RUISLIP LIDO & RAILWAY – 1.5MLS

Ruislip Lido started life in 1811 as Ruislip Reservoir and was built as a feeder for the Grand Junction Canal, later, in 1933, to become the Grand Union Canal (Company), and thus our nearest canal being known by the name it has today. The Ruislip Lido Railway is a 12 inch gauge railway operated entirely by volunteers. The line runs through the woodlands skirting the lake from Woody Bay Station beside the beach, all the way round to Ruislip Lido (Waters Edge) Station which is close to the car park. Here you can watch the loco being turned on the turntable ready for the return journey. The two and a half mile round trip takes about 35 minutes. All our trains are wheelchair, pushchair and buggy friendly. The service is normally operated by one of our large diesel locomotives. On weekends and Bank Holidays, our steam locomotive 'Mad Bess', which is a half scale version of the Ffestiniog Railway locomotive 'Blanche', may pull the train.