The Cadeby Light Railway was a
narrow-gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structur ...
railway in the garden of the
rectory
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage.
Function
A clergy house is typically ow ...
in
Cadeby, Leicestershire
Cadeby (pronounced ) is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, about 6 miles north of Hinckley, close to Newbold Verdon and Market Bosworth. According to the 2001 census it had a populatio ...
.
In the early 1960s the
Reverend Teddy Boston became rector of All Saints' Church, Cadeby. Boston was a lifelong
railway enthusiast
A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff or trainspotter (Australian/British English), or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems.
Rail ...
and wanted to build a miniature railway in his new garden, but the cost proved prohibitive. Instead he searched for a full-sized narrow-gauge locomotive.
In 1962, he purchased ''Pixie'', a
W.G. Bagnall from the Cranford quarry. The quarry owners donated a short length of track and two wagons and the Cadeby Light Railway was opened.
Over the years, Boston built an extensive collection of ex-industrial narrow-gauge rolling stock, which ran on the extremely short line in his garden. He also maintained an extensive
OO gauge
OO gauge or OO scale (also, 00 gauge and 00 scale) is the most popular standard-gauge model railway standard in the United Kingdom, outside of which it is virtually unknown. OO gauge is one of several 4 mm-scale standards (4 mm to 1 foot, ...
model railway at Cadeby.
Although Boston died in 1986, his widow, Audrey kept the railway open for nearly twenty years, holding regular open days.
The railway finally closed in May 2005. The majority of the collection has been amalgamated with the
Moseley Railway Trust
The Moseley Railway Trust is a major British collection of industrial narrow gauge locomotives and other equipment. It originally had its base in south Manchester, but has relocated to the Apedale Community Country Park near Newcastle-under-Ly ...
at the
Apedale Community Country Park. As of 2014, ''Pixie'' was undergoing restoration.
Collection
In 1982, Boston's collection consisted of:
See also
*
Moseley Railway Trust
The Moseley Railway Trust is a major British collection of industrial narrow gauge locomotives and other equipment. It originally had its base in south Manchester, but has relocated to the Apedale Community Country Park near Newcastle-under-Ly ...
*
British narrow-gauge railways
There were more than a thousand British narrow-gauge railways ranging from large, historically significant common carriers to small, short-lived industrial railways. Many notable events in British railway history happened on narrow-gauge railway ...
References
*
*
;Specific
External links
The Rev. Edwin Richard "Teddy" Boston – an appreciation – by Mike Rooth*[http://www.britishpathe.com/product_display.php?canisternumber=&sortnumber=&filmid=403.08&szin=&group=&decade=&date1=&date2=&date3=&datefrom=&dateto=&choice=all&description=Enter+search+word%28s%29+here&searchword=Enter+a+search+word+here&choice1=all&title=Enter+a+film+title+here&choice2=all&keywords=Enter+key+words+here&choice3=all&summary=Enter+a+summary+search+here&advanced.x=0&advanced.y=0 "Railway Vicar" (free video download)] – April 1967 feature by British Pathe about Teddy Boston and his OO gauge model railway.
Teddy Boston's involvement in the forming of the Cadeby Steam & Country Fayre
{{Heritage railways in England
2 ft gauge railways in England
Railway lines opened in 1963
Railway lines closed in 2005