Royal blessing for Mariloo

Exbury’s new steam locomotive received a royal blessing when Her Majesty the Queen unveiled her nameplate and took a ride on the footplate through the world-famous Gardens.
The Queen, a personal friend of the Rothschild family who own Exbury, unveiled the five-tonne Mariloo in a private ceremony on Saturday 3rd May, a day ahead of the public launch. She then rode on the footplate of the new engine as her retinue and family and friends of the Rothschilds were driven around the Exbury Garden railway by Mr Leopold de Rothschild. Mariloo, the engine, is named for Marie-Louise, one-time matriarch of the Exbury Rothschilds and the mother of ‘Mr Leo’ and his elder brother ‘Mr Eddy’, the public face of Exbury Gardens.
Her Majesty, who enjoyed lunch and tea with the Rothschilds, took a walk around Exbury, accompanied by head gardener John Anderson who showed her the progress made by a yew tree she planted at the Gardens four years ago. On that occasion also, members of the public visiting Exbury were startled to see Queen Elizabeth riding on the Exbury steam railway.
“Her Majesty very kindly agreed to make a private visit to Exbury to help us celebrate the launch of our marvellous new engine, Mariloo,” said Mr Leo. “She not only gave Mariloo her blessing but also planted a new tree by the Sundial garden. This tree will stand as a tribute to her and to the beauty of this garden for many generations to come,” he said.
The Queen planted a young Davidia Involucrata, the ‘handkerchief tree’, so called because of its huge white bracts which resemble gently flapping handkerchiefs.
Mariloo’s first public steaming happened on Sunday when Mr Leo took a party of guests and journalists around the track.
“Exbury Garden Railway is very proud to receive Mariloo,” he said, thanking the Stirland family who had designed and built her. He also welcomed John Whittington who taught him to drive steam engines which have been his life-long passion.

Mariloo, liveried in Exbury blue and gold as are Rosemary and Naomi, the other two locomotives, started her working life at the Gardens this week, making regular 20 minute trips around the one-and-a-quarter mile Exbury track during May’s high season.

Garden Railway Factfile:

Leopold de Rothschild has been passionate about steam engines since childhood. He planned a railway in the 1990s but had to wait until 2000 before winning planning consent for construction of the present narrow gauge (12 ¼”) track.
Work started in September 2000 – the wettest winter on record. Planting in the new Summer Lane Garden, through which the railway runs, was significantly delayed. The planting took place in the summer which, ironically, was one of the hottest on record.
The new garden, which was created out of an old gravel pit, was designed by landscape architect Sue Sutherland, and is created in a flowing natural style, incorporating a pond, a bridge and tunnel for the train and swathes of grasses, trees and perennial plants.
The Stirland family of Exmoor Steam Railway acted as advisors and have built the rolling stock.
The railway opened in August 2001; by October 2003 it welcomed its 100,000th passenger on board.

Technical data:

Mariloo is a 2-6-2 type locomotive with tender bogie and weighs approximately five tonnes.
The locomotive, designed by Trevor Stirland, has been constructed over the past 18 months in the Exmoor Railway workshops
While seeking to portray a Victorian colonial appearance it includes much modern technology and up-to-date engineering
Mariloo is considerably more powerful than Rosemary and Naomi, Exbury’s other locomotives, and is capable of hauling heavy trains at peak times and during special events, when double heading was previously required.
She is the largest 12¼” gauge locomotive to be built at Exmoor.

More details on the Exbury Gardens Railway:

Advisors: The Stirland family of Exmoor Steam Railway
Landscape Architects: Sue Sutherland Architects
Civil Engineers: Elliot and Co, Edinburgh – designed bridge, viaduct and track alignment
Architects: Law and Dunbar-Nasmith, Edinburgh – designed railway buildings, tunnel and platforms
Project manager: Terry Adsett, Smiths Gore, chartered surveyors and architects
Quantity Surveyors: John Danskin and Purdie
Landscape Contractor: Hillier Landscapes
Exbury Gardening Team: Rachel Foster (Head Gardener until 2005); Doug Betteridge, former head gardener
Locomotives: Rosemary 2001, Naomi 2002, Mariloo 2008; diesel: Eddy 2007
Carriages: Annie, Barbara, Charlotte, Emma, Jocelyne, Kate, Susan, Renée
Record number of passengers in one day: 1330 (May 2004)

Breakfast Walks at Exbury

On Saturday and Sunday May 17 and 18, head gardener John Anderson will lead ninety minute walks through the 200 acre gardens, which are full of early spring colour, not only from the famous Rothschild rhododendron, azalea and camellia collections, but also from rare trees and shrubs planted over ninety years ago.
“There are so many hidden treasures in these amazing gardens that I can’t wait to show them off,” said John who, escorted Her Majesty the Queen around the Gardens (3rd May).
“The Gardens are wonderful in the early morning – full of birdsong and soft light which shows everything off to best advantage. Visitors who come at this time will see the best of everything,” he said.
The walks, which are limited to 20 people, are followed by a home-cooked breakfast in Exbury’s restaurant. All the breakfast ingredients are locally sourced and freshly cooked.

Walks start at 8.00am each day and must be pre-booked.
Telephone 023 8024 5750 to arrange.
£16.00 per person (£13.00 for season ticket holders)

For further information please contact:

Annie Bullen
tel/fax: 01264 334389
mobile: 0771 231 4274
email: anniebullen@waitrose.com
or
Nigel Philpott, Exbury Gardens
tel: 023 8089 1203 or
email nigel.philpott@exbury.co.uk