Isla is already 6 weeks old so we thought it was about time to go on her first adventure! We were invited for a wonderful Sunday Roast at Mike & Natalie’s with lovely friends Bronia, Terrence & their gorgeous 18 month old, Freddy. After a truly delicious lunch we made our way over to Ruislip Lido Railway; pretending it was all for Freddy & Isla but secretly rather excited to ride the train ourselves!
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 Willow Lawn Station which is close to the car park. Here you can watch the loco being turned on the turntable ready for the return journey.
Tickets are £3.00 for an Adult Return, £2.50 for Children & Under 3’s go free.
We piled into the carriages & eagerly awaited the word from the driver that we were about to begin our journey through the forest!
Passing another train that had stopped to refuel, naturally the whole train broke out into excited waves to the driver, who dutifully waved back to every child (and over excited adult!).
Pulling into the station we collected our pram – on the rather convenient buggy carriage – and made our way over to inspect the trains further. Luckily we had managed to visit on their open day so got to get up close and personal with these wonderful machines.
Beep Beep!
The youngest ever train driver…? (Don’t worry, Daddy was holding her safely in the chair!)
After we had pressed every button & explored every train, we went for a walk across the sand and over to the park so Freddy could try out some of the slides. Isla picked out her favourite for next time, when she’s a little bigger!
There really is something so magical about these trains & the golden leaves falling from the trees added to the whole glorious scene.
Back on the train & ready to go!
Choo Choo, Freddy!
This next picture is by far my favourite picture of Isla so far… Absolutely hilarious. And despite what it suggests the train really wasn’t going particularly fast!
A successful first adventure, and one I look forward to repeating when she’s old enough to explore the trains with the same adorable curiosity as Freddy!
If you are looking for a lovely outdoor adventure with your little ones this half term, I highly recommend it for all ages. There is a cafe by the beach & a little shop to buy drinks and snacks at the entrance. The toilet facilities are a bit bleak & I changed Isla in the back of the car instead of braving the nappy change.
Family Friendly – 10/10
Toilets – 1/10
Nappy Change – 1/10
Food – We didn’t try it but looked like they had lots of offer.
For more information on how to find them, timetables & their special rides with Santa just click here.
