Perrygrove Railway
Encyclopedia
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
. Trains travel at frequent intervals on a round trip of 1+1/2 mi between four stations.
The railway was inspired by the minimum gauge estate railways or British narrow gauge railways
developed by Sir
Arthur Heywood at the end of the 19th century, including his pioneering Duffield Bank Railway
and the later Eaton Hall Railway
. Perrygrove is the home of the Heywood Collection, which consists of five original vehicles, including the original saloon carriage from Eaton Hall. Also based at Perrygrove are replica vehicles built by James Waterfield, including the locomotive "Ursula" and the Duffield Bank Dining Carriage. All these vehicles are available for viewing when Perrygrove is open, but visitors are asked to telephone if they wish to be certain of seeing a particular item.
Perrygrove Farm was purchased by Michael and Frances Crofts in 1993. Construction of the railway commenced in 1995 and it opened in 1996. The railway's existence depends on visits from day trippers, tourists and railway enthusiasts. The first two types of visitor are attracted by the promise of a great day out in the beautiful Forest of Dean, with picnic and play facilities outdoors and under cover, and an Indoor Village with secret passages, in addition to train rides. A unique treasure hunt is also offered: the railway supplies a key to open a hidden box of treasure, and clues to help treasure hunters find it. Clues are scattered in the ancient woodland where real treasure was found in 1849.
Railway enthusiasts can meet the builder of the line and when staff are available they are taken on tours of the engine sheds and workshops.
The railway is a member of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association, which promotes tourism in the area. Its a member of Britains Great Little Railways
.
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....
of gauge. It is a private 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...
at Perrygrove Farm in the Royal Forest of Dean near Coleford
Coleford, Gloucestershire
Coleford is a small market town in Gloucestershire, England in the west of the Forest of Dean with a population of 8,351 . It is situated some four miles east of the Welsh border, and is close to the Wye Valley, a popular walking and canoeing area...
, 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....
, 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...
. Trains travel at frequent intervals on a round trip of 1+1/2 mi between four stations.
The railway was inspired by the minimum gauge estate railways or 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...
developed by Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Arthur Heywood at the end of the 19th century, including his pioneering Duffield Bank Railway
Duffield Bank Railway
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.-Overview:It was more...
and the later 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...
. Perrygrove is the home of the Heywood Collection, which consists of five original vehicles, including the original saloon carriage from Eaton Hall. Also based at Perrygrove are replica vehicles built by James Waterfield, including the locomotive "Ursula" and the Duffield Bank Dining Carriage. All these vehicles are available for viewing when Perrygrove is open, but visitors are asked to telephone if they wish to be certain of seeing a particular item.
Steam
| Number & Name | Description | Current Status | Livery | Builders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit of Adventure | 0-6-0T built by Exmoor Steam Railway | Operational | Red | Exmoor Steam Railway Exmoor Steam Railway The Exmoor Steam Railway is a narrow gauge steam railway and locomotive manufacturer, located at Bratton Fleming in North Devon.-12¼ in gauge:The railway was built by the Stirland family and first opened as a tourist attraction in August 1990... |
| Ursula | Duffield Bank Railway Duffield Bank Railway 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.-Overview:It was more... , Reconstruction of No.6 Ursula: 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 boiler 160 psi, grate area 3 sq ft (0.28 m2)., heating surface 80 sq ft (7.4 m2)., cylinders 5.5"x8", wheel diameter 1'4", Brown/Heywood valvegear. |
Operational | Green | James Waterfield |
| Lydia | 2-6-2T with Hackworth valvegear | Operational | Blue | Alan Keef Ltd Alan Keef Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineer which manufactures, overhauls and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment.... |
| ?? | K1 TGR K Class -Further reading:* Belibin, Bruce and McKillop, Bob - K1 steams again Light Railways, Number 193 February 2007 pp. 3-7- External links :* http://www.whrsoc.org.uk/Projects/K1Loco.html* http://www.railtasmania.com/loco/garratts.htm... Garratt articulated locomotive Garratt A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might... from the Bush Mill Railway Bush Mill Railway The Bush Mill Railway was a gauge miniature railway, situated from Port Arthur, in Tasmania. It opened in 1986.- Route :The Bush Mill Railway climbed steeply through a series of loops and zig zags up a hillside, then across a spectacular Serpentine Bridge... . |
No longer at Perrygrove. Now for sale | Black | Bush Mill Railway |
Diesel
| Number & Name | Current Status | Livery | Builders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workhorse | Operational | Red | Motor Rail Company of Bedford |
| Jubilee | Operational | Red | Hunslet at Jack Lane, Leeds |
Perrygrove Farm was purchased by Michael and Frances Crofts in 1993. Construction of the railway commenced in 1995 and it opened in 1996. The railway's existence depends on visits from day trippers, tourists and railway enthusiasts. The first two types of visitor are attracted by the promise of a great day out in the beautiful Forest of Dean, with picnic and play facilities outdoors and under cover, and an Indoor Village with secret passages, in addition to train rides. A unique treasure hunt is also offered: the railway supplies a key to open a hidden box of treasure, and clues to help treasure hunters find it. Clues are scattered in the ancient woodland where real treasure was found in 1849.
Railway enthusiasts can meet the builder of the line and when staff are available they are taken on tours of the engine sheds and workshops.
The railway is a member of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association, which promotes tourism in the area. Its a member of Britains Great Little Railways
Britains Great Little Railways
Britains Great Little Railways is a company, created in 1994, to provide an umbrella organisation for the owners and operators of the miniature and narrow gauge railways in Great Britain...
.