Ally Pally Miniature Railway c1905

Comment by John Hough on November 13, 2018 at 14:20

Comment by Stephen Holliday on May 14, 2019 at 20:22

The Edwardian scene shows the miniature railway operated by an American showman, Captain Paul Boynton.  According to some information published some 20 years ago this line ran from March 1903 to April 1904.

The locomotive and train were supplied by the Miniature Railroad Company of New York and new Jersey.  The Company was run by three brothers named Cagney and supplied such equipment to amusement parks and ”Expositions” as the Americas called them.  In 1901 there were six trains operating at the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo NY with the same 15 inch class D locomotive as the one in the photograph.

Much of the Cagney equipment was made by the two McGarigle brothers of Niagara Falls NY (One of the Cagneys married a sister to the McGarigles)

There were several other Cagney trains operating in the UK between 1901 and 1914.

The Alexandra Palace Cagney was not the first American locomotive  to be seen there. Some years earlier a full-size locomotive was exhibited.  This locomotive had a short but interesting life linking Wood Green to a murder trial in New York State.  If anyone is interested I will see if I can find my notes on it.

Comment by Hugh on May 14, 2019 at 21:15

Thanks, Stephen. 

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