British industrial narrow gauge railways
Encyclopedia
British industrial narrow gauge railways are narrow gauge railways in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

 that were primarily built to serve one or more industries. Some offered passenger services for employees or workmen, but they did not run public passenger trains. They are categorized by the primary industry they served.

Engineering works

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Godwin and Sons Engineering (Manchester) Ltd. by 1979 Shaw and Crompton
Shaw and Crompton
Shaw and Crompton is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines, north of Oldham, southeast of Rochdale, and to the northeast of the city of Manchester...

, England
Locomotive-worked line.
Painter Bros. Ltd. after 1979 Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...

, England
Locomotive-worked line.
William Ainscough and Sons Mossy Lea Road by 1979 Wrightington
Wrightington
Wrightington is a civil parish in West Lancashire, England, with an area of 3,915½ acres. The surface is hilly, rising to over 400 ft. at Harrock on the border of Parbold, and then falling to the north, north-east and south-east. On the southern border, the boundary at Appley Bridge touches...

, England
Locomotive-worked line at this crane hire and general engineering company

Power generation

Power stations were some of the last regular users of industrial steam locomotives in the United Kingdom, although most of these were standard gauge. However, several power generation facilities used narrow gauge railways.
Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Central Electricity Generating Board Fawley Tunnel by 1979 Fawley
Fawley, Hampshire
Fawley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated in the New Forest on the western shore of the Solent, approximately 7 miles south of Southampton. Fawley is also the site of an oil refinery, operated by Exxon-Mobil, which is the largest facility of its kind in the United...

, England
Two mile long tunnel under Southampton Water
Southampton Water
Southampton Water is a tidal estuary north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point. Along its salt marsh-fringed western shores lie the New Forest villages of Hythe and "the waterside", Dibden Bay, and the Esso oil refinery at Fawley...

 worked by a single battery-electric locomotive.
Central Electricity Generating Board Woodhead Tunnel
Woodhead Tunnel
The Woodhead Tunnels are three parallel trans-Pennine 3-mile long railway tunnels on the Woodhead Line, a former major rail link from Manchester to Sheffield in northern England...

1960s present? Woodhead, England Ex-British Railways tunnel under the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...

 now used to carry high-voltage electricity supply cables. Narrow gauge railway used for cable maintenance.
Stourport Power Station ? 1989 Stourport, England Internal line.
J.S. Fry and Sons railway ? after 1967 Somerdale, England Short railway running parallel to a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

 line. The narrow gauge locomotives hauled standard gauge coal wagons to the power station.

Refineries

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Anglo Gulf West Indies Petroleum Corporation Fawley Refinery 1920 1957 Fawley
Fawley, Hampshire
Fawley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated in the New Forest on the western shore of the Solent, approximately 7 miles south of Southampton. Fawley is also the site of an oil refinery, operated by Exxon-Mobil, which is the largest facility of its kind in the United...

, England
Extensive diesel locomotive worked internal line at refinery

Steel works

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
British Steel Corporation Aldwarke Works railway after 1979 Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...

, England
Internal steel works railway, with an entirely new line built in 1971
British Steel Corporation Micklam works after 1987 Lowca
Lowca
Lowca is a village and civil parish in the English county of Cumbria. It was formerly a mining area but is now noted for its wind farm.In 1800, brothers Adam, Thomas and Crosby Heslop, formerly associated with the ironworks at Seaton near Workington established an iron foundry and engineering...

, England
Underground railway serving the refractories.
British Steel Corporation Shotton Steel Works railway present Connah's Quay, Wales Internal steel works railway, with an entirely new line built in 1971
British Steel Corporation Stanton and Staveley Works after 1979 Ilkeston
Ilkeston
Ilkeston is a town within the Borough of Erewash, in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the River Erewash, from which the local borough takes its name. Its population at the 2001 census was 37,550...

, England
Foundry railway worked by battery-electric locomotives
Clay Cross Ltd. Spun Pipe works after 1979 Clay Cross
Clay Cross
Clay Cross is a former mining town and civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, about six miles south of Chesterfield. It is directly on the A61, the former Roman road Ryknield Street...

, England
Internal locomotive-worked line
Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Company railway Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...

, Wales
Internal steel works railway using Ramsbottom locomotives similar to those at the Crewe Works Railway
Crewe Works Railway
The Crewe Works Railway was a narrow gauge internal tramway system serving Crewe Works, the main locomotive construction works of the London and North Western Railway and later the London Midland and Scottish Railway...

Flather Bright Steels Ltd. Tinsley works after 1979 Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

, England
Internal locomotive-worked line
Goldendale Iron Works after 1957 Chatterley
Chatterley
Chatterley is a surname, and may refer to:* Andy Chatterley , music producer* Lew Chatterley , English former professional football player and coach...

, England
Horse-hauled works tramway used to move pig iron.
Guest Keen Baldwins Iron and Steel Company Ltd. Briton Ferry Steelworks after 1956 Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...

, Wales
Steelworks line worked by steam locomotives
Gurnos Tin Plate Works railway before 1920 Lower Cwmtwrch, Wales Internal steel works railway
Sanders and Forster after 1979 Stratford, London
Stratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...

, England
Diesel locomotive worked line

Contractor depots

Many construction contractors maintained depots that included narrow gauge equipment in store and under repair. While some of these were temporary locations and often unrecorded, others were long term yards with extensive stock and facilities.
Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Arnold & Nathan Ltd. East Peckham depot after 1979 and Paddock Wood
Paddock Wood
Paddock Wood is a small town and civil parish in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells and county of Kent in England, about southwest of Maidstone. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 8,263, and is the centre for hop growing in Kent.-History:...

, England
Battery electric locomotives for tunnelling
Associated Tunnelling Co. Ltd. Lowton St. Marys Depot after 1979 Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...

, England
Battery electric locomotives for tunnelling
Baillie Contracting Co. Ltd. Coventry Depots after 1979 Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

, England
C. Bryant & Sons Ltd. Doris Road Depot after 1979 Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England
Cementation Mining Ltd. Bentley Works after 1979 and Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...

, England
Clugston Construction Scunthorpe depot after 1979 Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...

, England
Clydeside Constructional Co. Ltd. Bridge of Weir depot after 1979 Strathclyde
Strathclyde
right|thumb|the former Strathclyde regionStrathclyde was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created by the Local Government Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government etc Act 1994...

, Scotland
J.F. Donelan & Co. Ltd. Manchester depot after 1979 Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, England
Fairclough Civil Engineering Ltd.
AMEC
AMEC plc is a global consultancy, engineering and project management company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is focused on the oil and gas, minerals and metals, renewable energy, environment and infrastructure sectors and has offices in 40 countries worldwide...

 Swynerton depot
after 1979 and Swynnerton
Swynnerton
Swynnerton is a village in Staffordshire, England.St Mary's Church dates back to at least the 13th Century. Swynnerton received its charter from Edward I in 1306. During the 14th Century a market used to be held every Wednesday and an annual fair was held on August 15 each year...

, England
Extensive stock depot, on occasions including over 100 battery electric locomotives
J.J. Gallagher & Co. Ltd. Armour Close depot after 1979 Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England
J.C. Gillespie Civil Engineering. Ltd. Green Lane depot  after 1979 after 1987 Timperley
Timperley
Timperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....

, England
Two battery electric locomotives at depot (1987)
M.J Gleesons (Contractors) Ltd. Mitcham depot after 1979 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
Sam Henry & Partners after 1979 unknown location
J.H. Tractors Ltd. Tickhill Plant Hire after 1979 and Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...

, England
Johnston Construction after 1979 Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

, England
Kier Ltd. Setchey depot after 1979 Kings Lynn, England
T & A.M. Kilroe Ltd. Lomax Street depot after 1979 Radcliffe
Radcliffe, Greater Manchester
Radcliffe is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on undulating ground in the Irwell Valley, along the course of the River Irwell, south-west of Bury and north-northwest of Manchester. Radcliffe is contiguous with the town of Whitefield to the...

, England
Lilley/Waddington Ltd. Harvey Road depot after 1979 and Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...

, England
Lilley/Waddington Ltd. Horwich depot after 1979 and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, England
Lilley/Waddington Ltd. Haunchwood Colliery depot after 1979 and Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...

, England
Lilley/Waddington Ltd. Charles Street depot after 1979 and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, Scotland
Macclesfield Corporation Engineers Department Store after 1987 Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...

, England
4wPM locomotive in store
Martin & Co. (Contractors) Ltd. Bristol Road South depot after 1979 Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England
Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd.
Sir Robert McAlpine
Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. is a private British company headquartered in London. It carries out engineering and construction for the oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, nuclear, pharmaceutical, defence, chemical, water and mining industries.-History:...

 Kettering depot
after 1979 Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...

, England
Miller Engineering & Construction Ltd. Sandiacre depot after 1987
and
Sandiacre
Sandiacre
Sandiacre is a town in the Borough of Erewash in Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England adjoining the border with Nottinghamshire....

, England
Locomotives at construction depot
Raynesway Plant Ltd. after 1989 Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...

, England
Three out of use locomotives on site in 1989
Tarmac Construction Ltd.
Tarmac (company)
Tarmac is a company that is based in Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom and operates internationally. The company produces aggregates and road-surfacing materials, including tarmacadam, from which the company's name is derived...

 Peterborough depot 
after 1987 Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...

, England
Collection of 4wBE locomotives used for construction
M & H Tunnel & Civil Engineering Co. Ltd. Green Lane depot after 1979 and Thurcroft
Thurcroft
Thurcroft is a village and civil parish situated southeast of Rotherham in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. From 1902 to 1991, it was a close-knit, mining community. It has a population of 5,296....

, England
Welham Plant Ltd.
Mowlem
Mowlem was one of the largest construction and civil engineering companies in the United Kingdom. Carillion bought the firm in 2006.-History:Founded by John Mowlem in 1822, the company was awarded a Royal Warrant in 1902 and went public on the London Stock Exchange in 1924. It acquired SGB Group in...

 Barford Road depot
after 1987 and St. Neots, England Battery electric locomotives at depot.

Tunnelling

Many narrow gauge lines were employed for short-term tunnelling contracts. Most of these are unrecorded, so this list represents only a few of the many such lines.
Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Bedminster Water Outfall contract 1974 1975 Bedminster, England Water tunnel construction scheme in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

, using eleven diesel locomotives
Cockermouth Sewer Contract ? 1988 ? Cockermouth
Cockermouth
-History:The Romans created a fort at Derventio, now the adjoining village of Papcastle, to protect the river crossing, which had become located on a major route for troops heading towards Hadrian's Wall....

, England
Temporary line to serve the renewal of the main sewer tunnel. Used battery electric locomotives.
Eurotunnel contract 1988 1992 Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...

, England
Extensive rack and adhesion railway used in the construction of the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...

.
Nuttall
Edmund Nuttall
BAM Nuttall Limited is a construction and civil engineering company headquartered in Camberley, United Kingdom. It has been involved in a portfolio of road, rail, nuclear, and other major projects worldwide...

 Dover Sewer contract
1996 1998 Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...

, England
Construction railway for a one-mile long interception sewer tunnel.
Nuttall
Edmund Nuttall
BAM Nuttall Limited is a construction and civil engineering company headquartered in Camberley, United Kingdom. It has been involved in a portfolio of road, rail, nuclear, and other major projects worldwide...

 Portsmouth Sewer contract
1998 2001 Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...

, England
Construction railway for an 8 km long sewer tunnel.
Nuttall
Edmund Nuttall
BAM Nuttall Limited is a construction and civil engineering company headquartered in Camberley, United Kingdom. It has been involved in a portfolio of road, rail, nuclear, and other major projects worldwide...

 Southampton Rail Tunnel contract
1985 1987 Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...

, England
Diesel locomotive worked temporary railway used to reline the standard gauge railway tunnel out of Southampton Central station
Selby Road sewer tunnel contract 1971 1972 Leyton
Leyton
Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....

, England
Contractor's railway for building a new sewer tunnel in north east London. Used battery electric locomotives.
Weymouth and Portland Long Sea Outfall 1983 Wyke Regis
Wyke Regis
Wyke Regis is a village in south Dorset, England. The village is part of the south western suburbs of Weymouth, on the northern shore of Portland Harbour and the south-eastern end of Chesil Beach. Wyke is south of the county town, Dorchester...

, England
3 km long sewage outfall tunnel built using battery electric locomotives

City construction

During the garden city
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...

 construction boom, several new towns and cities were built using narrow gauge railways
Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Ashington Village Tramway 1880 1930s Ashington
Ashington
Ashington is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England with a population of around 27,000 people; it was once a centre of the coal mining industry. The town is located some north of Newcastle upon Tyne off the A189. The south of the town is bordered by the River Wansbeck...

, 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...

Tramway built to serve the mining village of Ashington. It provided coal and sewage service to houses and connected the local gas and electricity works.
Carr Estate 1945? 1947? probably Acomb, England Was used to construct parts of Carr Estate to the West of York. Track seen pilled up at end of Woodlea Avenue 1946-7, track seen in Danebury Drive. Hand worked?
Port Sunlight village railway 1905 1914 Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is a model village, suburb and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is located between Lower Bebington and New Ferry, on the Wirral Peninsula. Between 1894 and 1974 it formed part of Bebington urban district within the county of Cheshire...

, England
Locomotive worked construction railway for the expansion of Port Sunlight "garden village"

Land reclamation and river maintenance

Temporary and semi-permanent narrow gauge railways were often used during land reclamation schemes
Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Anglian Water Authority Lincolnshire River Division after 1979 Southrey
Southrey
Southrey is a village in the civil parish of Bardney in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about south east of Bardney.In the 1086 Domesday Book Southrey was listed as "Sutrei" and consisted of eleven households....

, England
Locomotive depot for river bank maintenance around Lincolnshire
Anglian Water Authority Norfolk & Suffolk River Division after 1979 Southrey
Southrey
Southrey is a village in the civil parish of Bardney in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about south east of Bardney.In the 1086 Domesday Book Southrey was listed as "Sutrei" and consisted of eleven households....

, England
Locomotives used for flood protection and river bank maintenance.
Middle Level Commissioners
Middle Level Commissioners
The Middle Level Commissioners are a land drainage authority in eastern England. The body was formed in 1862, undertaking the main water level management function within the Middle Level following the breakup of the former Bedford Level Corporation....

 Ashbeach Road Plant Depot
after 1979 March
March, Cambridgeshire
March is a Fenland market town and civil parish in the Isle of Ely area of Cambridgeshire, England. March was the county town of the Isle of Ely, a separate administrative county between 1889 and 1965, and is now the administrative centre of Fenland District Council.The town was an important...

, England
Locomotive depot for river bank maintenance and land reclamation schemes in and around Cambridgeshire
North West Water Authority
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...

 Mersey and Weaver River Unit
after 1979 Great Sankey
Great Sankey
Great Sankey is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It is west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 24,211.-History:...

, England
Locomotive used for river bank maintenance
North West Water Authority
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...

 Longdendale Headworks 
after 1987 Tintwistle
Tintwistle
Tintwistle is a village and civil parish in the High Peak district of the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,401. The village is just north of Glossop at the lower end of Longdendale Valley...

, England
Robert Stannard's Railway 1816 after 1821 Chat Moss
Chat Moss
Chat Moss is a large area of peat bog that makes up 30 percent of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of the River Irwell, to the west of Manchester, and occupies an area of about...

, England
Portable hand-worked tramway used for the reclamation of Chat Moss.
The Embankment Tramway 1808 about 1830 Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...

, Wales
Horse-drawn tramway used to construct the "Cob" for the Traeth Mawr land reclamation scheme. Later replaced by the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....

.
The North Sea Camp Railway 1935 after 1979 Frieston
Frieston
Frieston forms the southern end of the village of Caythorpe in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England.It is part of the civil parish of Caythorpe. Local government has been arranged in this way since the reorganisation of 1 April 1974, which resulted from the 1972 Local Government...

, England
Locomotive worked land reclamation scheme in the Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...

 Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...

Severn Trent Water Authority
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...

 Orston Road East Depot
after 1979 West Bridgford
West Bridgford
West Bridgford is a town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, delimited by the River Trent; this proximity means that it forms a continuous urban area with Nottingham, effectively makes West Bridgford a suburb of the city, and...

, England
Locomotives used in river bank maintenance
Yorkshire Water Authority
Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water is a water supply and treatment utility company servicing West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, part of North Lincolnshire, most of North Yorkshire and part of Derbyshire, in England. The company has its origins in the Yorkshire Water Authority, one of ten...

 River Ouse scheme
1973 Saltmarshe
Saltmarshe
Saltmarshe is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, it forms part of the civil parish of Laxton. It is situated on the north bank of the River Ouse, approximately east of Goole....

, England
Temporary riverbank line used for repairs to the River Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...

Yorkshire Water Authority
Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water is a water supply and treatment utility company servicing West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, part of North Lincolnshire, most of North Yorkshire and part of Derbyshire, in England. The company has its origins in the Yorkshire Water Authority, one of ten...

 Ricall Plant Depot
after 1979 York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

, England
Locomotives used for river bank maintenance

Reservoir construction

Many reservoirs constructed before the Second World War employed narrow gauge railways to move equipment and materials.
Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Baldersdale Reservoir railway 1889 1896 Middleton in Teesdale England
Burnhope Reservoir railway
Burnhope Reservoir railway
The Burnhope Reservoir railway was an industrial narrow gauge railway built to serve the construction of Burnhope Reservoir near Weardale. An extensive network of gauge lines connected the North Eastern Railway branch terminus at Weardale with the dam construction site.- Locomotives :...

1930 1937 Wearhead
Wearhead
Wearhead is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated at the top of Weardale between Cowshill and Ireshopeburn. It is named after the nearby source of the River Wear which runs eastwards for approx 40 miles to Sunderland....

 England
Extensive narrow gauge system serving the construction of the Burnhope Reservoir
Catcleugh Reservoir railway 1902 1905 Woodburn
Dalkeith
Dalkeith is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the River North Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540...

, England
Connection from the Woodburn station of the North British Railway
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...

 to Catcleugh dam
Cowlyd Tramway
Cowlyd Tramway
The Cowlyd Tramway was a narrow gauge gauge railway line used to convey men and materials to Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir, near Trefriw in North Wales during the enlargement of the dam, and thereafter for maintenance purposes.-History:...

1916 1968 Dolgarrog
Dolgarrog
Dolgarrog is a small village in the Conwy County Borough in North Wales situated between Llanrwst and Conwy, very close to the Conwy River. The village is well known for its industrial history since the 18th century and the Eigiau dam disaster, which occurred in 1925...

 Wales
Steam locomotive worked line
Crookfoot Reservoir railway 1900 1904 Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...

 England
Steam locomotive worked line
Eigiau Tramway
Eigiau Tramway
The Eigiau Tramway might refer to the Eigiau Quarry Tramway or to the Eigiau Reservoir Tramway.- Eigiau Quarry Tramway :The Eigiau Quarry Tramway was a narrow gauge mile-long horse-powered tramway which operated from c1863 to c1888 and served the Eigiau slate quarry [ref SH702635], near Llyn Eigiau...

1907 1971 Dolgarrog
Dolgarrog
Dolgarrog is a small village in the Conwy County Borough in North Wales situated between Llanrwst and Conwy, very close to the Conwy River. The village is well known for its industrial history since the 18th century and the Eigiau dam disaster, which occurred in 1925...

 Wales
Steam locomotive worked line
Fontburn Reservoir railway 1902 1908 Kirkwhelpington
Kirkwhelpington
Kirkwhelpington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northumberland about northeast of Hexham. It is on the River Wansbeck alongside the A696 trunk road between Otterburn and Ponteland.- History :...

 England
Steam locomotive and horse worked line connecting to sidings on the North British Railway
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...

Geltsdale Reservoir railway
Geltsdale Reservoir railway
The Geltsdale Reservoir railway was a narrow gauge industrial railway used during the construction of Castle Carrock Reservoir near Carlisle in Cumbria.- Locomotives :...

1904 1909 Carlisle England Steam locomotive worked line
West Baldwin Reservoir railway 1901 1905 Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...

 Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

Steam locomotive worked line north of Douglas
Bamford to Howden Railway 1915 Derwent Valley Construction of Derwent and Howden Reservoirs
Fewston Reservoir Railway 1874 1879 Washburn
River Washburn
The River Washburn is a river in Yorkshire, England. It originates high in the Yorkshire Dales and ends where it meets the River Wharfe. It lies within the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-Course:...

 Valley, England
Construction of Fewston Reservoir
Fewston Reservoir
Fewston Reservoir is located in the Washburn valley north of Otley and west of Harrogate in Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1879. The capacity is about 3.5 million cubic metres. It can be found from the A59 road....

Swinsty Reservoir Railway 1873 1877 Washburn
River Washburn
The River Washburn is a river in Yorkshire, England. It originates high in the Yorkshire Dales and ends where it meets the River Wharfe. It lies within the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-Course:...

 Valley, England
Construction of Swinsty Reservoir
Swinsty Reservoir
Swinsty Reservoir is located in the Washburn valley north of Otley and west of Harrogate in Yorkshire, England. Construction began in 1871 and was completed in 1878. The capacity is about 866 million gallons, with a surface area of 63 hectares...

Vyrnwy Waterworks Railway 1881 1890 Vyrnwy, Wales Steam locomotive worked line used in the construction of the Llyn Vyrnwy reservoir and waterworks.

Power station construction

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Foyers Power Station construction railway around 1970 after 1971 and Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...

 Scotland
Extensive network of temporary lines around Loch Ness

Road construction

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Caterham Bypass 1939 1939 Caterham
Caterham
Caterham is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is geographically divided into two sections: Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley - the main town centre. The town lies close to the A22, a few miles south of Croydon, in a valley cut into the dip slope of the North Downs...

, England
Diesel locomotive worked temporary lines used during the construction of the A22 bypass east of the town
Cranmore Depot after 1950 various Cranmore
Cranmore, Somerset
Cranmore is a village and civil parish east of Shepton Mallet, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlets of Waterlip, East Cranmore and Dean where Dean farmhouse dates from the 17th century, as does The Old Smithy, just off the A361 which was originally two...

, England
Equipment depot of Roads Reconstruction (1934) Ltd. where many narrow gauge locomotives used on road construction contracts were stored
Dorking Bypass 1926 1926 Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...

, England
Diesel locomotive worked line carrying chalk excavated to create new route for the A29
A29 road
The A29 is a major road in England. It runs for approximately 34 miles from Capel, south of Dorking, leaving the A24, running through Billingshurst and Pulborough, crossing the South Downs at Bury Hill and passing Fontwell Park Racecourse before terminating on the B2166 on Bognor Regis sea...

Guildford Bypass 1931 1931 Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...

, England
Steam locomotive worked line used in the construction of the A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...

Kingston Bypass
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...

1924 1925 ? London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
Steam locomotive worked line using at least one American Davenport
Davenport Locomotive Works
The Davenport Locomotive Works, of Davenport, Iowa, USA built locomotives from 1902 until 1956. The company acquired the locomotive business of H. K...

 locomotive in the construction of the A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...

 bypass of Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...


Other construction

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Bournemouth Pier 1980 1980 Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...

, England
Locomotive-worked line used in reconstruction of the pier
Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...

 Sutton Common line construction
1928 1930 Sutton
Sutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...

, England
Steam locomotive worked line used in the construction of the Sutton-Wimbledon line.
Surrey and Hants Canal Society The Deepcut Railway 1977 1979 Deepcut
Deepcut
Deepcut is a village in Surrey, situated close to Camberley. It is home to the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut.Malacologist Major Matthew Connolly lived at the Lock House at Deepcut where he brought up his son the writer and critic Cyril Connolly....

, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

, England
Diesel locomotive worked line used in the restoration of the Basingstoke Canal
Basingstoke Canal
The Basingstoke Canal is a British Canal, completed in 1794, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation....


Water treatment and sewage works

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Anglian Water Authority Marsh Farm Sewage Works by 1979 Tilbury
Tilbury
Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...

, England
Locomotive worked railway
Anglian Water Authority Nevendon Treatment Works by 1979 Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...

, England
Locomotive worked railway
Brede Waterworks railway  1899 1935 Brede
Brede, East Sussex
Brede is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. It is located eight miles north of Hastings and four miles west of Rye...

, England
Steam locomotive worked railway that hauled coal from barges unloaded from the River Brede
River Brede
The Brede is an English river in East Sussex. It flows into the Rock Channel and then onto the River Rother at Rye, Sussex. It gives its name to the village of Brede, which lies between Hastings and Tenterden...

 to the Brede Valley water works
Brede Waterworks
Brede Waterworks is a waterworks at Brede, East Sussex, England. It was built to supply Hastings with drinking water. The waterworks still houses two of the three steam engines that were used to pump water from Brede to reservoirs at Fairlight and Baldslow....

.
Chichester Sewage Works railway 1930s (?) 1976 Apuldram
Apuldram
Apuldram or Appledram is a small parish on the north eastern upper reach of Chichester Harbour about two miles south-west of the centre of Chichester in West Sussex, England....

, England
Short line around the sewage works
Colne Valley Waterworks railway
Colne Valley Waterworks railway
The Colne Valley Waterworks railway was an industrial narrow gauge railway connecting the London and North Western Railway Watford to Rickmansworth branch line with the Eastbury Pumping Station....

1931 1967 Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...

, England
Light railway connecting the LNWR
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...

 Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...

 to Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...

 branch line with the Eastbury Pumping Station
Dukinfield Sewage Works railway ? late 1980s Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, England
Small-scale railway at sewage works
Knostrop Sewage Works railway ? after 1975 Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

, England
Experimental facility that used locomotives from the First World War into the 1970s
Metropolitan Water Board Railway
Metropolitan Water Board Railway
The Metropolitan Water Board Railway was a narrow gauge industrial railway built to serve the Metropolitan Water Board's pumping station at Kempton Park near London. The line was opened in 1916 and closed shortly after the Second World War.- History :...

1915 1947 Hampton
Hampton, London
Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. Formerly it was in the county of Middlesex, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500...

, England
Transported coal from a wharf on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 to the Kempton
Kempton, Shropshire
Kempton is a very small village in south Shropshire, England. The village was listed as one of William de Picot's holdings in the Domesday Book of 1086....

 pumping station.
North Bierley Sewage Works railway Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...

, England
Railway serving the sewage works
North Surrey Joint Sewage Board railways
North Surrey Joint Sewage Board railways
The North Surrey Joint Sewage Board railways were three narrow gauge industrial railways serving the sewage plants around Berrylands station in Surbiton, south London.- Malden works :...

1939 after 1965 Berrylands
Berrylands
Berrylands is a residential neighbourhood in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames only 24 minutes from Waterloo by train in south west London, that before 1965 formed part of the Municipal Borough of Surbiton. It is a suburban development situated south west of Charing...

, England
Railways serving the sewage works in Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...

.
North Surrey Water present Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...

, England
Diesel locomotive worked 400 yard long line in occasional use
North West Water Authority
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...

 Ashton works
after 1979 Dukinfield
Dukinfield
Dukinfield is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in central Tameside on the south bank of the River Tame, opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, and is east of the city of Manchester...

, England
Locomotive-hauled railway
North West Water Authority
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...

 Llanforda Hall
? 1989 Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....

, England
Locomotive-worked railway serving the filtration beds and sand washing plant.
North West Water Authority
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...

 Lower Rivington Reservoir
Lower Rivington Reservoir
Lower Rivington Reservoir is at the end of the Rivington chain of reservoirs, with Upper Rivington Reservoir to the north, and Rivington Water Treatment Works to the south....

after 1979 Horwich
Horwich
Horwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...

, England
Locomotive-hauled railway
North West Water Authority
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...

 Spade Mill No. 2 Reservoir
after 1979 Longridge
Longridge
Longridge is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is situated north-east of the city of Preston, at the western end of Longridge Fell, a long ridge above the River Ribble. Its nearest neighbours are Grimsargh and the Roman town of Ribchester , ...

, England
Locomotive-hauled railway
Plantation Farm Sewage Works railway ? after 1975 Dukinfield
Dukinfield
Dukinfield is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in central Tameside on the south bank of the River Tame, opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, and is east of the city of Manchester...

, England
Railway serving the filter beds
Severn Trent Water Authority
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...

 Blithe Valley Works
after 1979 Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter is a historic market town in Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. The current population is approximately 13,711, though new developments in the town will increase this figure. Uttoxeter lies close to the River Dove and is near the cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and...

, England
Locomotive-hauled railway
Severn Trent Water Authority
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...

 Burslem Works
after 1979 Burslem
Burslem
The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...

, England
Locomotive-hauled railway
Severn Trent Water Authority
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...

 Newstead Works
after 1979 Trentham
Trentham, Staffordshire
Trentham is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, located to the south-west of the city centre and to the south of the neighbouring town of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Although the majority of Trentham is within the city limits, it is mostly separated from the main urban area by surrounding open space and the...

, England
Locomotive-hauled railway
Severn Trent Water Authority
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...

 Stoke Bardolph Sewage Works
after 1989 Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

, England
Locomotive-hauled railway
Severn Trent Water Authority
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...

 Strongford Works
after 1979 Barlaston
Barlaston
Barlaston is a village and civil parish in the borough of Stafford in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is roughly halfway between the city of Stoke-on-Trent and the small town of Stone. According to the 2001 census the population of the parish was 2,659.-History:The old parish church of...

, England
Locomotive-hauled railway
Severn Trent Water Authority
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...

 Tunstall Works
after 1979 Stoke on Trent, England Locomotive-hauled railway
Wandle Valley Sewerage Board railway ? 1963 Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...

, England
Internal sewerage railway
Water Orton Sewage Plant railway before 1968 1990 Minworth
Minworth
Minworth is a village on the outskirts of Birmingham in the West Midlands area of England. It is located near Walmley, Wishaw, Warwickshire, Curdworth, Thimble End and Castle Vale....

, England
Internal sewerage railway of the Upper Tame Main Drainage Authority
Wood Lane Tip railway before 1961 Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...

, England
Railway serving the refuse tips operated by Kensington Council
Yorkshire Water Authority
Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water is a water supply and treatment utility company servicing West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, part of North Lincolnshire, most of North Yorkshire and part of Derbyshire, in England. The company has its origins in the Yorkshire Water Authority, one of ten...

 Naburn Purification Works
after 1979 Naburn
Naburn
Naburn is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the eastern side of the River Ouse about south of York. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 470...

, England
Locomotive-worked works railway
Yorkshire Water Authority
Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water is a water supply and treatment utility company servicing West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, part of North Lincolnshire, most of North Yorkshire and part of Derbyshire, in England. The company has its origins in the Yorkshire Water Authority, one of ten...

 Old Whittington Sewage Works
after 1979 Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...

, England
Locomotive-worked sewage works railway

Gas works

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Berkhamsted Gasworks Railway ? 1955 Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted
-Climate:Berkhamsted experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Castle:...

, England
Short horse-worked line connecting the gasworks with a goods yard
Bournemouth Gas & Water Company Railway 1864 1930s and Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...

, England
gauge elevated railway for coal transport until 1918. gauge locomotive worked line for gasholder construction in the early 1930s.
Dundee Gasworks Railway ? ? Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...

, Scotland
Internal steam-hauled gas works railway.
Granton Gasworks Railway ? 1965 Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

, Scotland
Internal steam-hauled gas works railway.
Hilsea Gasworks Railway Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

, England
Steam-locomotive hauled gasworks railway.
Harrogate Gasworks Railway 1908 1956 Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...

, England
Steam-hauled railway running from the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...

 to Harrogate gasworks.
London Gas Light Co. Nine Elms Works 1863 (?) 1927 and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
Internal steam-hauled railway hauling coal to the gasworks, replaced by conveyor belts
South Metropolitan Gas Company East Greenwich Works
East Greenwich Gas Works
The East Greenwich Gas Works of the South Metropolitan Gas Company was the last gas works to be built in London, and the most modern. Originally manufacturing town gas from coal brought in by river and exporting coke and chemicals, the plant was adapted to produce gas from oil in the 1960s...

before 1910 1933 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
Internal steam-hauled gas works railway.
South Metropolitan Gas Company Old Kent Road Works 1892 1953 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
Internal steam-hauled gas works railway on the Old Kent Road
Old Kent Road
The Old Kent Road is a road in South East London, England and forms part of Watling Street, the Roman road which ran from Dover to Holyhead. The street is famous as the equal cheapest property on the London Monopoly board and as the only one in South London....

.
South Metropolitan Gas Company Vauxhall Works 1890s after 1951 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
Internal steam-hauled gas works railway.
Southern Gas Board, Poole Gasworks 1944 1972 Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...

, England
Internal gasworks line using Lister locomotives
Winnal Gasworks Railway Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...

, England
Overhead electric-locomotive hauled gasworks railway.
York Gasworks Company 1915 1959 York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

, England
Electrified railway, operated by a locomotive built by Dick, Kerr & Co.
Dick, Kerr & Co.
Dick, Kerr and Company was a locomotive and tramcar manufacturer based in Kilmarnock, Scotland and Preston, England.-Early history:Having previously been known as W.B.Dick and Company the company had built all kinds of tramway equipment and rolling stock. From 1883 the company joined with John Kerr...


General freight

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Belvoir Castle Tramway 1815 1920 Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle is a stately home in the English county of Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir . It is a Grade I listed building....

, England
A short plateway
Plateway
A plateway is an early kind of railway or tramway or wagonway, with a cast iron rail. They were mainly used for about 50 years up to 1830, though some continued later....

 used to haul coal and other goods from a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...

 wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...

 to the castle.
Guilford Tramway
Guilford Tramway
The Guilford Tramway was a narrow gauge industrial railway that served a golf club in Kent, England in the first half of the twentieth century.- History :...

1903 1930 Sandwich
Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....

, England
Steam locomotive worked, freight-only line serving the St. George's Golf Club.
Portreath Tramroad 1809 1867 Portreath
Portreath
Portreath is a civil parish, village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately three miles northwest of Redruth....

, England
Early freight and mineral horse-hauled hauling plateway
Plateway
A plateway is an early kind of railway or tramway or wagonway, with a cast iron rail. They were mainly used for about 50 years up to 1830, though some continued later....

. One director's carriage survives in the Royal Cornwall Museum
Royal Cornwall Museum
The Royal Cornwall Museum is a museum in the city of Truro, Cornwall, England. It is the oldest museum in Cornwall and the leading museum of Cornish culture. Its exhibits include minerals, an unwrapped mummy and objects relating to Cornwall’s unique culture...

Redruth and Chasewater Railway
Redruth and Chasewater Railway
The Redruth and Chasewater Railway, otherwise called the Redruth and Chacewater Railway using modern spelling, was a very early industrial railway line in Cornwall, England, UK that opened in 1825 and closed in 1915...

1826 1915 Redruth
Redruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...

, England
Freight and mineral hauling line; horse-drawn until 1854; later steam worked.
St. Michael's Mount Tramway 1879 present Marazion
Marazion
Marazion is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the shore of Mount's Bay, two miles east of Penzance and one mile east of Long Rock.St Michael's Mount is half-a-mile offshore from Marazion...

, England
Cable-hauled railway and incline delivering supplies and guest's luggage to St Michael's Mount
St Michael's Mount
St Michael's Mount is a tidal island located off the Mount's Bay coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is a civil parish and is united with the town of Marazion by a man-made causeway of granite setts, passable between mid-tide and low water....

.
Swanage Pier Tramway
Swanage Pier Tramway
The Swanage Pier Tramway was a narrow gauge tramway in the port town of Swanage, in the English county of Dorset.From the 12th century, the Swanage area was well known for the quarrying of Purbeck Marble, actually a hard wearing form of limestone...

1858 1930s Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...

, England
Coal, stone and general freight line between Swanage town and Old Pier. Originally standard gauge but converted
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...

 to narrow gauge between 1860 and 1880. Some track still exists in situ.
Talisker Distillery
Talisker
Talisker is an Island Single Malt Scotch whisky produced by the Talisker Distillery, Carbost, Scotland; the only distillery on the Isle of Skye. The distillery is operated by United Distillers and Vintners for Diageo, and is marketed as part of their Classic Malts series...

? 1930s Isle of Skye, Scotland Hauled goods from a pier to the whisky distillery.

Forestry

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Ampthill Timber Railway 1917 1918 Ampthill
Ampthill
Ampthill is a small town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population of about 6,000. It is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council. A regular market has taken place on Thursdays for centuries.-History:...

, England
Controller of Timber Supply (CTS) forestry railway using one Kerr Stuart
Kerr Stuart
Kerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as James Kerr & Company, and became Kerr, Stuart & Company from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner...

 Haig class locomotive.
Aviemore Light Railway 1917 1922 Aviemore
Aviemore
Aviemore is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and other winter sports, and for hill-walking in the Cairngorm...

, Scotland
Extensive forestry railway built by the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...

 Directorate of Timber Supply.
Cefn Vron Tramway 1924 1926 Newtown, Wales Temporary timber hauling railway on the Welsh-English border.
Dornoch forestry railway 1917 1922 Dornoch
Dornoch
Dornoch is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east...

, Scotland
Forestry railway built by the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...

 Directorate of Timber Supply.
Downham Hall timber railway 1917 1922 Brandon
Brandon, County Durham
Brandon is a village in County Durham, England. It is situated a short distance to the southwest of Durham. Brandon was originally one of the seven townships within the ancient parish of Brancepeth. It grew from a sparsely populated agricultural area into a populous mining district after the...

, England
CTS timber railway using three Bagnall locomotives
Kerry Ridgeway Railway 1941 1943 Newtown, Wales Temporary timber-hauling railway at Kerry, Powys
Kerry, Powys
Kerry is a small village in Powys, Mid Wales. The area around the village was the Welsh Commote and Lordship of Ceri, part of the region of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, and it was originally ruled by the Princes of Maelienydd and their descendants....

.
Kerry Tramway
Kerry Tramway
The Kerry Tramway was a gauge narrow gauge railway built in 1887 to serve the timber workings and slab quarry to the south of the village of Kerry, near Newtown in mid Wales....

1887 1923 Newtown, Wales Locomotive-worked line hauling timber from Kerry forest to Kerry Station on the Cambrian Railway
Wool timber railway 1918 1920 Wool
Wool, Dorset
Wool is a village in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The village has a population of 4,118 , though the population has fluctuated over the past 15 years, due to the proximity of military institutions, reaching a high of 4,300 in 1992. The village lies at a historic bridging point on the...

, England
Forestry railway using a single Bagnall locomotive.
Wolsingham railway 1917 1922 Wolsingham
Wolsingham
Wolsingham is a small market town in Weardale, County Durham, England. It is situated by the River Wear, between Crook and Stanhope in North West Durham.-History:Wolsingham sits at the confluence of the River Wear and Waskerley Beck...

, England
1½ mile long timber railway using three steam locomotives.

Railway works

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Beyer Peacock Works Railway ? ? Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, England
Extensive railway serving the locomotive construction works of Beyer Peacock.
British Railways Beeston Sleeper Depot railway ? ? Beeston, Nottinghamshire
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
Beeston is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is southwest of Nottingham city centre. Although typically regarded as a suburb of the City of Nottingham, and officially designated as part of the Nottingham Urban Area, for local government purposes it is in the borough of Broxtowe, lying outside...

, England
Sleeper depot line
British Railways Chesterton Junction Central Materials Depot railway ? after 1979 Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

, England
Materials dept internal line
Melton Constable Railway Works
Melton Constable Railway Works
Melton Constable railway works was a railway maintenance and production facility on the Midland and Great Northern Railway. The buildings and operations in the village of Melton Constable from 1883 to 1964 were vital to the village economy and indeed it is known that the village itself was created...

? 1936 ? Melton Constable,Norfolk Small narrow gauge rail network around the M&GN works
Crewe Works Railway
Crewe Works Railway
The Crewe Works Railway was a narrow gauge internal tramway system serving Crewe Works, the main locomotive construction works of the London and North Western Railway and later the London Midland and Scottish Railway...

1863 1932 Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...

, England
Extensive railway serving the Crewe locomotive works of the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...

Horwich Works Railway 1965 Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...

, England
Railway serving the Horwich locomotive works
Horwich Works
Horwich Works was a railway works built in 1886 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in Horwich, near Bolton, in the North West of England when the company moved from its original works at Miles Platting, Manchester.-Buildings:...

 of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...

.

Other industries

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
ABCO Petroleum before 1910 after 1965 Rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...

, England
200 yards (183 m)-long internal railway serving the reprocessing plant.
Ashton Canal
Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal is a canal built in Greater Manchester in North West England.-Route:The Ashton leaves the Rochdale Canal at Ducie St. Junction in central Manchester, and climbs for through 18 locks, passing through Ancoats, Holt Town, Bradford-with-Beswick, Clayton, Openshaw, Droylsden,...

 Carriers
1978 Present Guide Bridge
Guide Bridge railway station
Guide Bridge railway station serves Guide Bridge, a part of Audenshaw, Tameside in Greater Manchester, England and is operated by Northern Rail. The station is 4¾ miles east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Glossop Line.-History:...

, England
Short loco-worked line within a boatyard.
Ballard's Malt Vinegar Works 1894 after 1974 Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...

, England
Hand-worked line connecting the barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...

 malting works to the piggery
Intensive pig farming
Intensive piggeries are a type of factory farm ' specialized in the raising of domestic pigs up to slaughter weight...

.
Bedford and Jesty Ltd. Sylva Springs Watercress railway before 1967 present (but only part of the original line) Bere Regis
Bere Regis
Bere Regis is a village in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England, situated north-west of Wareham.The village has one shop, a post office and two pubs, The Royal Oak and The Drax Arms. The parish church is St. John the Baptist Church...

, England
Short line serving the watercress beds powered by a home made petrol
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...

 locomotive
Bedford and Jesty Ltd. Spetisbury Watercress railway before 1970 1980 Spetisbury
Spetisbury
Spetisbury is a village in north Dorset, England, situated on the River Stour and the A350 road, four miles south east of Blandford Forum. The village has a population of 542 . It is notable for being a very linear settlement, with mostly only one line of buildings adjacent to the A350 road...

, England
Short line serving the watercress beds, using motorised flatbed wagons
BICC
British Insulated Callender's Cables
British Insulated Callender's Cables was a 20th century British cable manufacturer and construction company, now renamed after former subsidiary Balfour Beatty.-History:...

 Belvedere
Belvedere, London
Belvedere is a suburban and largely working class area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bexley in Southeast London.-History:The area which is today known as Belvedere was originally part of Lesness Heath, which originally stretched from the area of Lesnes Abbey to Erith and constituted...

1930s (?) 1968 Belvedere
Belvedere, London
Belvedere is a suburban and largely working class area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bexley in Southeast London.-History:The area which is today known as Belvedere was originally part of Lesness Heath, which originally stretched from the area of Lesnes Abbey to Erith and constituted...

, England
Steam-hauled railway at British Insulated Callender's Cables
British Insulated Callender's Cables
British Insulated Callender's Cables was a 20th century British cable manufacturer and construction company, now renamed after former subsidiary Balfour Beatty.-History:...

 Ltd's cable plant.
BICC
British Insulated Callender's Cables
British Insulated Callender's Cables was a 20th century British cable manufacturer and construction company, now renamed after former subsidiary Balfour Beatty.-History:...

 Prescot Refineries Unit
after 1979 Prescot
Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It is 8 miles to the east of Liverpool city centre and lies within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. At the 2001 Census, the population was 11,184 .Prescot marks the beginning of the...

, England
Locomotive-worked line
Biwater Pipes and Castings ? 2000 Clay Cross
Clay Cross
Clay Cross is a former mining town and civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, about six miles south of Chesterfield. It is directly on the A61, the former Roman road Ryknield Street...

, England
Very short line for hauling pipes within the works.
Bowaters Paper Railway
Bowaters Paper Railway
The Bowaters Paper Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway. It had the distinction of being the last steam-operated industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain when it closed in 1969.-History:...

1906 1969 Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...

, England
Served Bowater's paper mills. The last steam-worked industrial narrow gauge line in Britain.
British Ropes after 1965 Charlton
Charlton
-Places:In Australia:* Charlton, Victoria* Division of Charlton, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in New South WalesIn Canada:* Charlton, Ontario* Charlton Island, NunavutIn England:...

, England
Diesel locomotive worked line at rope factory
Bude Canal Edge Railway 1823 1942 , after 1923 Bude
Bude
Bude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...

, England
Horse-hauled line conveying sand from Summerleaze Beach to Bude Canal
Bude Canal
The Bude Canal was a canal built to serve the hilly hinterland in the Devon and Cornwall border territory in the United Kingdom, chiefly to bring lime-bearing sand for agricultural fertiliser. The Bude Canal system was one of the most unusual in Britain....

.
Cadbury's factory railway 1920s 1950s Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...

, England
Line connecting the canal to the chocolate factory taking timber for construction of packing cases.
Clayton Canal Carriers Error for Ashton Canal Carriers
Civil Aviation Authority
United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
The Civil Aviation Authority is the public corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA head office is located in the CAA House on Kingsway in Holborn, London Borough of Camden...

 Laxey Airport
after 1979 Laxey
Laxey
Laxey is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Man. Its name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning 'Salmon River'.The village lies on the A2, the main Douglas to Ramsey road. Laxey Glen is one of the Manx National Glens, with Dhoon Glen being located close by...

, Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

Two railcars
Daydawn Nurseries Ltd. 1965 (?) 1971 Bisley
Bisley, Surrey
Bisley is a large village in Surrey, England, which is notable for rifle shooting. Bisley's immediate neighbours are West End, Chobham and Knaphill.- History :...

, England
Diesel locomotive worked line around garden nursery
Department of the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...

 Harpur Hill Research Laboratory 
after 1987 Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...

, England
Droitwich Canal Trust ? after 1979 Salwarpe, England Short loco-worked line
Faverdale Works railway after 1975 Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...

, England
Railway at the Chemical and Insulating Co. Ltd.
Gardner Machinery & Metals Dove Holes Station  out of use by 1987 Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...

, England
Scrap merchant yard with railway and 4wDM locomotive
ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...

 Nobels Ardeer Works
after 1989 Strathclyde
Strathclyde
right|thumb|the former Strathclyde regionStrathclyde was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created by the Local Government Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government etc Act 1994...

, Scotland
At least nine locomotives on site in 1989
ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...

 Nobels Roburite Works
after 1979 Shevington
Shevington
Shevington is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England.Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire, Shevington lies approximately from Wigan town centre and at the 2001 census had a population of 9,786.-Topynomy:Shevington, a...

, England
Locomotive worked line
ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...

 Winnington Works
after 1987 Winnington
Winnington
Winnington is a small, mainly residential area of the town of Northwich in Cheshire, England.-Industry:Winnington is the home to Brunner Mond UK chemical works, where soda ash is created. Polythene, the material used in many plastic items , was first made at the chemical works by R.O. Gibson and...

, England
Locomotive worked line at the crystal plant at Winnington
Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway
Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway
The Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway. It was a relatively long line, built for the construction and subsequent maintenance of a long tunnel from Loch Treig to a factory near Fort William in Scotland...

1925 1977 Fort William, Scotland Long line built for the construction and maintenance of pipelines from Lochaber to Fort William.
London Post Office Railway
London Post Office Railway
The Post Office Railway, also known as Mail Rail, was a narrow-gauge driverless private underground railway in London built by the Post Office with assistance from the Underground Electric Railways Company of London to move mail between sorting offices...

 ('Mail Rail')
1927 2003 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
Driverless electric mail-delivery service, serving nine sorting office
Sorting office
Sorting office or Processing and Distribution Center is any location where postal operators bring mail after collection for sorting into batches for delivery to the addressee, which may be a direct delivery or sent onwards to another regional or local sorting office, or to another postal...

s on a 6.5 mile route between Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...

 and Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...

. Entirely underground; double track in single 9 ft tunnel.
Lynlite Concrete Ltd. ? 1979 Ramsey
Ramsey
Ramsey may refer to:In places in the United Kingdom:* Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, small market town in England* Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England* Ramsey Abbey, historic ecclesiastical centre near Ramsey, Cambridgeshire...

, England
Concrete suppliers.
Nocton Potato Estate 1920 1969 Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....

, England
Extensive system to carry potatoes from the fields to the crisp processing plant.
Oakhill Brewery 1904 1921 Oakhill
Oakhill
Oakhill, Somerset is a village located approximately north of Shepton Mallet between the A37 and the A367 . Oakhill is today is mainly a commuter village of in size, but it is more famous for its past activities which include its brewing....

, England
Mile long steam operated railway connecting the brewery with the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...

 at Binegar
Pett Level Tramway 1934 1946 Winchelsea
Winchelsea
Winchelsea is a small village in East Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately two miles south west of Rye and seven miles north east of Hastings...

, England
Built to aid the construction and maintenance of sea defences on the Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

 coast.
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is a model village, suburb and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is located between Lower Bebington and New Ferry, on the Wirral Peninsula. Between 1894 and 1974 it formed part of Bebington urban district within the county of Cheshire...

1914 (?) early 1950s Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is a model village, suburb and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is located between Lower Bebington and New Ferry, on the Wirral Peninsula. Between 1894 and 1974 it formed part of Bebington urban district within the county of Cheshire...

, England
Locomotive-worked industrial light serving Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...

 soap factory.
Redland Pipes railway before 1968 1972 Ripley
Ripley, Surrey
Ripley is a village and parish in Surrey, which grew on the main A3 road from London to Portsmouth. The road was renumbered as B2215 when a bypass was built. The village is situated close to the M25 motorway and southeast of Woking, northeast of Guildford and some southwest of central London...

, England
Continuous circuit around the pipe works.
Royal Ordnance Factory
ROF Bishopton
The Royal Ordnance Factory Bishopton was a UK Ministry of Supply, World War II, Explosive ROF. It is sited adjacent to the town of Bishopton, Renfrewshire, in Scotland....

c 1938 not known Bishopton
Bishopton, Renfrewshire
Bishopton is a large village in Renfrewshire, Scotland, a few miles west of Erskine.-Transport links:Bishopton sits a couple of miles from the southern end of the Erskine Bridge, which spans the River Clyde between Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire. Part way along the B815 road is a computer...

, Scotland
Approx 80 mile-long system serving munitions and ordnance explosives production site now owned by BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

 and operated by the Global Combat Systems-Munitions arm of its Land & Armaments business unit. Tracks still in situ in places
Royal Ordnance Factory
ROF Bridgwater
Royal Ordnance Factory Bridgwater was a factory which produced high explosives for munitions. It was located between the villages of Puriton and Woolavington in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, UK; but was always known as ROF Bridgwater, after the nearest town...

c 1939 not known Puriton
Puriton
Puriton is a village and a parish, at the westerly end of the Polden Hills, in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, UK. The parish has a population of 2,124. The local parish church is named after St Michael...

, England
Extensive system serving explosives production site latterly owned by BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

 and operated by its Munitions & Ordnance business unit. Tracks still in situ in places when site ceased production and closed in 2007.
Woodhead Tunnel railway 1960s Present ? Woodhead, England Locomotive worked railway for transporting workers maintaining the high voltage electrical cables in the old Woodhead Tunnel
Woodhead Tunnel
The Woodhead Tunnels are three parallel trans-Pennine 3-mile long railway tunnels on the Woodhead Line, a former major rail link from Manchester to Sheffield in northern England...


See also

  • British military narrow gauge railways
    British military narrow gauge railways
    These are narrow gauge railways at military establishments and former UK Government-owned explosives sites. These locations were often subject to the Official Secrets Act and other government restrictions, so many of them are less well documented....

  • British narrow gauge railways
    British narrow gauge railways
    There were more than a thousand British narrow gauge railways ranging from large, historically significant common carriers to small, short-lived industrial railways...

  • British quarrying and mining narrow gauge railways
    British quarrying and mining narrow gauge railways
    British industrial narrow gauge railways are narrow gauge railways in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man that were primarily built to serve one or more industries. Some offered passenger services for employees or workmen, but they did not run public passenger trains...

  • Decauville
    Decauville
    The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville , a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported...

  • Industrial railway
    Industrial railway
    An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...

  • Minimum gauge railway
    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....


External links

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