Kirkcaldy: Beveridge Park's miniature railway set to roll again this weekend

Kirkcaldy Model Engineer Society first brought the miniature railway to the Lang Toun’s Beveridge Park in 1989, running its first trains in 1990. However, the popular attraction's history goes back further.

George Davidson is now treasurer of the society. However, in 1987 he was at the forefront of the move to bring a miniature railway to the town. Thanks to an encounter with a neighbour who was interested in gardening and starting his own project, the Victoria Gardens project.

George explained: “He heard me firing up my steam locomotive in the garden one day and he came over and had a chat and said “there’s no chance of you being able to put a railway line in the garden project?”.

After some investigating, George managed to get 100 feet of railway track and lay it in the park.

A year later, the Victoria Gardens project stopped but according to George, the experience “whetted my appetite and for a few people interested in doing it”.

The railway was offered to parks around Kirkcaldy but a combination of gradient and size meant few were suitable for the ambitious project.

Eventually the railway settled into Beveridge Park and the track opened in 1990. Ten years later, the railway was given permission to expand the track, and it moved to its current location.

The railway has run ever since, stopping only during the Covid pandemic, and now operates once a month between March and October.

During its lifetime, membership of the society has fluctuated, from a high of 24 to lows of four after the pandemic.

However, numbers on the rise, doubling to eight since the end of the pandemic, but George said he is still keen to add to their roster in the hope that it brings about the return to the tracks for their steam locomotive.

Their prized asset is currently not able to be used, due to the number of people required to get it onto the tracks.

Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, with an engineering grounding not a necessity.

And for many who volunteer, the appeal of the society is varied.

George said: “Because it's our hobby, for some it's building the locomotives, for others it's getting to drive the trains, for others it’s just companionship.

“If anyone is interested in making children and families happy, there’s a role for them”.

And for many of their passengers, it’s a chance at nostalgia as they get to ride the train again.

George said: “At least 50 per cent of passengers are only using the kids as an excuse to get back on the trains.

“We also encourage people with disabilities that if we can, we’ll give them a ride on the train”.

Those looking to volunteer are welcomed along to April’s event, which takes place in Beveridge Park on Saturday (April 8), between 2.00pm and 4.30pm. Alternatively, you can contact the society via their Facebook page (Beveridge Park Miniature Railway - KMES) or by phone (01592) 262869.