Railway attraction up for sale

The ultimate Christmas gift for UK train enthusiasts is on offer with the sale of a narrow gauge steam-operated railway with three-quarters of a mile of track.

Owners Michael and Frances Crofts have put leisure attraction Perrygrove Railway on the market after six years of running the steam train.

Set in 22 acres of land, the 15 inch gauge steam railway, complete with steam engine, diesel engine and carriages, also comes with a four-bedroom house, cafe, children’s play area and car park.

Mrs Crofts said that the railway, near Coleford, Glos, had been a dream come true for her husband.

“Something my husband had always wanted to do was build his own railway – he was particularly interested in narrow gauge.

“It started as a hobby and has grown now into a business which is bigger than we can cope with at the moment due to time pressure.”

The site in the Forest of Dean had been farmland previously and the couple built the track themselves, with the half-size engine coming from a specialist company.

Mrs Crofts said the site, which also has a two-storey barn with planning permission for residential use, was being sold as a going concern, aimed at families.

She added that it was a train-enthusiast’s dream: “You have an engine shed at the bottom of the garden.”

The couple currently run the site part-time and it is open 80 days a year.

The railway is being marketed by Wilkins Chartered Surveyors in Worcester with a guide price of £850,000 (€1.3m).