Construction of the original H&DLR began in late 1993 and, like most garden railways, continued up until closure in 2006. The basic shape was a single track loop around the lawn, with a spur off into a shed. There were three main stations, all equipped with a passing loop and a siding for the small amount of goods traffic along the line. The largest station was Forsythia Junction, where the line from the shed joined the main line. There was a triangle there, useful for turning trains, and a loco shed.
Heading south from Forsythia Junction over Ash Bridge, we reached Quince Bottom. This was originally just a halt on the main line, but after a couple of years was extended.
The former route behind the new station was retained, and was known as the “old road”.
Beyond Quince Bottom, there were a couple of sidings and a small halt at Greaves Croft.
The line continued on to Wood End station, which had a long platform and a loop capable of holding the longest trains on the line.
The line from Wood End then ran through the flower bed back to Forsythia Junction.
Sadly, a decision in 2005 to move house meant the closure of the line in early 2006. This section of the website records the history of that version of the H&DLR, before the move to the present site. We hope you enjoy the archive photos!
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