Duffield Bank Railway
Encyclopedia
The Duffield Bank Railway was built by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood in the grounds of his house on the hillside overlooking Duffield, Derbyshire in 1874. Although the Ordnance Survey map circa 1880 does not show the railway itself, it does show two tunnels and two signal posts.
Duffield Bank is a fairly steep hillside to the east of the village. Over a period of about seven years, the track reached about a mile long with tunnels and some very sharp curves and steep gradients. He included some stations, and to demonstrate the versatility of such a line, to the freight trucks, he added passenger coaches, as well as a sleeping car with toilet and a diner with its own cooking compartment.
His first engine was an 0-4-0
T "Effie" not as a final design, but simply to provide motive power for his first experiments. Like his other locos, however, it used a boiler with a cylindrical "launch"-type firebox
manufactured by Abbott and Company of Newark-on-Trent
. Without the fire box projecting below the barrel, the over-hang of the frame was equalized at each end, without the use of trailing wheels, since he wished to concentrate the weight on the driving wheels. It also, he felt, had a low first cost with relatively easy maintenance. Such a system had already been used by Ramsbottom
for some shunting engines for the London and North Western Railway
, and worked well for engines which spent time standing. Although the grate area was proportional to the boiler heating surface, the firebox volume was small, and it was difficult to maintain a head of steam for an extended run. Nevertheless he felt the benefit outweighed the disadvantages on this type of engine and used it for his later locos.
His next engine was an 0-6-0
T "Ella", a six-coupled tank engine, with a larger boiler and firebox, working at a higher pressure. Because of the sharpness of the curves on his track, something he expected to be a feature of future constructions, he devised what he called his "radiating axles", foreshadowing the later Klein-Lindner and Luttermöller systems. The outside valvegear was similar to the Joy
pattern, derived from that used by Brown of Brown-Boveri
of Winterthur
in Switzerland
. A third engine "Muriel" was built to the same pattern as Ella, but eight-coupled and even larger.
Although he regularly demonstrated the line to entrepreneurs and the military, the only person to take an interest was the Duke of Westminster
who asked him to build a line at Eaton Hall
in Cheshire
. The first engine on this the Eaton Hall Railway
, was "Katie", an 0-4-0
T but larger than Effie and using Brown/Heywood valve gear. Following this were two identical 0-6-0
T locomotives, "Shelagh" and "Ursula".
Shortly after this, in 1916, Sir Arthur died, and the Duffield Bank system was closed. Most of the stock was acquired for the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
which was in the process of gauge conversion. The Eaton Hall railway continued for a number of years, carrying timber and building materials around the estate, until it closed in 1947. None of Sir Arthur's lines now exist, but in recent years, enthusiasts such as the Heywood Collection, have recovered various items of interest.
Of the locomotives, only "Muriel" survives in heavily modified form working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway as "River Irt" claiming to be the oldest surviving narrow gauge loco. However, parts of "Ella" survive in the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway's 4-6-4 diesel locomotive "Shelagh of Eskdale". The line also is home to the remains of "Katie" (mainly the frames), which is currently being rebuilt.
The Perrygrove Railway
in Gloucestershire
was built with Sir Arthur's work very much in mind.
Overview
It was more than just a garden railway. In a century of technological innovation in the railways, Sir Arthur wished to explore the possibilities of such railways for mining, quarrying, agriculture etc. He believed that they would be relatively easy to build, and to move. He saw possibilities for military railways behind the lines carrying ammunition and supplies. Some other small railways had been built to two foot gauge, but he wished to use the minimum that he felt was practical. Having previously built a small railway of 9 inch gauge, he settled on .Duffield Bank is a fairly steep hillside to the east of the village. Over a period of about seven years, the track reached about a mile long with tunnels and some very sharp curves and steep gradients. He included some stations, and to demonstrate the versatility of such a line, to the freight trucks, he added passenger coaches, as well as a sleeping car with toilet and a diner with its own cooking compartment.
His first engine was an 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
T "Effie" not as a final design, but simply to provide motive power for his first experiments. Like his other locos, however, it used a boiler with a cylindrical "launch"-type firebox
Launch-type boiler
A launch-type, gunboat or horizontal multitubular boiler is a form of small steam boiler. It consists of a cylindrical horizontal shell with a cylindrical furnace and fire-tubes within this....
manufactured by Abbott and Company of Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
. Without the fire box projecting below the barrel, the over-hang of the frame was equalized at each end, without the use of trailing wheels, since he wished to concentrate the weight on the driving wheels. It also, he felt, had a low first cost with relatively easy maintenance. Such a system had already been used by Ramsbottom
John Ramsbottom (engineer)
John Ramsbottom was an English mechanical engineer who created many inventions for railways, including the piston ring, the Ramsbottom safety valve, the displacement lubricator, and the water trough.- Biography :...
for some shunting engines for 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...
, and worked well for engines which spent time standing. Although the grate area was proportional to the boiler heating surface, the firebox volume was small, and it was difficult to maintain a head of steam for an extended run. Nevertheless he felt the benefit outweighed the disadvantages on this type of engine and used it for his later locos.
His next engine was an 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T "Ella", a six-coupled tank engine, with a larger boiler and firebox, working at a higher pressure. Because of the sharpness of the curves on his track, something he expected to be a feature of future constructions, he devised what he called his "radiating axles", foreshadowing the later Klein-Lindner and Luttermöller systems. The outside valvegear was similar to the Joy
Joy Valve Gear
Joy valve gear is a type of locomotive valve gear, patented in 1870, where the movement is derived from a vertical link connected to the connecting rod. The vertical movement is translated into the horizontal movement required by the valve spindle by a die block moving in a slide which can be...
pattern, derived from that used by Brown of Brown-Boveri
Asea Brown Boveri
ABB is a Swiss-Swedish multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, and best known for its robotics. ABB operates mainly in the power and automation technology areas. It ranked 143rd in Forbes Ranking ....
of Winterthur
Winterthur
Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. A third engine "Muriel" was built to the same pattern as Ella, but eight-coupled and even larger.
Although he regularly demonstrated the line to entrepreneurs and the military, the only person to take an interest was the Duke of Westminster
Duke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
who asked him to build a line at Eaton Hall
Eaton Hall (Cheshire)
Eaton Hall is the country house of the Duke of Westminster. It is set within a large estate south of the village of Eccleston, in Cheshire, England . The house is surrounded by formal gardens, parkland, farmland and woodland. The estate covers an area of about .The first substantial house was...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. The first engine on this the Eaton Hall Railway
Eaton Hall Railway
The Eaton Hall Railway was an early gauge narrow gauge estate railway built in 1896 at Eaton Hall in Cheshire.It was built for the Duke of Westminster by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, who had pioneered the fifteen inch gauge with his Duffield Bank Railway, and connected the hall to the GWR...
, was "Katie", an 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
T but larger than Effie and using Brown/Heywood valve gear. Following this were two identical 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T locomotives, "Shelagh" and "Ursula".
Shortly after this, in 1916, Sir Arthur died, and the Duffield Bank system was closed. Most of the stock was acquired for the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a minimum gauge heritage railway in Cumbria, England. The line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale, in the Lake District...
which was in the process of gauge conversion. The Eaton Hall railway continued for a number of years, carrying timber and building materials around the estate, until it closed in 1947. None of Sir Arthur's lines now exist, but in recent years, enthusiasts such as the Heywood Collection, have recovered various items of interest.
Of the locomotives, only "Muriel" survives in heavily modified form working on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway as "River Irt" claiming to be the oldest surviving narrow gauge loco. However, parts of "Ella" survive in the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway's 4-6-4 diesel locomotive "Shelagh of Eskdale". The line also is home to the remains of "Katie" (mainly the frames), which is currently being rebuilt.
The Perrygrove Railway
Perrygrove Railway
The Perrygrove Railway is a minimum gauge railway of gauge. It is a private heritage railway at Perrygrove Farm in the Royal Forest of Dean near Coleford, Gloucestershire, England...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
was built with Sir Arthur's work very much in mind.
Duffield Bank
- 1874 Effie 0-4-00-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
T boiler 125 psi, grate area 1.25 sq ft (0.1161288 m²)., heating surface 23 sq ft (2.1 m²)., cylinders 4"x6", wheel diameter 1'3½", Stephenson valvegear. - 1881 Ella 0-6-00-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T boiler 160 psi, grate area 2.12 sq ft (0.1969544448 m²)., heating surface 70 sq ft (6.5 m²)., cylinders 4.875"x7", wheel diameter 1'1½", Brown/Heywood valvegear. - 1894 Muriel 0-8-00-8-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
T boiler 160 psi, grate area 3 sq ft (0.27870912 m²)., heating surface 91 sq ft (8.5 m²)., cylinders 6.25"x8", wheel diameter 1'6", Brown/Heywood valvegear, weight 5 tons.
Eaton Hall
- 1896 Katie 0-4-00-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
T boiler 160 psi, grate area 2.12 sq ft (0.1969544448 m²)., heating surface 53 sq ft (4.9 m²)., cylinders 4.675"x7", wheel diameter 1'3", Brown/Heywood valvegear. - 1904 Shelagh 0-6-00-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T boiler 160 psi, grate area 3 sq ft (0.27870912 m²)., heating surface 80 sq ft (7.4 m²)., cylinders 5.5"x8", wheel diameter 1'4", Brown/Heywood valvegear. - 1916 Ursula 0-6-00-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T as Shelagh
External links
- The Duffield Bank Railway - A long closed railway of historic interest
- The Heywood Radiating Axle Locomotives.
- The Heywood Collection - Conserving the work of Sir A. P. Heywood Bt.
- Gn15.info - An active community of 15 inches (381 mm) railway modelers with large amounts of expertise in the legacy of Sir Arthur