Lincs Coast celebrates 60th anniversary – two years late
THE LINCOLNSHIRE Coast Light Railway celebrated its 60th anniversary on August 27 – two years later than planned.
The 2ft gauge line had originally planned to mark its diamond anniversary in August 2020, commemorating 60 years since it opened on August 27 1960 at its original North Sea Lane headquarters at Humberston near Cleethorpes as the world’s first heritage railway to be built on a greenfield site. Signwriter Tim Fry created a commemorative headboard inscribed ‘1960 – 2020’ for the celebrations which had to be postponed owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, as August 27 this year happened to coincide with one of the revived LCLR’s running days, the railway was finally able to use the headboard and mark the anniversary.
LCLR Historic Vehicles Trust chairman Richard Shepherd said: “We had a busy and enjoyable day in warm sunshine and sea breezes, and we were all delighted that we could finally share with our passengers this remarkiable anniversary, which has been made possible though the dedication of our volunteers, the generosity of so many in the community, the lottery, Lincolnshire County Council and the support of the public.”
Operated using former First World War
locomotives and rolling stock from the Nocton Estates Railway and Southam Cement Works, a combination of cheap foreign package holidays and the miners’ strikes forced the original LCLR to close in 1985. After decades in storage, the railway reopened at its current Skegness Water Leisure Park home in 2009.