Newquay’s iconic Land Train has made its final journey before moving to a new home in north Wales under new ownership.

The train, run by father and son duo Mark and Harrison Haddrell since June 2018, will operate for the last time in Newquay on Friday. The final day will also serve as a fundraiser for the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal.

Mark Haddrell, retiring and prompting the sale, said the support from the local community had been “amazing.” Despite advertising the train for around two years, the only offer came from the company taking it to Wales.

“We’ve had it advertised for probably two years now and unfortunately the only people that came up with an offer were the company that’s taken over up in Wales,” he said. “People have been fantastic sending us great wishes for the future but sad that the train is leaving. It’s overwhelming to see the support we’ve had, there’s so many families, children waving and I’d just like to thank everybody for coming.”

Newquay has had a land train for more than 20 years, providing entertainment for local families and tourists. Seeing the joy it brought to children was one of Mr Haddrell’s lasting memories.

“There are always second thoughts in life after seeing the support for the attraction, but I’m going to stick to my decision to retire,” he said. “Maybe a phoenix from the grave, you never know what might come along with other people if they’re interested in taking another train or bringing another train into town.”

Reflecting on the impact of the train, Mr Haddrell added: “To see them on board and to see their faces when they see the train coming, it’s amazing, and that’ll always stick with me to see how wonderful the reaction is to that.”

Image: BBC