Pictures show end of an era at mini-railway
THESE are the sad photos that mark the end of an era for a popular miniature railway used by generations.
Trains are being shipped out of Brookside Garden Centre in Poynton after the current operators were given notice to quit.
The owners of the garden centre say the railway will reopen, but it is not known exactly when that will be or who will run it.
Brookside Miniature Railway’s Facebook page is being regularly updated with photos showing the treasured trains, including Amy Louise, Jane and Jeremy, being sent away to their new homes, including Barnard’s Miniature Railway in Dartford and Pugneys Light Railway in Wakefield.
The operator of the railway is understood to have been given a letter containing the notice to quit and a spokesman told us he was too upset to speak about the closure, which has now been brought forward to Sunday, September 2.
But their announcement on the railway’s Facebook page sparked hundreds of comments from customers old and new, who say they’ll be devastated to see it go.
One of those is mum Jill Glenister, whose threeyear-old son Jasper has been enjoying train rides there since he was one.
She said: “We’re so sad the railway isn’t going to be run by the same guys. We’ve been bringing Jasper since he was about a year old and the gentlemen who run it have always made us feel so welcome.
“We’ve always loved the excitement of finding out which train would be running - I believe all but one have now been sold to different railways - and the journey around the gar- den centre and through the tunnels never gets old.
“It’s a terrible shame and the fact they were given notice to quit without so much as a conversation was just awful. We plan to visit on the last weekend to say our goodbyes.”
The railway has been at the London Road North centre, owned by Klondyke and Strikes, since its first journey in 1980.
A statement on the Brookside Garden Centre Facebook page says the closure will not be permanent and the railway will reopen.
It says: “The railway will not be permanently closing. It will be undergoing a refurbishment and a change of ownership. The people who run the train at the moment have done an excellent job over many years and I’m sure everybody will be very sad to see them change.
“This decision has been made between the Garden Centre’s head office and the railway.
“We all hope the new train continues to be successful for many years to come.”
A spokesperson at the garden centre said the railway was closing in September and should reopen in November or December.
Nobody at the company’s head office was available to comment.