Davington Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Davington Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway built to serve the armaments factories near Davington
, in Kent
, England
. It ran between Davington and Uplees
.
to the factories of the Cotton Powder Company and the Explosives Loading Company, located between Uplees and Harty Ferry.
The carriages were all open sided, with curtains to keep the weather out. As well as the terminus stations, there was also a halt at Oare
. Separate trains were provided for men and women, on account of the coarse language the men used.
Freight was also carried, including acid, coal, cotton, detonators, mines and shells. Four wagons from the Davington Light Railway were purchased by Colonel Stephens
for use on the Rye and Camber Tramway
.
The line closed at the end of World War I
, and the line and its equipment were sold by auction. During World War II
, the tunnel at Oare was used as an air raid shelter. The station sites at Davington and Uplees have been obliterated by development, but the route of the trackbed at Oare can be traced, and the tunnel under the road at Oare still exists.
One of the locomotives is believed to be still in existence. Often quoted as works number 1916, the actual locomotive would appear to be works number 1915, carrying the worksplate of its sister.
The Davington Light Railway was built to the gauge that was already in use at the explosives factories. The first locomotive there was a German
-built Deutz
petrol locomotive, delivered just before the start of World War I
. Possibly this was of 1 metre gauge and the track was built to fit it. The Deutz locomotive was later supplemented by five Ruston Proctor
petrol/paraffin locomotives, one of which is preserved by the Phyllis Rampton Trust
.
Davington
Davington is a suburb of Faversham in Kent, England.The population of Davington parish is approaching 6,000. Davington Priory is a local government ward within the Faversham Town Council and Swale Borough Council areas...
, in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It ran between Davington and Uplees
Uplees
Uplees is a hamlet north of Faversham in southeast England. It was a key part of the Faversham explosives industry during World War I, with the Cotton Powder Company importing raw materials via the deepwater channel of the Swale, and the associated Explosives Loading Company exporting completed...
.
History
The main reason the line was built was to transport workers from Davington, near FavershamFaversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
to the factories of the Cotton Powder Company and the Explosives Loading Company, located between Uplees and Harty Ferry.
The carriages were all open sided, with curtains to keep the weather out. As well as the terminus stations, there was also a halt at Oare
Oare, Kent
Oare is a village and civil parish north of Faversham in southeast England. It is separated from Faversham by the Oare Creek. To the north of the village are the Oare Marshes, and the Harty Ferry which linked to Harty on the Isle of Sheppey. Kent Wildlife Trust manages a nature reserve that is an...
. Separate trains were provided for men and women, on account of the coarse language the men used.
Freight was also carried, including acid, coal, cotton, detonators, mines and shells. Four wagons from the Davington Light Railway were purchased by Colonel Stephens
H. F. Stephens
Colonel Holman Fred Stephens was a British light railway civil engineer and manager. During his lifetime he was engaged in engineering and building, and later managing, 16 light railways in England and Wales.- Biography :...
for use on the Rye and Camber Tramway
Rye and Camber Tramway
The Rye and Camber Tramway was an English narrow gauge railway in East Sussex. It was of gauge. It operated from 1895 until 1939, connecting Rye to the nearby coast at Camber. It was a short line, only about in length, and had three stations - Rye, Golf Links and Camber Sands...
.
The line closed at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and the line and its equipment were sold by auction. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the tunnel at Oare was used as an air raid shelter. The station sites at Davington and Uplees have been obliterated by development, but the route of the trackbed at Oare can be traced, and the tunnel under the road at Oare still exists.
Locomotives
| Number | Builder | Wheel Arrangement | Date built | Works number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manning Wardle Manning Wardle Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,... |
0-6-0ST | 1916 | 1914 | Sold after the railway closed; exported to Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
| 2 | Manning Wardle Manning Wardle Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,... |
0-6-0ST | 1916 | 1915 | Sold after the railway closed; exported to Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... . Was used at Imbituba Imbituba Imbituba is a port and coastal town in the southern Brazil state of Santa Catarina. It has a population of around 39,000. Up until the middle of the twentieth century Imbituba was an important home of Brazilian whalers since 1796, when the southernmost whaling station in Brazil was established... Docks. |
| 3 | Manning Wardle Manning Wardle Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,... |
0-6-0ST | 1916 | 1916 | Sold after the railway closed; exported to Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... . Was used at Imbituba Docks. |
One of the locomotives is believed to be still in existence. Often quoted as works number 1916, the actual locomotive would appear to be works number 1915, carrying the worksplate of its sister.
Gauge
According to Taylor, the gauge was 3' 3" (990mm) but some other sources give 1 metre. The exact gauge will probably never be known.The Davington Light Railway was built to the gauge that was already in use at the explosives factories. The first locomotive there was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-built Deutz
Deutz AG
Deutz AG is an engine manufacturer, based in Cologne, Germany.-History:The company was founded by Nikolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke internal combustion engine, in 1864 as N. A...
petrol locomotive, delivered just before the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Possibly this was of 1 metre gauge and the track was built to fit it. The Deutz locomotive was later supplemented by five Ruston Proctor
Ruston, Proctor and Company
Ruston, Proctor and Company was established in Lincoln, England in 1857, and were manufacturers of steam tractors and engines. They later became Rustons and then Ruston & Hornsby.-History:...
petrol/paraffin locomotives, one of which is preserved by the Phyllis Rampton Trust
Phyllis Rampton Trust
The Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust is a British charity which is registered with the British Charity Commission as 292240 under the classification of "Education/TrainingEnvironment/Conservation/Heritage"...
.
See also
- British industrial narrow gauge railwaysBritish industrial narrow gauge railwaysBritish 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...
- British military narrow gauge railwaysBritish military narrow gauge railwaysThese 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....
- Faversham explosives industryFaversham explosives industryThe Faversham explosives industry: Faversham, in Kent, England, has claims to be the cradle of the UK's explosives industry: it was also to become one of its main centres. The first gunpowder plant in the UK was established in the 16th century, possibly at the instigation of Faversham Abbey...