This will settle a few arguments that have been rumbling on since the beginning of this blog, really. Note the low water level and original ‘light house’ on the pier. Clipping kindly supplied by Dean Rogers. Click for a larger version.

I’m convinced I saw it in use – although this may be a recovered memory; it was definitely seen in the videos supplied by Wendy Jones, too.

Dean said of the clipping:

The Cannock Advertiser addition is dated Thursday 18th September… So this event would have been Saturday 13th September. We spent a lot of time as kids at Chasewater during that hot summer of 76 and I can’t say I remember it being up and running at any time during the summer months that year… So I don’t think it lasted much longer after this.

I’m curious as to why these trains – so often in public parks in the 1970s and 80s – seem so short lived; Walsall Arboretum had one that seemed to come to an abrupt end. Of course, there’s a longstanding club layout at Balleney Green in Little Hay which seems to be a local buried treasure, in that few folk seem to know about it.

Thanks to Dean for is generous permission in allowing me to share this on the blog with you guys. Much appreciated.

If you can add any more to this, please do: feel free to comment here or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com.