The First three locomotives at Bicton. Woolwich (original steam engine), Bicton and Carnegie,(diesel).
A picture of the Bicton Gardens Station in its earlier days as an open platform. It now has the addition of a roof.
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Below is a collection of guides and books that have been available over the years. Some of the dates for publication are a good estimate rather than a confirmed year of print. My colection is ongoing, so I will add to this list as I acquire more Bicton goodies.
Bicton Gardens Guide
1963 N. D. G. James / The Raleigh Press
Bicton Woodland Railway
1963 N. D. G. James / The Raleigh Press
Bicton Gardens Fourth Edition
1966 N. D. G. James/R.H. Tilbrook / Jarrold & Sons Ltd.
The Trees of Bicton
1969 N. D. G. James/ Oxford Basil Blackwell
Souvenir Guide to Bicton Gardens
1977 N. D. G. James / Beric Tempest & Company Ltd.
Souvenir Guide to the Bicton Gardens Countryside Meseum
1977 N. D. G. James / Beric Tempest & Company Ltd.
Bicton: Countryside Museum • Railway • Gardens • Hall of Transport
1979 Severn Advertising (SW) Ltd.
Beautiful Bicton: Bicton Park Botanical Gardens
2001 David Mead/Simon & Valerie Lister/Park Publishing
In the last post I featured a picture of my sister and I sitting in the cab of an engine called 'Budley'. After a good Googling, I have found my old friend.
Budley was a Ruston & Hornsby locomotive type 13DL, purchased by the Ministry of Works in 1945 for use on 2ft guage track. In 1959 the Fairy Glen Miniature Railway re-gauged the engine to 18 inch and six years later it was sold to Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. Bicton Woodland Railway then got it in 1974 and named the engine Budley after Budleigh in Devon.
Budley is just a shell without gearbox or engine. Its new owners, The Royal Gunpowder Mills are going to re-build budley to a working engine. They purchased Bicton's other locomotives along with old Budley in 2000. More on this another time.
Picture below © 'Jampics'