Blackwater Valley

[BagshotBill]

Am really interested in any 'revelations' about the lines - including a rumoured miniature railway - criss-crossing this area between Wokingham/Ascot in the north and Farnborough in the south. Any thoughts anyone?

 

[Gloster]

Search around for the Surrey Border & Camberley Railway: this was the 10 1/4” gauge miniature line. There is a fair amount on the internet and there may even be something on this forum.

 

[BagshotBill]

Knew I'd read about it Gloster... but there's so much about the other lines running around the Blackdown, Deepcut, Brookwood and/or Bisley areas that I don't know - especially detailed maps/pix of where the lines used to run - that I'd love to know.
As a kid, I seem to remember a Bracknell bookie by the name of Joe Smith(?) used to hire a train once a year to take us all from Bracknell/Ascot/Frimley/and on to the main LSWR line to the seaside. Fascinating stuff.

 

[MarkyT]

There's a nice photo collection featuring the railway here: https://transportsofdelight.smugmug...URE-RAILWAYS/SURREY-BORDERS-CAMBERLEY-RAILWAY

SURREY BORDER & CAMBERLEY RAILWAY
The Surrey Border & Camberley Railway was built to the 10.25" gauge for a London merchant banker, Mr. Alexander Kinloch. This railway incorporated the earlier Fox Hill Railway and Farnborough Miniature Railway, which had begun in 1934 and by 1937 had about one mile of track, built by HCS Bullock to demonstrate his miniature locomotives. It proved extremely popular and Kinloch decided to expand on it. Control was transferred to the SB&CR., a limited company, which officially commenced operations on July 23rd, 1938, with 'Oh! Mr Porter' star Graham Moffatt as guest driver. The original railway was extended and finally had about two miles of track, of which about half was double. The main line ran from Farnborough Green, near Frimley Station, in Hampshire, on the Southern Railway, to Camberley.

I'm sure this 1950 aerial view shows the Farnborough Green station site. Some of the hardstanding nearest the camera by the road bridge may be part of the old station platforms. Southern Counties Car Auctions Ltd began there after WW2 under entrepreneur David Wickins. The company would become British Car Auctions later, moving to Blackbushe airport to launch an air sales division and expanding internationally. Today this area is under modern roads and Frimley4 Business Park.

EAW030532 ENGLAND (1950). The Southern Counties Car Auctions Ltd site at Frimley Bridge and houses along Prince Charles Crescent and Holt Close, Hawley Lane, 1950. This image was marked by Aerofilms Ltd for photo editing. | Britain From Above

www.britainfromabove.org.uk

The Southern Counties Car Auctions Ltd site at Frimley Bridge and houses along Prince Charles Crescent and Holt Close, Hawley Lane, 1950.

 

[LUYMun]

Railmaponline has an interactive online overlay of former railway lines. Zoom in to the Blackwater area and use some of toggles on the left to see the lines, stations and miscellanea in detail: https://railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php

 

[BagshotBill]

Really useful these posts everyone. Thanks a lot!