Ridable Miniature Railways

Miniature railways are ground-level, large scale model railroads (railways) that haul passengers and use locomotives that are models of full sized railway locomotives, powered by diesel or gasoline engines, live steam engines or electric motors.

Zooline Railroad St. Louis Zoo

Typically they have a track gauge between 10 and 18 inches (254 to 458mm), though both larger and smaller gauges are used. In the USA the terms riding railroad and grand scale railroad are commonly used to describe this type of railway. These large model railroads are most often seen in municipal parks or in commercial settings, such as amusement park rides.

The major distinction between a miniature railway and a narrow gauge railway is that miniature lines use models of full-sized prototypes. There are miniature railways that run on gauges as wide as 2 ft., for example the Wicksteed Park railway. There are also narrow gauge railways running on extremely narrow track as small as 15 inch gauge, for example the Perrygrove Railway and the Eaton Hall Railway: these are known as "minimum gauge railways".

Typically in the UK miniature lines are operated as public heritage railways, though many private lines also exist, especially in the USA .

UK Miniature Railways

18" gauge

. Bicton Woodland Railway, East Budleigh , Devon website

. Heath Park Tramway, Cardiff

. Royal Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey, Greater London website

. Steeple Grange Light Railway, Wirksworth, Derbyshire website

. Sundown Pets Corner, Retford, Nottinghamshire

. Terrific Train, New Metroland, Gateshead , Tyne & Wear