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Miniature Train - Salthill Leisureland

peterbrynt

Hello everyone,

I wondered if anyone on these boards had any memories or photos of the miniature train that ran round the funfair at Leisureland, Salthill, on the seafront, that they could share with me?

Anything would be interesting and appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Peter

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Head The Wall

It still runs there, wait till summer

peterbrynt

Headthewall,

Thanks for the reply.

I'm particularly interested in the miniature train that used to run there. It was much smaller than the one that is there now.

It ran at Galway from 1973 to 2003, before being replaced by the bigger train and moving elsewhere. I'm really after pictures or memories of this particular train.

Thanks
Peter

biko

I found the new train on www.perksleisureland.com/news1.html but you probably already seen that?

peterbrynt

Biko,

Thanks for the link, I have come across this before. This is the new 2 foot gauge train which has replaced the one I'm after memories/photos of.

Peter

sgthighway

I heard before that the old one was run off an old Escort Engine. I know nothing about trains so it could be a load of crap.

peterbrynt

Sgt Highway,

Thanks for the reply. You're correct, it originally had an Escort engine, but was replaced in 1994 by a Perkins engine.

Keep the photos/memories coming!

Thanks
Peter

paconnors

as far as I can remember that old train went to a museum in the south.

JohnCleary

Maybe get in touch with the Perk family (im sure theres some sort of contacts on the website) and ask them?

One of the family lives in Galway but you'd be better off trying to get in touch with Russel Perk Senior (The owner of Perks amusments)

peterbrynt

Paconnors and John,

Thanks for your response. I will do. I'm researching the Severn Lamb locomotives like the ones that were at Leisureland.

Does anyone else have anymore photos or memories of it? Even recollections of what colour it used to be would be interesting!

Thanks
Peter

moonflower

I don't remember the old one, but I do have a photo of me on it from around 1996.
I don't have a working scanner though.

donmeister

Lmao@this thread

mercuroman

I think it could have been red - not sure - but I do remember leaving coins on the tracks to get crushed under it!

peterbrynt

Thanks for the responses all.

Moonflower - I will contact you over PM, any pictures of it will be interesting!

Mecuroman - Interesting to hear it was red, I have not seen any photos of it in that livery. I bet your coins got crushed!

Keep them coming

sgthighway

I'll dig out some photos when I call home at the weekend. I'm sure we have a photo of it.

peterbrynt

Sgthighway,

Thanks, if you can find any photos, that would be great. Most of the Rio Grande locomotives were originally black livery.

Peter

mercuroman

peterbrynt wrote: »

Interesting to hear it was red, I have not seen any photos of it in that livery. I bet your coins got crushed!

I could be completely wrong - could be mixing memories of it being red but my coins were definitely crushed!

peterbrynt

I'm still on the look out for any old pictures or memories anyone has of this train? It would be great to see them, please do get in touch if you have any.

I've been told that the train was originally delivered in green livery. Does this rekindle any memories?

Thanks
Peter

happyoutscan

Their website is more exciting than their amusement park.

Steyr

Just a heads up OP, that train is back out and about daily in Leisureland doing the track, its red.:)

gmkgreaney

JohnCleary wrote: »

Maybe get in touch with the Perk family (im sure theres some sort of contacts on the website) and ask them?

One of the family lives in Galway but you'd be better off trying to get in touch with Russel Perk Senior (The owner of Perks amusments)

hes unapproachable , between him the wife and jonathan there the most ignorent and stingy people iv ever met, tbh i never knew the train was changed was more of a walzer fan myself

peterbrynt

Thanks for the messages - I've been in touch with the Perks already and they're very nice people.

But what I'm really interested in, is the smaller train that used to run their before the big train that runs there now! The old train ran from 1973 to 2003 at Salthill.

Any photos/memories, please post them!

Thanks
Peter

Andrea B.

A few nights before Halloween in 1982 (I think) the train was burnt out in an accident during juvenile theft of petrol from tank. A few years after that they built the lock-up tunnel.

A new/refurbished engine arrived around May the following year so not many people noticed loss.

gary82

This photo was on the Leisureland site, maaay well be the same train as linked above but with a different paint-job, the chimney at the front is different as well...

I think this might be the modern one...

kraggy

That green one is the one that was there pre 2003 alright.

I used to work there and the train was green as far as I can remember back, which is 1991-1994.

peterbrynt

Many thanks for these posts, very interesting.

Andrea B - I've seen a picture from 1983 and there was certainly a mock up tunnel on the railway then, so I'm guessing they put it up that winter? But I'm very sure that it's the same locomotive, and perhaps it wasn't as damaged as at first imagined?

Gary82 - Thanks for that, not seen this photo before. This is how it looks now in the green livery. The red locomotive is a larger gauge and was built by the same company in 2003.

Kraggy - Thanks, did it look pretty much the same as it does in the photo Gary posted there?

Keep it coming

Thanks
Peter

Andrea B.

Andrea B - I've seen a picture from 1983 and there was certainly a mock up tunnel on the railway then, so I'm guessing they put it up that winter? But I'm very sure that it's the same locomotive, and perhaps it wasn't as damaged as at first imagined?

It was definitely taken away after fire, as I have vivid memories of it traveling on back of truck down Threadneedle Rd before school broke for Summer.

The tunnel I speak of was arched one covered in grass at far side and parellel to where hotel is now.

peterbrynt

Andrea,

Thanks - so you saw it on the truck before Summer 1983 or 1982? Sorry for the confusion!

I bet that was in the local press at the time, but it's definetly the same loco as first built for there.

Thanks
Peter

Steyr

There is indeed a tunnel its across from the Galway Bay Hotel, it's where they parked/keep the train at night and when not in use, locked from both sides and has swing doors. I remember the green train too with the red grate at the front, i also remember removing little stones from the line if i noticed them, just in case the train de-railed:pac::D

JohnCleary

Steyr wrote: »

There is indeed a tunnel its across from the Galway Bay Hotel, it's where they parked/keep the train at night and when not in use, locked from both sides and has swing doors. I remember the green train too with the red grate at the front, i also remember removing little stones from the line if i noticed them, just in case the train de-railed:pac::D

That b4starding green train used to walways derail. Was some craic trying to get it back on the line with a big iron bar!

[Deleted User]

JohnCleary wrote: »

That b4starding green train used to walways derail. Was some craic trying to get it back on the line with a big iron bar!

Either you don't want to say bastarding or b4starding was the make of the train.

Holy shizzle I'm tired.