Beer Heights Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Beer Heights Light Railway operates 1 miles (1.6 km) of minimum gauge
track
at Beer
, Devon
, England
. It is part of Pecorama, an exhibition owned by Peco
.
The official opening was by Rev. W.V. Awdry
on 14 July 1975, at which time it offered a return ride from "Much Natter" station via a balloon loop
. Subsequently, it was almost doubled in length by construction of the "Devil's Gorge" extension which involved a very considerable cutting, and the complex track layout also includes a more recent steeply-graded branch line to "Wildway Down".
The line is notable for its high standard of presentation to the public and for the fine views obtainable from it. It is home to seven steam locomotive
s designed on narrow gauge principles.
Minimum gauge railway
Minimum gauge railways have a gauge of less than or , most commonly , , or . The notion of minimum gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways and by the French company of Decauville for industrial railways....
track
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
at Beer
Beer, Devon
The village of Beer is in south-east Devon, England, on Lyme Bay.- Location :The village of Beer is situated on the 95-mile long Jurassic Coast, England's first natural World Heritage Site and its picturesque cliffs, including Beer Head, form part of the South West Coast Path.Beer lies about two...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is part of Pecorama, an exhibition owned by Peco
Peco
Peco is a UK-based manufacturer of model railway accessories, especially trackwork, based at Pecorama, Beer in South Devon.Peco is the collective name for the Pritchard Patent Product Company Ltd, Peco Publications and Publicity Ltd, and Pecorama...
.
The official opening was by Rev. W.V. Awdry
W.V. Awdry
Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE , was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.-Life:Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire in 1911...
on 14 July 1975, at which time it offered a return ride from "Much Natter" station via a balloon loop
Balloon loop
A balloon loop or turning loop allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to shunt or even stop. Balloon loops can be useful for passenger trains and unit freight trains, such as coal trains....
. Subsequently, it was almost doubled in length by construction of the "Devil's Gorge" extension which involved a very considerable cutting, and the complex track layout also includes a more recent steeply-graded branch line to "Wildway Down".
The line is notable for its high standard of presentation to the public and for the fine views obtainable from it. It is home to seven steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s designed on narrow gauge principles.
Locomotives
The railway currently has 8 steam locomotives.| Operational: | |
| Claudine | 2-4-4T |
| Thomas 2 | 0-4-2ST |
| Mr.P | 2-4-2T |
| Otter | 2-4-2 |
| Dickie | 0-4-2 |
| Linda | 2-4-0ST |
| Gem | 0-6-0 + 4T |
| Samistipur | 0-4-2T |
| Under Overhaul: | |