Leighton Buzzard Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Leighton Buzzard Light Railway (LBLR) is a narrow gauge
light railway in Leighton Buzzard
in Bedfordshire
, England
. It operates on a gauge, and is just under 3 miles (4.8 km) long. The line was built after the First World War to serve sand quarries north of the town. In the late 1960s the quarries switched to road transport and the railway was taken over by volunteers, who now run the line as a heritage railway
.
-Leighton Buzzard
railway. The carts damaged roads and resulted in claims for compensation against the quarry owners from Bedfordshire County Council. At the end of the century steam wagons were introduced which increased the damage to roads.
The outbreak of the First World War cut off supplies of foundry sand from Belgium
. Sand was needed for ammunition factories and new sources were sought. Leighton Buzzard sands proved well suited and production increased. After 1919 the quarry companies were told they could no longer transport sand by roads, so a private industrial railway
was proposed to take the traffic.
Leighton Buzzard Light Railway opened on Thursday November 20, 1919, linking the sand quarries (Double Arches
at the far end of the line) with the mainline railway south of the town at Grovebury sidings. The line was built using surplus equipment from the War Department Light Railways
. The railway was built to a gauge of and laid using mostly 30 lb/yd rail. The line opened using steam traction by two Hudswell Clarke
0-6-0 side tank steam locomotive
s. These proved inappropriate for the tightly-curved line and the steam locomotives were sold in 1921. From that point the railway was run using internal combustion, almost exclusively the products of the Motor Rail
company. It was one of the first railways in Britain entirely operated by internal combustion.
After the Second World War sand traffic returned to the roads. In 1953 a strike on mainline railways pushed more traffic onto the roads. By the mid-1960s only one sand quarry, Arnold's, still used the light railway. The BR line to Dunstable was closed in 1965, apart from a short stretch from Leighton Buzzard to Grovebury interchange sidings, which survived until 1969.
. This was undertaken, the group having purchased secondhand rolling stock and four Simplex diesels from the St Albans Sand and Gravel company, which were dismantled and formed into one machine. The last sand train ran on the main line in 1969, although several quarries continued to use the lines within their quarries. These were eventually replaced by roads and conveyor belts and the last internal quarry line was abandoned in 1981. Today the line is run purely as a heritage railway
.
A large collection of steam and internal combustion locomotives run on the line. Visitors can ride the train and are issued with an Edmonson ticket
. There is a collection of industrial railway locomotives at Stonehenge Works at the northern end of the line.
The line is unusual as it runs mostly through modern housing built since the 1970s, although the last half mile runs through countryside. There are open level crossing
s for which trains stop.
The railway began at Grovebury Sidings, where sand trains unloaded into washers and the sand was shipped to standard gauge
trains on the Dunstable branch or to road. The sidings and industrial plant at Grovesbury was replaced with an industrial estate in the early 1970s.
Trains from Grovebury crossed Billington Road by a level crossing and worked up a steep grade to Page's Park. Here a branch line south connected to the line's main engineering workshop and the Pratt's Pit quarry. In 2006 Page's Park
forms the southern terminus of the heritage railway.
From Page's Park the line curves north towards a summit at Red Barn. From there it descends at 1 in 60 (1.7%) before climbing again to cross Stanbridge Road. On the left is the site of Marley's Tile Works, now a housing estate, which was connected to the railway for most of its existence. The line descends Marley's Bank at a maximum of 1 in 25 (4%). Loaded sand trains to Grovebury Sidings often needed a banking locomotive.
At the bottom of Marley's Bank the line turns sharply north and runs along the level to Leedon Loo. The line here passes through housing. After Leedon, the railway crosses Hockliffe Road and crosses the Clipstone Brook and begins to climb again on a 1 in 50 (2%) gradient to cross Vandyke Road.
Immediately after crossing Vandyke Road the line curves 90 degrees to Vandyke Junction where there was a passing loop. Here the branch line from Chamberlain's Barn and New Trees quarries joined the main line. A short section of this branch remains intact although heritage trains do not use it. The railway then runs parallel to Vandyke Road, climbing steadily to Bryan's Loop then descending again to cross the Shenley Hill Road. The line levels and continues to Stonehenge Works now the engineering workshop of the preserved railway. This is also the northern terminus of modern operations.
From Stonehenge the line continues northwards with a 1 miles (1.6 km) of double track
, climbing towards the two Double Arches sand quarries, owned by Joseph Arnold and George Garside.
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
light railway in Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, 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 operates on a gauge, and is just under 3 miles (4.8 km) long. The line was built after the First World War to serve sand quarries north of the town. In the late 1960s the quarries switched to road transport and the railway was taken over by volunteers, who now run the line as a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
.
Sand extraction
A bed of Lower Cretaceous sand across Bedfordshire has been quarried on a small scale for centuries. The most significant occur around Leighton Buzzard. In the 19th century sand was carried by horse carts from quarries south of the town to be shipped on the DunstableDunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
-Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
railway. The carts damaged roads and resulted in claims for compensation against the quarry owners from Bedfordshire County Council. At the end of the century steam wagons were introduced which increased the damage to roads.
The outbreak of the First World War cut off supplies of foundry sand from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Sand was needed for ammunition factories and new sources were sought. Leighton Buzzard sands proved well suited and production increased. After 1919 the quarry companies were told they could no longer transport sand by roads, so a private 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...
was proposed to take the traffic.
The original railway
Double Arches Pit
Double Arches Pit was a sand quarry near the village and civil parish of Heath and Reach, Bedfordshire, England...
at the far end of the line) with the mainline railway south of the town at Grovebury sidings. The line was built using surplus equipment from the War Department Light Railways
War Department Light Railways
The War Department Light Railways were a system of narrow gauge trench railways run by the British War Department in World War I. Light railways made an important contribution to the Allied war effort in the First World War, and were used for the supply of ammunition and stores, the transport of...
. The railway was built to a gauge of and laid using mostly 30 lb/yd rail. The line opened using steam traction by two Hudswell Clarke
Hudswell Clarke
Hudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 side tank steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s. These proved inappropriate for the tightly-curved line and the steam locomotives were sold in 1921. From that point the railway was run using internal combustion, almost exclusively the products of the Motor Rail
Motor Rail
Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
company. It was one of the first railways in Britain entirely operated by internal combustion.
After the Second World War sand traffic returned to the roads. In 1953 a strike on mainline railways pushed more traffic onto the roads. By the mid-1960s only one sand quarry, Arnold's, still used the light railway. The BR line to Dunstable was closed in 1965, apart from a short stretch from Leighton Buzzard to Grovebury interchange sidings, which survived until 1969.
The preservation era
In 1968 the line was more lightly used and volunteers under the name of "The Iron Horse Railway Preservation Society" took over the line on weekends to run the first formal passenger services on the line. Part of the agreement between the railway and the volunteers was that volunteers would repair the permanent wayPermanent way
The permanent way is the elements of railway lines: generally the pairs of rails typically laid on the sleepers embedded in ballast, intended to carry the ordinary trains of a railway...
. This was undertaken, the group having purchased secondhand rolling stock and four Simplex diesels from the St Albans Sand and Gravel company, which were dismantled and formed into one machine. The last sand train ran on the main line in 1969, although several quarries continued to use the lines within their quarries. These were eventually replaced by roads and conveyor belts and the last internal quarry line was abandoned in 1981. Today the line is run purely as a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
.
A large collection of steam and internal combustion locomotives run on the line. Visitors can ride the train and are issued with an Edmonson ticket
Edmondson railway ticket
The Edmondson railway ticket was a system for validating the payment of railway fares, and accounting for the revenue raised, introduced in the 1840s. It is named after its inventor, Thomas Edmondson, a trained cabinet maker, who became a station master on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway in...
. There is a collection of industrial railway locomotives at Stonehenge Works at the northern end of the line.
The route
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s for which trains stop.
The railway began at Grovebury Sidings, where sand trains unloaded into washers and the sand was shipped to 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...
trains on the Dunstable branch or to road. The sidings and industrial plant at Grovesbury was replaced with an industrial estate in the early 1970s.
Trains from Grovebury crossed Billington Road by a level crossing and worked up a steep grade to Page's Park. Here a branch line south connected to the line's main engineering workshop and the Pratt's Pit quarry. In 2006 Page's Park
Page's Park railway station
Pages Park railway station is a railway station serving the southern area of Leighton Buzzard. Pages Park is the terminus of the heritage narrow gauge Leighton Buzzard Railway. At present the station consists of two platforms, a shed and a number of temporary buildings acting as the waiting room,...
forms the southern terminus of the heritage railway.
From Page's Park the line curves north towards a summit at Red Barn. From there it descends at 1 in 60 (1.7%) before climbing again to cross Stanbridge Road. On the left is the site of Marley's Tile Works, now a housing estate, which was connected to the railway for most of its existence. The line descends Marley's Bank at a maximum of 1 in 25 (4%). Loaded sand trains to Grovebury Sidings often needed a banking locomotive.
At the bottom of Marley's Bank the line turns sharply north and runs along the level to Leedon Loo. The line here passes through housing. After Leedon, the railway crosses Hockliffe Road and crosses the Clipstone Brook and begins to climb again on a 1 in 50 (2%) gradient to cross Vandyke Road.
Immediately after crossing Vandyke Road the line curves 90 degrees to Vandyke Junction where there was a passing loop. Here the branch line from Chamberlain's Barn and New Trees quarries joined the main line. A short section of this branch remains intact although heritage trains do not use it. The railway then runs parallel to Vandyke Road, climbing steadily to Bryan's Loop then descending again to cross the Shenley Hill Road. The line levels and continues to Stonehenge Works now the engineering workshop of the preserved railway. This is also the northern terminus of modern operations.
From Stonehenge the line continues northwards with a 1 miles (1.6 km) of double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
, climbing towards the two Double Arches sand quarries, owned by Joseph Arnold and George Garside.
Preserved locomotives
These are the locomotives on the preserved railway.Steam locomotives
| No. | Name | Wheel Type | Builder | Works No. | Year Built | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaloner Chaloner (locomotive) 0-4-0VBT Chaloner is an example of de Winton's distinctive vertical-boilered design, as used for many years in the North Wales slate quarries. It was built in 1877 at the Union Works in Caernarfon.... |
0-4-0VBT | De Winton De Winton De Winton & Co were engineers in Caernarfon, Wales. They built vertical boilered narrow gauge locomotives for use in Welsh slate mines and other industrial settings. At least six De Winton locomotives have been preserved... |
n/a | 1877 | Penyrorsedd slate quarry, north Wales | Worked at the Penybryn quarry until 1881 then Penyrorsedd until 1960. Purchased by Alfred Fisher and transferred to Leighton Buzzard in 1968. Too small for regular use but used on gala days. Currently in service. |
| 2 | Pixie | 0-4-0ST | 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... |
4260 | 1922 | Devon County Council, Wilminstone Quarry | One of 27 of the Wren class ordered for a sewer contract in Essex, sold to Devon County Council in 1929. Purchased by the Industrial Locomotive Society in 1957; entered service at Leighton Buzzard in 1969. Has previously been on loan at the Devon Railway Centre Devon Railway Centre The Devon Railway Centre is in the village of Bickleigh in Mid Devon, England, at the former Cadeleigh railway station on the closed Great Western Railway branch from Exeter to Dulverton, also known as the Exe Valley Railway. The Centre operates a 2ft gauge passenger railway and has the largest... and has now returned to LBNGR. Can be seen running on gala days. |
| 3 | Rishra Rishra (Locomotive) 0-4-0T Rishra was built in 1921 by Baguley Cars Ltd. It was repatriated from its Indian resting place at a water works in Kolkata by Michael Satow, the founder of the Indian Railways Museum in New Delhi.... |
0-4-0T | Baguley cars Ltd. Ernest E. Baguley -Employment:Baguley served an apprenticeship with R & W Hawthorn Leslie, initially at their Tyneside shipyard and later at their Forth Bank, Newcastle, locomotive works. In 1890 he moved to Stafford and became Chief Draughtsman for W G Bagnall Ltd... |
2007 | 1921 | Hoogly Docking & Engineering Co., Rishra, India | The only remaining locomotive of this type. Purchased by Mike Satow in 1963 and repatriated to Leighton Buzzard. Entered service in 1971. Too small for regular use and only used on gala days. |
| 4 | Doll Doll (locomotive) Doll is a gauge steam locomotive in service at the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway in Bedfordshire.-Industry:Doll was built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. in 1919 , and was one of three identical engines built for the Sydenham ironstone quarries, near Banbury in Oxfordshire... |
0-6-0T | Andrew Barclay | 1641 | 1919 | Sydenham Ironstone Quarry, King's Sutton King's Sutton King's Sutton is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire, England in the valley of the River Cherwell. The village is about south-east of Banbury, Oxfordshire... , Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire .... |
Transferred in 1926 to Bilston Furnaces where it ran until 1960. Purchased by the Bressingham Steam Museum in 1966; sold to Henry Williams in 1969; purchased by Leighton Buzzard Light Railway in 1972. A mainstay on passenger train services. |
| 5 | Elf | 0-6-0WT | Orenstein & Koppel | 12740 | 1936 | Likomba Development Company, Cameroon, Africa | Purchased in 1973 after serving in Cameroon until 1971. Wood-burning with a spark arrestor. Now converted to coal. Now in service and a regular on passenger trains. |
| 11 | PC Allen | 0-4-0WT | Orenstein & Koppel | 5834 | 1913 | Solvay Alkali Works, Torrelavega Torrelavega Torrelavega is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria in northern Spain.... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Purchased by Sir Peter Allen in 1963, transferred to Leighton Biuzzard in 1970. Currently undergoing a major overhaul, including boiler retube and extensive work to motion and wheelsets. |
| Berlin | 0-4-0WT | Freudenstein Stahlbahnwerke Freudenstein -Company history :The company was founded in 1891 by the merchant Julius Freudenstein; until then, Freudenstein had worked for Orenstein & Koppel. Originally, the company traded in track and materials for railways.... |
73 | 1901 | Penlee Quarry railway Penlee Quarry railway The Penlee Quarry railway was an industrial narrow gauge railway serving the Penlee Quarry at Newlyn in Cornwall. It was Cornwall's most westerly railway and one of the last operating narrow gauge industrial railways in the UK.- History :... , Newlyn, Cornwall |
Arrived at LBLR in 1991. On display at Stonehenge works | |
| 9 | Peter Pan | 0-4-0ST | 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... |
4256 | 1922 | Devon County Council, Willminstone Quarry, Devon | Wren class locomotive that worked with Pixie in Devon. Purchased in 1972 by Graham Hall who found the locomotive in a garden in Bromsgrove Bromsgrove Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century... . |
| 778 | 4-6-0PT | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
44656 | 1917 | War Department Light Railways War Department Light Railways The War Department Light Railways were a system of narrow gauge trench railways run by the British War Department in World War I. Light railways made an important contribution to the Allied war effort in the First World War, and were used for the supply of ammunition and stores, the transport of... |
Baldwin Class 10-12-D Baldwin Class 10-12-D The Baldwin Class 10-12-D was a class of narrow gauge 4-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the British War Department Light Railways for service in France during World War I... . Entered service in August 2007 and used on passenger trains. |
Internal combustion locomotives
| No. | Name | Type | Builder | Works No. | Year Built | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (2) | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
5608 | 1931 | St Albans Sand and Gravel Co. Ltd. Smallford, Hertfordshire | Converted to a brakevan, c. 1970 | |
| (3) | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
5613 | 1931 | St Albans Sand and Gravel Co. Ltd. Smallford, Hertfordshire | Converted to a crane, c. 1970 | |
| 6 | Caravan | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
7129 | 1938 | Redland Flettons Brick Company | An unusual variant of the Motor Rail Simplex class with an overall cab. |
| 7 | Falcon (Pam until c. 1978) | 4wDM | Orenstein & Koppel | 8986 | unknown | Woodham Brick Co. Ltd., Wotton, Buckinghamshire | Only surviving member of the MD2 class in Britain. Rescued from a Newport Pagnell Newport Pagnell Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area... scrapyard in 1970 by Peter Hodges. |
| 8 | Gollum | 4wDM | Ruston Hornsby Ruston (engine builder) Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam... |
217999 | 1942 | Featherby's Brickworks, Rochford, Essex | |
| 9 | Madge | 4wDM | Orenstein & Koppel | 7600 | 1935 | Oxstead Grestone Lime Co. Ltd., Oxstead, Surrey | Single cylinder RL1C class |
| 10 | Haydn Taylor | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
7956 | 1945 | British Industrial Sand Ltd. Middelton Towers, Norfolk | Originally loaned by its owners in 1971. Nicknamed "Breadbin" due to its unusual cab shape. Rebuilt in 1973 with a conventional cab. |
| 12 | Carbon | 4wPM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
6012 | 1930 | Standard Bottle Co., New Southgate, Middlesex | Arrived in 1972 via M.E. Engineering, Cricklewood. |
| 13 | Arkle | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
7108 | 1937 | George Garside, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire | Original Leighton Buzzard sand quarry loco, operated until 1981 |
| (14 | 4wDM | Hunslet Hunslet Engine Company The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for... |
3646 | 1946 | Crumbles Gravel Pits, Eastbourne, Sussex | Arrived 1972 | |
| 15 | Tom Bombadil (after 1990) | 4wDM | F.C. Hibberd F. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd F. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd... |
2415 | 1941 | Butterley & Blaby Brick Companies Ltd., Ripley, Derbyshire | |
| 16 | Thorin Oakenshield | 4wPM | Lister | 11221 | 1939 | Gaurdbridge Paper Co. Ltd., Leuchars, Fife | |
| 17 | Damredub | 4wPM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
7036 | 1936 | George Garside, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire | Original Leighton Buzzard sand quarry loco, operated until 1981 |
| 18 | Fëanor | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
11003 | 1956 | British Industrial Sands Ltd., Middleton Towers, Norfolk | |
| 19 | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
11298 | 1965 | British Industrial Sands Ltd., Middleton Towers, Norfolk | ||
| 20 | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
60S317 | 1966 | British Industrial Sands Ltd., Middleton Towers, Norfolk | ||
| 21 | Festoon | 4wPM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
4570 | 1929 | George Garside, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire | Original Leighton Buzzard sand quarry loco, preserved 1981 |
| 22 | Fingolfin | 4wDM | LBLR | 1 | 1989 | Constructed from parts of Ruston Hornsby 425798 and 444207 | |
| 23 | 4wDM | Ruston Hornsby Ruston (engine builder) Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam... |
164346 | 1932 | West Kent Main Sewage Board, Littlebrook, Kent | Second oldest Ruston Hornsby locomotive in existence | |
| 24 | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
11297 | 1965 | British Industrial Sands Ltd., Middleton Towers, Norfolk | ||
| (24) | 4wPM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
4805 | 1934 | J. Arnold & Sons Ltd., Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire | Original Leighton Buzzard sand quarry loco, dismantled by 1980 | |
| 43 | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
10409 | 1954 | Leighton Buzzard Light Railway Company, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire | Original LBLR mainline locomotive; purchased by John Cohring in 1972 |
Previous resident locomotives
| No. | Name | Wheel Type | Builder | Works No. | Year Built | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | 4wDM | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
5612 | 1931 | St Albans Sand and Gravel Co. Ltd. Nazeing, Essex | Dismantled by 1988 | |
| 6 | Alice Alice (locomotive) Alice, a Hunslet , used to work in the Dinorwic slate quarries at Llanberis, in North Wales. Built in 1902, as Works No. 780, the locomotive was originally called ‘No. 4’. There was an earlier Alice which was built in 1889 Alice, a Hunslet , used to work in the Dinorwic slate quarries at Llanberis,... |
0-4-0ST | Hunslet Hunslet Engine Company The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for... |
780 | 1902 | Dinorwic slate quarry | Now running at the Bala Lake Railway Bala Lake Railway The Bala Lake Railway is a preserved railway at Bala Lake, in Gwynedd, north Wales, which runs for a distance of using gauge rolling stock.... |
| 740 | 0-6-0T | Orenstein & Koppel | 2343 | 1907 | Matheran Light Railway Matheran Hill Railway Matheran Hill Railway is a heritage railway in Maharashtra, India. It was built between 1901 and 1907 by Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy, financed by his father, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of the Adamjee Group at the cost of Rs.16,00,000... , Maharastra, India |
Restored to working order, has rare Klein-Linder Klein-Linder Klein-Linder is a form of articulation for ordinary steam locomotives to make them more suitable for going around very sharp curves.- Examples :... radial axles. Now at Statfold Barn Railway she is owned by Railworld in Peterborough. She first worked at Leighton Buzzard on 7th September 2002. |
Visiting locomotives
| Number | Name | Builder | Year Visited | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gertrude | Andrew Barclay | 2009 | Welsh Highland Heritage Railway | Restored and operated by Exmoor Transport, sister locomotive to Doll, built as works no.1578 in 1918. | |
| DHR19 | Sharp Stewart | Beeches Light railway | Works No. 3518, built for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Darjeeling Himalayan Railway The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the "Toy Train", is a narrow gauge railway from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling in West Bengal, run by the Indian Railways.... , B Class No. 19 (778 under the all-India number scheme) |
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| 22 | Montalban | Orenstein & Koppel | West Lancashire Light Railway West Lancashire Light Railway The West Lancashire Light Railway operates at Hesketh Bank, situated between Preston and Southport in North West England. The Railway is narrow gauge and has a running length of . The full line is longer than this however it follows a ledge above the old clay pit which is narrow enough to prohibit... |
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| Woto | WG Bagnall | Alan Keef Ltd | |||
| Elidir | Hunslet Hunslet Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co... |
Llanberis Lake Railway Llanberis Lake Railway The Llanberis Lake Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway that runs for along the northern shore of Llyn Padarn in north Wales in the Snowdonia National Park. The starting point is the town of Llanberis at the eastern end of the lake , with the western terminus at Pen Llyn in the Padarn... |
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| Britomart | Hunslet Hunslet Engine Company The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for... |
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.... |
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| Jack | West Lancashire Railway West Lancashire Railway The West Lancashire Railway ran northeast from Southport to Preston in northwest England.-History:Construction was started by Samuel Swire the Mayor of Southport, on 19 April 1873.... |
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| Irish Mail | Hunslet Hunslet Engine Company The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for... |
West Lancashire Railway West Lancashire Railway The West Lancashire Railway ran northeast from Southport to Preston in northwest England.-History:Construction was started by Samuel Swire the Mayor of Southport, on 19 April 1873.... |
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| Barboullier | 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... |
Amberley Museum Railway Amberley Museum Railway The Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre Railway is a gauge railway based at the Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre, Amberley, West Sussex. It has a varied collection of engines and rolling stock ranging from gauge to gauge... |
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| 1 | Bronhilde | Berliner Maschinenbau Berliner Maschinenbau Berliner Maschinenbau AG was a German manufacturer of locomotives.The factory was founded by Louis Victor Robert Schwartzkopff on 3 October 1852 as Eisengießerei und Maschinen-Fabrik von L. Schwartzkopff in Berlin .... (Schwartzkopff) |
Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway The Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway is located near the villages of Wormshill and Bredgar in Kent, just south of Sittingbourne. It is a gauge narrow gauge railway about half a mile in length.... |
Built in 1927 | |
| 2 | Katie | Arn Jung Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik The Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik was a locomotive manufacturer, in particular of Feldbahn locomotives, in Kirchen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.... |
Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway The Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway is located near the villages of Wormshill and Bredgar in Kent, just south of Sittingbourne. It is a gauge narrow gauge railway about half a mile in length.... |
Built in 1931 | |
| 10 | Naklo | Fablok Fablok Fablok is a Polish manufacturer of steam locomotives, based in Chrzanów. Until 1947 the official name was The First Factory of Locomotives in Poland Ltd. , Fablok being a widely used syllabic abbreviation of Fabryka Lokomotyw. It is now named "BUMAR - FABLOK S.A. "... (Chrzanow) |
South Tynedale Railway South Tynedale Railway The South Tynedale Railway is a heritage railway in England and is England's highest narrow gauge railway. The route runs from Alston in Cumbria to Kirkhaugh in Northumberland via the South Tyne Viaduct, the Gilderdale Viaduct and the Whitley Viaduct... |
Built 1957 | |
| Triassic | Peckett Peckett and Sons Peckett and Sons was a locomotive manufacturer at the Atlas Works in St. George, Bristol, England.-Fox, Walker and Company:The company began trading in 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works, St. George, Bristol, as Fox, Walker and Company, building four and six-coupled saddle tank engines for industrial use... |
Bala Lake Railway Bala Lake Railway The Bala Lake Railway is a preserved railway at Bala Lake, in Gwynedd, north Wales, which runs for a distance of using gauge rolling stock.... |
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| Alan George | Hunslet Hunslet Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co... |
Teifi Valley Railway Teifi Valley Railway The Teifi Valley Railway is a gauge railway operating between Llandysul and Newcastle Emlyn along the River Teifi, South Wales. It is a narrow-gauge tourist railway built on the GWR part of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway and currently operating on about two miles of track... |
Works No. 606, built in 1894 | ||
| 4 | Stanhope | 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... |
2001 | West Lancashire Light Railway West Lancashire Light Railway The West Lancashire Light Railway operates at Hesketh Bank, situated between Preston and Southport in North West England. The Railway is narrow gauge and has a running length of . The full line is longer than this however it follows a ledge above the old clay pit which is narrow enough to prohibit... |
Owned by the Moseley Railway Trust Moseley Railway Trust The Moseley Railway Trust is a major British collection of industrial narrow gauge locomotives and other equipment. It originally had its base in south Manchester, but has completely relocated to the Apedale Country Park near Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire where a passenger railway is now open... , Tattoo class 2395 built in 1917 |
| 939 | Justine | Arn Jung Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik The Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik was a locomotive manufacturer, in particular of Feldbahn locomotives, in Kirchen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.... |
1986 | North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Railway | |
| 1091 | Henschel Henschel & Son Henschel & Son was a German company, situated in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicles and weapons.... |
2009 | North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Railway | ||
| 1652 | Type 17 | 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... |
2009 | Froissy Dompierre Light Railway Froissy Dompierre Light Railway The Froissy Dompierre Light Railway is a narrow-gauge light railway near the village of Cappy, in the Somme department, France. It is run as a heritage railway by APPEVA... |
External links
- Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway website
- More pictures on Wikimedia Commons
- Audio recordings of Leighton Buzzard Light Railway locomotives
- http://www.gertrude1578.co.uk
- http://www.railworld.net
- http://www.statfoldbarnrailway.co.uk