Dobwalls Adventure Park

More from David Hughes:

The Dobwalls Adventure Park near Liskeard was a 22 acre site that had two 7.25 in gauge tracks, based on American outlines.  I visited there in the early 1980s. The first line to open in 1970 was the Rio Grande Cumbres Pass Line that ran a large circuit through woodland. The gradients were as steep as 1 in 25 which were the steepest on a miniature railway at that time. The second line opened in 1979 and was based on the Union Pacific Sherman Hills in Wyoming. Again, this had steep gradients up to 1 in 66; both lines being quite a challenge for miniature steam locomotives! The Dobwalls Park closed  in 2006 and the stock disposed of to another line in Dorset. This itself closed and all the locomotives were acquired in 1999 by the Diamond Valley Railway in Melbourne, Australia. Interestingly the line has to close when it gets too hot (36° and over) and can’t run steam trains due to the fire risk!

1     Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 838 Queen of Nebraska and Santa Fe FP45 Co Co No. 5908 Pioneer at the depot.

2     Union Pacific DDA40X Do Do No. 6908 Centennial.

3     Union Pacific 4-8-2 No. 818 Queen of Wyoming passing Sherman Hill.

4     Rio Grande GP35 BoBo No. 3008 Matthias Baldwin on the turntable at Dobwalls.

5     Rio Grande 2-8-2 No. 498 Otto Mears at Dobwalls shed.

6     498 on the turntable.

7      Two car dmu on the nearby Liskeard to Looe branch, seen here calling at the deightfully named St Keyne Wishing Well Halt station.