About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website
About SideTracked Events
Saturday 10th August 2024 marks the 17th anniversary of the SideTracked Series, so a special week long celebration is taking place, from Wednesday 7th August through to Tuesday 13th August 2024.
Everyone who attends this event will be able to add a special “I’ve attended the Fancott Miniature Railway 17th Anniversary event” badge to their Geocaching profile. There will also be a generic 17th anniversary event badge too, both available after the event.
About This Event
This event takes place in the grounds of The Fancott Arms (Luton Road, Fancott, Toddington, LU5 6HT), where the UK’s oldest public house miniature railway is located. An outdoor space with tables and benches has been reserved for us, though if the weather is inclement, we will move indoors.
Hopefully both a steam and a diesel locomotive will be available to pull the carriages during the event, but there is no guarantee as both weather and mechanical failure can have an impact on the railway operations.
Train rides on the miniature railway can be purchased throughout the event at £3 per trip, under 2 years are free.
A wheelchair train carriage is available. Please either contact me in advance via the Geocaching Messaging System, or inform the ticket office on the day, if required.
Food will be available to order all afternoon.
Overnight motorhome parking is available upon request.
Fancott Miniature Railway
The original line located in the grounds of The Fancott Arms, which first started operating in 1975, was a 10 1/4 inch gauge railway under the name ‘The Fancott Light Railway’. It was a simple back and forth line with only one track measuring 150 yards. In 1996, the line was replaced with a 7 1/4 gauge track and then it was extended in 2001. Improvements continued throughout the years until a devastating fire engulfed the railway shed in 2015, destroying almost everything within it. With huge public support, the railway reopened 4 months later with a loan locomotive and carriages.
The Fancott Miniature Railway currently uses three diesel locomotives, Phoenix, Herbie, and Dark Star plus a steam locomotive called Davanna. Photos of these can be seen in the photo gallery.