Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway
Encyclopedia
The Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway was the inspiration of Roland Emett
. A fictional narrow-gauge
railway with a whimsical view of British rural life and embodying Emett's typical fanciful mechanics, it echoed the similar works of Heath Robinson and Rube Goldberg
.
The railway began as a series of Emett cartoons in pre-war Punch
magazine of 1939. At this time it was termed the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway.
After the war, it was chosen as an attraction for the 1951 Festival of Britain
events on the South Bank
. A workable railway, now termed the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway, was constructed that carried over two million passengers through the Battersea Pleasure Gardens.
The three locomotives were:
All were constructed to Emett's designs, but used war-surplus diesel engines on a gauge chassis.
After the closure of the Festival itself, the Pleasure Gardens became Battersea Park
.
Frederick Roland Emett
Frederick Rowland Emett OBE, his name frequently misspelled as Roland Emmett, was an English cartoonist and constructor of whimsical kinetic sculpture.- Early Life :...
. A fictional narrow-gauge
Minimum gauge railway
Minimum gauge railways have a gauge of less than or , most commonly , , or . The notion of minimum gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways and by the French company of Decauville for industrial railways....
railway with a whimsical view of British rural life and embodying Emett's typical fanciful mechanics, it echoed the similar works of Heath Robinson and Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
.
The railway began as a series of Emett cartoons in pre-war Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
magazine of 1939. At this time it was termed the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway.
After the war, it was chosen as an attraction for the 1951 Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
events on the South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
. A workable railway, now termed the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway, was constructed that carried over two million passengers through the Battersea Pleasure Gardens.
The three locomotives were:
- Nº1 Nellie
- Nº2 Neptune
- Nº3 Wild Goose
All were constructed to Emett's designs, but used war-surplus diesel engines on a gauge chassis.
After the closure of the Festival itself, the Pleasure Gardens became Battersea Park
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200 acre green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, and was opened in 1858....
.