cclr-15in
The Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway is a 15 in (381 mm) gauge miniature steam railway in Lincolnshire, operating along the seafront at Cleethorpes on the south bank of the Humber estuary, one of the enduring examples of the British seaside miniature railway tradition that provided holiday entertainment and a genuine steam railway experience for generations of visitors to the East Coast resorts. The CCLR has operated since 1948, and its steam fleet includes locomotives built to a range of styles and designs that reflect the eclectic character of the 15 in gauge miniature railway scene in Britain.
The 15 in gauge — established as the standard for serious miniature railways by Sir Arthur Heywood's Duffield Bank Railway in the 1870s–80s and popularised by the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent from 1927 — gives the CCLR locomotives and their passengers a genuine railway experience scaled to approximately a quarter of standard gauge, with all the operational characteristics of a real steam railway in miniature form. The Cleethorpes setting, with views across the Humber to the Yorkshire coast and the busy shipping traffic of one of Britain's major estuaries, gives the CCLR a distinctive character among British miniature railways.
The CCLR's steam fleet includes Mountaineer, Sutton Belle, and Sutton Flyer, all preserved and operated on the railway.
Identification features
Various 15 in gauge miniature locomotives.
Notable locomotives
- Various CCLR engines