A Brief History of the Downs Light Railway and the Trust

 

Here tells the brief summary of the creation of the Downs Light Railway and how the Trust was formed.

 

 

The creation of the Downs Light Railway (1920s)

 

 

The concept of a teaching medium through practical applications, formed the basis to which created the Downs Light Railway.


In the early 1920s, the Former Headmaster of the Downs School, Geoffrey Hoyland took the idea of using a miniature railway as an educational tool to direct the pupils' towards engineering. With a steam locomotive in his possession, and a basic railway constructed, the Downs Light Railway came to life in 1925.

In the early 1930s, the acquisition of a second locomotive started a gradual regauging of the track from 7 ¼ inches to its present track gauge of 9 ½ inches. But with the onset of the Second World War and subsequent changes of Headmasters, the railway saw a slow decline of supervision. Consequently the railway suffered misuse and neglect, leaving it in a state of disrepair at the end of the 1940s.

The recovery (1970s)

 

During the late 1950s into the 1960s the railway became the centre of attention to certain individuals who saw the historical and educational value. With the railway barely usable, a plan to return the railway to its original working state commenced, with former pupil James Boyd returning to the Downs in 1968 to lead this as a member of staff at the school.


Taking charge of the railway on the request of the then Headmaster, James Boyd set out in restoring the railway, with the help of others.

 

 

The school had some what forgotten Geoffrey Hoyland's aims and ethos for the railway. The railway subsequently ceased operating, in an attempt to make the site suitable for children to safely take part in. When the locomotives had received proper attention and a suitable length of track to run them on had been relayed, the railway reopened to the Children and work commenced to sort out the rest of the track and carriages.

 

The formation of the Trust and its organisation

 

In 1975, the Downs Light Railway reached its 50th Birthday with a compliment of three steam locomotives, working carriages and a mostly useable track. Moving towards the 1980s, the railway became a very low priority of the school. The disinterest reached the point where a section of the railway had to be removed and recoursed to accommodate new sports pitches without much consideration of the railway.

 

In order to safeguard the railway's future, a move was made to create an independent Trust. The proposal was put to the Society of Old Downians, Parents and the School?s Board of Governors. Eventually an agreement was made to form a Charitable Trust, and on the 12 May 1983 the Downs Light Railway Trust came into fruition.

 

The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the acquisition of a Petrol Hydraulic Locomotive and the retirement of the railway's Atlantic to finance the rebuilding of the railways oldest locomotive.

 

 
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