor-Rail Simplexes for sale. I'd have to establish shipping costs from the UK, but the locos are affordable. I do still however need a suitable site and track to run on. One of these locos is ex-Garside's #21 from Leighton Buzzard and a sister to #27 photographed at Amberley:

I have just emailed the shipping company that moved our stuff to New Zealand when we emigrated to ask their opinion and for pricing on how much it'd likely cost to ship 2' gauge locos and rolling stock from Europe and/or Indonesia to New Zealand.

Stefan Matthäus, one of the visitors to my 2' (60cm) gauge discussion forum has suggested Java might be a good place to look for redundant 2' gauge equipment.

Go forward to the August 2007 diary

News

I have decided to put on hold any plans for a 2' gauge line here in New Zealand. It is not easy to source equipment from overseas and any line built to a gauge of 540mm or more requires an inspection every year by Transit New Zealand - just the same as the standard (3'6") lines.

I am not sure what I am going to do at the moment, but I am erring towards going 15" gauge and building practically everything myself.

Narrow-minded and proud of it!