| Clacton couple build miniature railway in their garden - to support lifeboats Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:34, 4th May 2026 |     |
From the BBC:
Couple build miniature railway in their garden
Dave Walker proposed the idea to wife Angela after they got married in 2017 - Image © Jamie Niblock/BBC
A couple have finally finished building a miniature railway in their garden after eight years.
Dave proposed the idea to Angela Walker after they got married in 2017.
The miniature railway, made up of about 400m in track (1,312ft), has become the centrepiece in their quarter-acre garden in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, and they hope to use it to host fundraising events for the local lifeboat station.
"It's probably made our house unsellable, or triple what it is worth if the right person comes along," joked Dave.
The railway boasts five engines - which can pull up to 20 adults - and it is made up of thousands of custom-made sleepers.
Angela, 55, and Dave, 54, collected memorabilia and accessories from around the world, and they dug the track beds themselves.
"It is magic. I'm really pleased with what we've built. I wish I started it 20 years ago," said Dave, who is also a DJ. "Our main strength is doing it together. Without each other this would never have been built."
Angela also joked: "We are not normal people, our house is not normal, it's not basic colours, we love it."
Dave Walker proposed the idea to wife Angela after they got married in 2017 - Image © Jamie Niblock/BBC
A couple have finally finished building a miniature railway in their garden after eight years.
Dave proposed the idea to Angela Walker after they got married in 2017.
The miniature railway, made up of about 400m in track (1,312ft), has become the centrepiece in their quarter-acre garden in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, and they hope to use it to host fundraising events for the local lifeboat station.
"It's probably made our house unsellable, or triple what it is worth if the right person comes along," joked Dave.
The railway boasts five engines - which can pull up to 20 adults - and it is made up of thousands of custom-made sleepers.
Angela, 55, and Dave, 54, collected memorabilia and accessories from around the world, and they dug the track beds themselves.
"It is magic. I'm really pleased with what we've built. I wish I started it 20 years ago," said Dave, who is also a DJ. "Our main strength is doing it together. Without each other this would never have been built."
Angela also joked: "We are not normal people, our house is not normal, it's not basic colours, we love it."
