Great Cockcrow Railway - 01932 565474

The Great Cockcrow Railway is a gauge miniature railway located at Lyne, near Chertsey, Surrey, UK.It is open on Sunday afternoons from May to October inclusive, plus Wednesday afternoons during August.HistoryThis gauge railway originated in 1946 when John Samuel started construction in the garden of his house,'Greywood', on the Burwood Park estate at Walton-on-Thames. With the help of a group of volunteers the Greywood Central Railway developed into one of the foremost of its type in the country until by 1962 a run of 3/4 mile was possible. From the first the line was properly signalled and ultimately worked to a timetable. Samuel's death in October 1962 threw the railway's future into doubt but the publisher, Ian Allan, purchased the line and, with the assistance of most of the GCR volunteers, a few of whom are still involved, moved it to its present site at Hardwick Lane, Chertsey. It reopened to the public on 14 September 1968 under the new name Great Cockcrow Railway, taken from Cockcrow Hill which rises on its south side. Since that time the railway has been developed and enlarged, some two miles of track now being in the layout. Two different routes are offered to visitors, each of about 1.25 miles, a journey time of around twenty minutes.'Red Route' trains terminate at the country station, Cockcrow Hill, while 'Green Route' trains pass through that station to traverse a 350m-long loop beyond it. Return routes vary also. A named train, 'The Gladesman', runs each afternoon at 4.30. This consists of six or seven coaches double-headed and takes an extended route over the system. The most recent innovation is a proper station building, completed in 2014 after several planning, financial and constructional delays. As expected it houses a Tea Room and toilets, including disabled facilities, as well as the booking office and staff accommodation. The railway is open to the public on Sundays from the beginning of May to the end of October between 1.30pm and 5.00 pm, (booking office closes 4.45pm.) as well as Wednesdays in August. A Gala Day with visiting engines is held in September, and on the last Saturday in October Hallowe'en is celebrated with night-time operation.

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