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The Royal Anchor - Railway - Mrs P.L.Stratton (24th Oct 2009  10:35:04) I was wondering if you could guide me towards how to find out about - Is there a history contact for The Royal Anchor when there was a Miniature Steam Railway running there and a Mr Charles Lane was the proprietor. With very many thank's, if you can help. Lynn Stratton.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - ian (25th Oct 2009  20:21:58) suggest you contact the local preservation society on 01428 722162 (mornings) and leave your details. we can probably help you on this.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - David Jones (27th Aug 2010  17:22:04) If you are successful in finding any local information on this, I'd be very grateful if you can copy me into the reply. I am currently working on a new book on 15" gauge railways and there are only rather brief references to the R. A. railways in previous books. Apparently Charles Lane had one of the largest private collections of model and miniature locomotives in England, and the pub had lines operating on the 10.25", 15" and 18" gauges - the last being fairly unusual. Mr Lane is best known for designing and building the 15" gauge diesel-hydraulic locomotive ROYAL ANCHOR in 1956 which was tried out, fairly successfully, on the Ravenglas and Eskdale Railway in the following year. [editor]For interested locals - here is a link to some more information about the "Royal Anchor" ratty.fotopic.net[/editor]

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - andrew (6th Sep 2010  21:56:27) i worked there in 1979 for 5 years and i once met the man who was the driver on the train there . parts of the track were still there as was the shed and turn table when i was there

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Lynn Stratton (13th Jan 2011  15:44:24) In reply to the last two entries about The Royal Anchor Hotel in Liphook. I would be very pleased to get in contact with David Jones and Andrew to find out any more that I can, if they wish to contact me. Likewise, if I can help David in any way with his research. My eMail address is lynnstratton@talktalk.net

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Andy L (16th Jan 2011  13:19:03) So nice to read about the Anchor garden railway. I used to live about 15 miles away from the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway ( Laal Ratty). As I young boy I spent many days travelling behind these locomotives on school trips and possibly even behind the "Royal Anchor".Its a nice thought that now grown up (???) and living in Liphook I now drink in the pub where the "Royal Anchor" locomotive was built and named after.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Paul Ellis (17th Jan 2011  17:23:55) My wife and I came to Liphook in 1964 and can recall a miniature railway in the garden behind The Royal Anchor. At that time The Royal Anchor was more of a restaurant and had a pleasant salad bar which we went to on our arrival here. We overheard two well spoken ladies talking about the fact that it was difficult to find 'suitable staff' in Liphook! A few weeks later we decided to pop in one evening for a drink. After a few minutes we were asked if we require a menu, to which we said we had only popped in for a drink. "Would you then please finish your drinks and leave", was the response - "we don't encourage 'the locals' to come here!" That was during the Lanes management and it was some years before we set foot in there again.

Re: Photograph Request - Miniature Railway - The Royal Anchor Pub - Lynn Stratton (26th Jan 2011  08:36:01) Photographs - Anyone out there, in Liphook have any old photographs of the Miniature Gauge Railway that used to run around the grounds of The Royal Anchor Pub. Either whilst in existence or after it finished running and possibly were there may have been signs of the track bed etc. With very many thanks if you can help. My eMail is lynnstratton@talktalk.net

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Dee McGrath (26th Jan 2011  15:26:12) Hi Have you tried the model railway club they might be able to help. Good luck Dee

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Alan Pearce (26th Jan 2011  19:43:06) The Model Railway Club caters, primarily for model railways. The Royal Anchor Railway was a Minature Railway, and there is a vast diference, basically, models are able to be held in the hand/hands. There are several bodies that cater for the information that you are after, the prime site is The Narrow Guage Railway Society, the web site being - www.ngrs.org In the event, (which is highly unlikely) that you draw a blank, then they have links to some of the other bodies. Failing that! - then please inform me, via this site, and I will contact the various clubs that I belong to, and I'll do a little more research for you. Good hunting! - and regards, Alan Pearce

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - B (26th Jan 2011  20:10:01) http://www.ingfieldrailway.co.uk/engines.html this page gives details about what happened to model railway from the Anchor. (halfway down page under heading John Terence).

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Lynn Stratton (30th Jan 2011  14:38:03) Thanks Alan Pearce for your kind offer of asking around. I am O.K. with the current History of the Locomotives and Rolling Stock. What I am really asking is more to do with any of your older residents of the village possibly having any old photographs of when the railway was actually running there and possibly memories of having been actually involved with it. I find it interesting that some of the locomotives and rolling stock have survived and are still in use to-day so it would be lovely to have a nice clear diagram of the lay-out of were they originally ran, and just old photographs of whilst it was all in operation. Lynn Stratton.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Lynn Stratton (31st Jan 2011  07:24:31) I should have said in my last Talkback - and yes please Alan, please do have an ask around for me. The more folk that know what I'm looking for, the better. With very many thanks once again. Lynn Stratton.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Robin Lock (6th Feb 2011  13:56:54) Hi i do have a photo of the railway john beard that works in the garden remembers the railway when he was a kid !! he could help

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Lynn Stratton (6th Feb 2011  19:23:18) Hi Robin, Thanks ever so much for replying - That's what I'm looking for, the odd photographic piece of history that will show details of the Locomotives and Rolling stock and photos of the layout of the line. We had the pleasure of meeting John Beard in The Royal Anchor last year - extremely helpful - when we met with Ron Masters whom I had contact with because of other railway connections. So, how can we see your photo, do you have an eMail address to scan it. My eMail as in previous messages is lynnstratton@talktalk.net Thanks again, Lynn Stratton.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Trevor Rothwell (25th Mar 2011  13:28:05) My father was an engineer in Haslemere and (as far as I recall) built the hydraulic drive for the Royal Anchor diesel. We used to have photos of the loco, etc but I fear they disappeared some years ago.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Lynn Stratton (26th Mar 2011  10:35:02) Firstly thanks to all the folk who have contacted me with photographs. Every photo tell's a different story. Trevor, what a shame that your Dad's photo's have gone and very interesting to hear that he worked on the Royal Anchor diesel as an engineer so I hardly need say if you ever do be fortunate enough to come across the photos once again I would love to hear from you. With Best Wishes to all, Lynn Stratton.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Lynn Stratton (1st May 2011  22:15:32) I had been told that the Liphook Preservation Society were possibly going to arrange an exhibition of the Laurence Giles collection and I can't remember when or where it was going to be. Can anyone please help me with this. Many thanks if you can, Lynn Stratton.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Lynn Stratton (14th May 2011  12:21:56) I wonder would it be posssible to move my last message up to under a new heading like 'The Laurence Giles Collection Exhibition' as I don't think it's going to have any response under my current heading, and for anyone that can help give my eMail as:- lynnstratton@talktalk.net With many thanks if you will, Lynn Stratton.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Don Petter (2nd Sep 2011  09:36:38) I don't have any photos of the railway, but remember its existence and being allowed, with my father, to peep at some of the items, as well as model cranes and traction engines, in a building behind the Anchor. As others have said, in the fifties locals were not particularly encouraged to hang around the premises, even less so for unaccompanied small boys. One of the tracks terminated behind the hedge just down Longmoor Road, and I remember that if you were lucky you might catch a glimpse of a train there. I distinctly remember seeing what must have been the diesel 'Royal Anchor' on one occasion. A model traction engine from the collection was on display in the showroom of the Anchor Garage for a time. I don't know what scale it was, but the overall length would have been about three or four feet.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - patrick wright (27th Mar 2012  12:52:19) I remember the Royal Anchor model railway. I went there several times as a child in or around 1952. I seem to remember a lot of the locos and rolling stock were American. I certainly remember a Santa Fe loco. It was a fabulous layout and I\'ve often wondered what happened to it all. Someone must have still have parts of it.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Miniature Railway - Val Gaskin (28th Mar 2012  22:17:41) Hi Lynne, one of my colleagues has written to you re. the photographs you are looking for. Are you still intending to visit us? You can see copies of these photographs as part of our Exhibition currently on display at The Rural Life Centre in Tilford.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Trevor Rothwell (11th Apr 2012  17:17:34) Just picked up the thread again about the Royal Anchor B-B Santa Fe diesel-hydraulic loco. It now appears to be in the US, probably at the railway museum in California! My father, who built the drive, would be amazed! Someone suggested the drive was built from parts 'requisitioned' from Royal Naval gun turret equipment and I should imagine that is almost certainly correct as that was the thrust of my father's work at the time. If anyone has pictures of the loco or anything to do with this railway I would love to see them. My email is trevor.rothwell@talk21.com. Thank you very much [editor]wikipedia entry for the "Royal Anchor" diesel hydraulic locomotive en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...[/editor]

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Lynn Stratton (23rd Jul 2012  19:44:48) Hi Val, {Gaskin} Just wondering if you have picked up my eMail of the 17th July and if you haven't, then if you pick this up, you will know to look for it. It was to say that Monday 6th August would be suitable if it suited you. Look forward to your reply, Regards, Lynn Stratton.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Valerie Gaskin (25th Jul 2012  20:34:18) HI Lynne We have been having Email problems which are now all resolved. Sorry if this has caused any problems. We have the information you are looking for re. The Royal Anchor Railway. 6th August is great and we look forward to meeting you Kind regards, Val,

The Royal Anchor - Railway - Peter Lindsay (28th Jun 2013  09:56:02) Dear Lynn, I read with great interest your various correspondance on the internet in connection with your book on the above. I was just wondering if your book is now completed and in the public domain and, if so, how I might obtain a copy. The purpose of this email is really just to introduce myself and explain about my interest in the railway. Being a keen railway enthusiast I have always wanted to write something about this miniature railway as it seems to me that (until you perhaps) noone else has written anything about it! I now have a little more free time in my life and so want, finally, to get on with this project. From 1966 to 1971 I went to Highfield School in Liphook although I knew nothing about the railway then. However a few years ago I came across mention of some locos and rolling stock from the railway in books about the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Farnborough / Foxhill Miniature Railway, Surrey Border & Camberley Railway and a great book about the locomotive builder H S Bullock. This raised my curiosity levels! About 10 years ago we had a small Highfield School reunion and we all met at the Royal Anchor Hotel for drinks. I soon left my former school mates and went off exploring in and behind the bushes at the bottom of the pub garden. There I found, and photographed, the remains of an old tunnel and earthworks. On a subsequent visit last year I noticed that these had gone. I imagine that it is not too hard to find information about the locos and rolling stock. What interests me more, really, is some history of the railway itself and an understanding of the route it took. A short history of the hotel (apparently it is haunted) and any impact that the railway had on people who worked or rode on it, would also be interesting. I guess the key man to trace - although he has probably died by now - would be Jason Lane who built up an important collection of miniature locos. I scoured the hotel for pictures of the railway, but the only one I could find (actually my Girl friend found!) was in the ladies loo and shows a delightfull Edwardian scene on a miniature railway, but I think it might be another local miniature railway. I hope some of these ramblings might be useful! I would be happy to assist you if appropriate, or perhaps quote your book in anything I write later on, although it more likely to be a personal and social study of the railway than a technical one. With Best Wishes Peter Peter Lindsay

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Editor (17th Sep 2020  10:24:10) Adding some more pictures and links to the 'Royal Anchor' as I find them. As this has been mentioned in more recent posts. See page 36 of The Journal of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society - December 2018 issue 231. From Wikipedia - 2.Internal combustion locomotives No. 6 Royal Anchor An experimental B-B Diesel hydraulic locomotive acquired by the railway in 1961 from the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, who had trialled it and found it not powerful enough. It was built in 1956 by Charles Lane of the Royal Anchor hotel in Hampshire. It used a Ford 4D engine and a hydraulic drive, reputedly using parts from naval gun turrets, and could haul three full open bogie coaches but struggled with four. Without brakes other than putting the transmission into reverse, its ability to stop was limited until it could operate with the first R&ER air braked coaches around 1973. It was out of use in 1968 after failing to stop for cows on the crossing at Muncaster Mill. Nevertheless, it otherwise gave good service on the overnight and first morning round trip trains. In the high summer season of 1975 it double headed Shelagh of Eskdale when the latter was incapable of hauling a heavy train. It was superseded by the completion of the Silver Jubilee railcar in 1977. In 1978 it was sold to Steamtown, Carnforth. However, after this railway closed to the public, it was sold to American film director Francis Ford Coppola in 2000 for use on a railway in one of his Californian vineyards. The engine first went to the Golden Gate Railroad Museum for repairs. The locomotive is currently in storage on the Coppola estate. And this found on twitter - "Aha! That is at @rersteam and that is the long-gone Royal Anchor loco. Looks like it arriving from @RHDR in the 50s."

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - gr (17th Sep 2020  19:53:26) I think it ended up at hollycombe I did some work for a lady at bramshott whose husband was involved with the railway and she said it went to hollycombe

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - er (18th Sep 2020  13:24:43) Thanks for posting the pictures Ed,, it's remarkable now to think there was once a railway in the gardens of the Anchor, but it's true, we once had 3 railways in Liphook! I just now went on Ebay and typed 'Liphook Miniature Railway' and got a great result, one thing comes up, an actual photo of (I guess Mr and Mrs Lane and their pet beagle) standing in the grounds of the Royal Anchor by the 'Royal Anchor Halt' next to engine 'Santa Fe No 2333'. I was tempted to download it, but as i don't own the copyright I decided to do the decent thing and just point anyone to the link who is interested, apparently a print is available for around £4 incl postage and I'd say it would be a great thing to put in the Liphook HeritageCentre if they don't have one already! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333595221651

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - gr (18th Sep 2020  16:49:08) How do we get pictures onto here We have one of the railway [editor]Best option is to create your own free Flickr account. Upload the picture (ensure it is ‘public’). Then use the embed option (640 pixels wide) and paste that code into TalkBack. [/editor]

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - AF (19th Sep 2020  09:46:47) I am too young to remember the railway but as a child i found some of the tracks and the old engine shed at the back of the Anchor Gardens, probably still there if you fancy fighting through the undergrowth.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Liz Hornby (19th Mar 2024  19:20:51) Hello,I have found an old photo while going through my late dad's things.It is of the Royal Anchor and would love to share it and find out where it was taken, possibly Lake District 1950s? Thankyou [editor]Email the picture to editor@liphook.uk and I'll add it to this thread. [/editor]

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Gr (20th Mar 2024  05:05:53) Try Hollycombe

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Hilary Waller (31st Jul 2024  10:36:05) Hello, Some years back another person posted a link to an picture on eBay of Charles Lane and his wife (see 18 Sep 2020). The link they gave no longer works, so I was wondering if anyone could help me find it elsewhere? I am interested in him and his family, rather than his railway. Before coming to Liphook, he ran The Swan and Alton for many years. When he died, he left all his machine tools to a Samuel Cocker of Blackmoor, Southampton. I have also tried to email the originator of this chain, Lynn Stratton, but she no longer seems to have the same email address? Thanks in advance everyone :)

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Editor (31st Jul 2024  11:06:00) Just trying to find some of the older, now dead links. This is from archive.org ...www.ingfieldrailway.co.uk/engines.html this page gives details about what happened to model railway from the Anchor. (halfway down page under heading John Terence).

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Editor (13th Sep 2024  09:07:56) Royal Anchor train. Picture taken in the Lake District by the father of Elizabeth Hornby. Date believed to be 1950's.

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Hollycombe (16th Sep 2024  21:48:46) From Hollycombe Steam hivemind (we have some very knowledgeable volunteers in our armoury): Visit this site royalvictoriarailway.co.uk/steam-engines Mark Coburn no,they’ve not been together since their SB&CR days. 4012 was at Royal Anchor, Shillingstone, plinthed at Wimborne Model Village and then in Belgium. She is back in the UK and substantially altered but is in working order at the Royal Victoria Railway in Southampton. 4013s history is a bit more patchy. Her first day in service she had a head on collision and several castings were smashed. Both locos haven’t worked much certainly compared to the other SB&CR locos. Former resident in Liphook now in Southampton. Lovely picture here for you www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233896588414

Re: The Royal Anchor - Railway - Editor (8th Oct 2024  14:26:17) This image has been provided by Ravenglass Railway Museum. Royal Anchor pilots Shelagh of Eskdale into Ravenglass - the pair looking superb in matching blue liveries. There isn’t a date with the photograph, but they reckon that it must be early/mid 1970s (some time between 1972 and November 1975, when the loco last ran at Ravenglass.).

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