Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
Encyclopedia
The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Pont-y-pŵl a Blaenafon) is a volunteer-run heritage railway
in South Wales
, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Stop public house (famed for its collection of miner's lamps
) southwards to the town of Blaenavon
via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace.
The line is the highest preserved standard-gauge line in the United Kingdom
, and also uniquely having the only standard-gauge rail-over-rail bridge within preservation.
to Blaenavon was originally built in 1866 by the Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway and immediately leased to the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) to transport coal to the Midlands via the Heads of the Valleys line
. The line was completed in the late 1860s and the LNWR were operating passenger trains over the line by
1872. Eight years later it was extended to meet the Great Western Railway
(GWR) at Abersychan & Talywain
. Here the line carried on down the valley through Pontypool Road Station to the coast at Newport
. In 1922, the LNWR was grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
. In later years the line saw a variety of GWR locomotives operating from pit to port, however the railway retained its LNWR infrastructure up until the very last days before its closure.
From the turn of the century the line served mining activity centred on several pits and collieries between Brynmawr and Waunafon. The first of these was the Waun Nantyglo colliery, which was situated a little east of a tramway which later carried the B4248 Brynmawr to Blaenavon Road. The connection was removed by 1925. As Waunafon was approached on a facing branch to the left was built, leading to Clydach colliery, but these had gone by 1915, to be replaced by New Clydach Colliery sidings. Vestiges of these remained until 1950. Some 300 yards south of Waunafon station a branch, built in 1870, veered to the West to serve the Milfraen Colliery. The space between the single-platform station at Waunafon and the branch was occupied by a series of loops and sidings. In 1913 a small platform, called Garn-yr-Erw halt was built just north of the Whistle Road Bridge. This halt had no timetable for passengers as it was used only by miners.
By 1938 Milfraen Pit had ceased production having exhausted its own coal reserves, the branchline that served it was removed in 1937. The line was closed to passengers, not during the Beeching Cuts
which befell the GWR route to Blaenavon Low Level, but in 1941 due to the exigencies of the Second World War. Blaenavon shed closed in 1942 and eventually goods also ceased in 1954. The line was retained for wagon storage until 1953, and around 1950, a temporary siding was laid in connection with opencast workings on the Blorenge, branching east roughly at the point where the Milfraen Colliery branch had previously branched west. The declining situation continued through the 1950s, then Varteg Hill subsequently closed in 1964, leaving Big Pit
as the primary exporter of coal left. The once double track to Pontypool was then singled in June 1965. Although passenger and goods traffic had long ceased to Brynmawr
the track was re-laid by the NCB
to just south of Waunafon station again during the 1970s for the Black Lion Disposal Point washery.
Although the track along the whole route to Brynmawr was finally lifted in July 1961, the section from Blaenavon to Pontypool was still in use for coal trains from other local mines until Big Pit finally closed in 1980. The line from Cwmbran
was dismantled right up to outside Blaenavon High Level station whilst the washery and other colliery buildings (which were all but demolished during 1987). Much of the railway today has now become part of the National Cycle Network Route 46
.
The railway did not increase its length of track for a quarter century after its opening, but increased as a going concern, with a larger number of volunteers, a larger amount of operational rolling stock, and more definite plans for the railway's future.
's station in the town).
The Pontypool Blaenavon Railway Company was granted an Order under the Transport and Works Act to extend and operate the line.
Work, which started in December 2004, was initially complicated by difficulty in determining who built the railway. The order allowing most of the initial construction was the Brynmawr and Blaenavon Act of 1866, but a short section in the south was built under the LNWR (Wales &c) Act of 1875. Once the two months spent on this research was complete matters progressed rapidly so that a formal application to the Welsh Assembly was made on 3 May 2005. By the end of June 2005 the application became public with a two-month subsequent period allowed for formal objection.
By 28 November 2005, the inspector appointed by the National Assembly for Wales
, Stuart B Wild, MRTPI, MCMI made his report to Parliament. Subsequently, a full meeting of the planning Decision Committee of the National Assembly for Wales, chaired by Carwyn Jones
, Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside, approved the application on 24 January 2006. The minister in turn wrote to Winckworth Sherwood on 31 January. The Order, called the Pontypool and Blaenavon (Phase 1) Order 2006 was finally made on 20 June 2006 and came into force on 21 June 2006.
The route southwards was made difficult by the need to refurbish a number of bridges en-route. A substantial report issued by the Company to Torfaen County Borough Council
, the successor to the Welsh Development Agency
, and other interested parties, estimated the lowest cost for the extension and the provision of a minimal station at High Level at between £235K and £395K, with cost of the bridges lying between £162K and £323K—by far the dominant item in the total cost. The Company eventually achieved funding from the Welsh Assembly Government's Heads of the Valleys programme to meet much of the refurbishment costs. Blaenavon (High Level) station is close to the centre of Blaenavon town, and, as a result, a substantial increase in passenger numbers is confidently expected. Blaenavon is the centre of the World Heritage Site
of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a landscape which includes Big Pit National Coal Museum and the famous Blaenavon Ironworks
. The presence of the railway there is expected to significantly add to the visitor experience and tourist potential of the town.
With Phase 1 achieved, the railway constructed a branch line into the National Mining Museum in 2011 before turning towards extending the line northwards, under a small road bridge and along the still intact track bed to Waunafon, the summit of the line which at 1,400 ft above sea level was the highest standard-gauge station in England and Wales. There is also growing political interest for the line to extend further again to Brynmawr
which interestingly takes the railway over the local authority boundary from Torfaen
into Blaenau Gwent
and also the historic county boundary from Monmouthshire into Brecknockshire. However the emphasis with the local authority is that this phase will serve as a community link, rather than a tourist attraction.
, it was found that the deck of Varteg Road bridge was beyond economical repair, and could not simply be refurbished as was the case with the other bridges on the line. The local authority replaced the deck with two new bridges, one for the railway, and the other for the cycleway in April 2011. Presently it is not possible to advance more than about 400 yards before coming into conflict with the cycleway. Fortunately, Torfaen County Borough Council
has recognised the railway's potential to expand toward Talywain
and beyond and have included this within their local development plan. This will also allow for route sharing to accommodate both Cycle Route and future line proposals whilst ensuring measures are taken to minimise any conflict occurring in dual operation.
Southward expansions to Wainfelin may be jeopardised by recent land reclamation schemes presented by Spring UR Ltd. These plans require the swift destruction of the prominent Big Arch, a brick-lined tunnel structure built in 1879 and already a Grade II listed structure. The plans opt for its demolition in order to breach the disused railway embankment, this would create a wider access route for heavy road traffic for open-casting west of Talywain village to commence. Not only would this prevent future line extensions but impede the Celtic Trail cycle path altogether as well. Whether a more beneficial plan for the surrounding area, or alternative put forward by the Torfaen Council, is currently unknown as these proposals are still in the early stages of public meetings.
After Pontypool Wainfelin, any further restoration of the original route down the valley is now virtually impossible as the line through Pontypool to Newport
via Clarence Street was lost in the 1980s to the A4043 bypass. Retail development such as Tesco now occupies the site of Pontypool Crane Street station, but thankfully the preservation society managed to rescue this up-platform station building by painstakingly deconstructing brick-by-brick and stored onsite for eventual re-construction further down the line, possibly at Varteg
.
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...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Stop public house (famed for its collection of miner's lamps
Davy lamp
The Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
) southwards to the town of Blaenavon
Blaenavon
Blaenavon is a town and World Heritage Site in south eastern Wales, lying at the source of the Afon Lwyd north of Pontypool, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. The town lies high on a hillside and has a population of 6,349 people...
via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace.
The line is the highest preserved standard-gauge line 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 also uniquely having the only standard-gauge rail-over-rail bridge within preservation.
History of the line
The line from BrynmawrBrynmawr
Brynmawr is a market town in Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys...
to Blaenavon was originally built in 1866 by the Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway and immediately leased to 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...
(LNWR) to transport coal to the Midlands via the Heads of the Valleys line
Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway was a railway company operating between 1860 and 1958 between the towns of Merthyr Tydfil, Tredegar and Abergavenny through the counties of Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire in south east Wales....
. The line was completed in the late 1860s and the LNWR were operating passenger trains over the line by
1872. Eight years later it was extended to meet the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) at Abersychan & Talywain
Abersychan and Talywain railway station
Abersychan and Talywain railway station served the west of Abersychan village in the Welsh county of Monmouthshire. The station was the meeting point for two major pre-grouping railways as they competed for the South Wales coal traffic.-History:...
. Here the line carried on down the valley through Pontypool Road Station to the coast at Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. In 1922, the LNWR was grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
. In later years the line saw a variety of GWR locomotives operating from pit to port, however the railway retained its LNWR infrastructure up until the very last days before its closure.
From the turn of the century the line served mining activity centred on several pits and collieries between Brynmawr and Waunafon. The first of these was the Waun Nantyglo colliery, which was situated a little east of a tramway which later carried the B4248 Brynmawr to Blaenavon Road. The connection was removed by 1925. As Waunafon was approached on a facing branch to the left was built, leading to Clydach colliery, but these had gone by 1915, to be replaced by New Clydach Colliery sidings. Vestiges of these remained until 1950. Some 300 yards south of Waunafon station a branch, built in 1870, veered to the West to serve the Milfraen Colliery. The space between the single-platform station at Waunafon and the branch was occupied by a series of loops and sidings. In 1913 a small platform, called Garn-yr-Erw halt was built just north of the Whistle Road Bridge. This halt had no timetable for passengers as it was used only by miners.
By 1938 Milfraen Pit had ceased production having exhausted its own coal reserves, the branchline that served it was removed in 1937. The line was closed to passengers, not during the Beeching Cuts
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
which befell the GWR route to Blaenavon Low Level, but in 1941 due to the exigencies of the Second World War. Blaenavon shed closed in 1942 and eventually goods also ceased in 1954. The line was retained for wagon storage until 1953, and around 1950, a temporary siding was laid in connection with opencast workings on the Blorenge, branching east roughly at the point where the Milfraen Colliery branch had previously branched west. The declining situation continued through the 1950s, then Varteg Hill subsequently closed in 1964, leaving Big Pit
Big Pit
Big Pit: National Coal Museum is a museum in Blaenavon, Torfaen, South Wales. A working coal mine from 1860 to 1980, it was opened to visitors from 1980 under the auspices of the National Museum Wales...
as the primary exporter of coal left. The once double track to Pontypool was then singled in June 1965. Although passenger and goods traffic had long ceased to Brynmawr
Brynmawr
Brynmawr is a market town in Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys...
the track was re-laid by the NCB
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
to just south of Waunafon station again during the 1970s for the Black Lion Disposal Point washery.
Although the track along the whole route to Brynmawr was finally lifted in July 1961, the section from Blaenavon to Pontypool was still in use for coal trains from other local mines until Big Pit finally closed in 1980. The line from Cwmbran
Cwmbran
Cwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
was dismantled right up to outside Blaenavon High Level station whilst the washery and other colliery buildings (which were all but demolished during 1987). Much of the railway today has now become part of the National Cycle Network Route 46
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
.
Visitor attraction
The railway between Furnace Sidings and Whistle Inn Halt was opened to visitors in 1983. It runs every weekend between spring and September. There is also a selection of special weekends through the spring and summer, daily (with the exceptions of Monday and Fridays) in August, as well as Santa Specials nearing Christmas.The railway did not increase its length of track for a quarter century after its opening, but increased as a going concern, with a larger number of volunteers, a larger amount of operational rolling stock, and more definite plans for the railway's future.
Expansion
In May 2010 the railway was extended a distance of roughly a mile and a quarter southwards to the site of the former Blaenavon High Level station (once the London and North Western RailwayLondon 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...
's station in the town).
The Pontypool Blaenavon Railway Company was granted an Order under the Transport and Works Act to extend and operate the line.
Work, which started in December 2004, was initially complicated by difficulty in determining who built the railway. The order allowing most of the initial construction was the Brynmawr and Blaenavon Act of 1866, but a short section in the south was built under the LNWR (Wales &c) Act of 1875. Once the two months spent on this research was complete matters progressed rapidly so that a formal application to the Welsh Assembly was made on 3 May 2005. By the end of June 2005 the application became public with a two-month subsequent period allowed for formal objection.
By 28 November 2005, the inspector appointed by the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
, Stuart B Wild, MRTPI, MCMI made his report to Parliament. Subsequently, a full meeting of the planning Decision Committee of the National Assembly for Wales, chaired by Carwyn Jones
Carwyn Jones
Carwyn Howell Jones is a Welsh politician and the First Minister of Wales. The third official to lead the Welsh Government, Jones has been Assembly Member for Bridgend since 1999. In the coalition government of Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru, he was appointed Counsel General for Wales and Leader of...
, Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside, approved the application on 24 January 2006. The minister in turn wrote to Winckworth Sherwood on 31 January. The Order, called the Pontypool and Blaenavon (Phase 1) Order 2006 was finally made on 20 June 2006 and came into force on 21 June 2006.
The route southwards was made difficult by the need to refurbish a number of bridges en-route. A substantial report issued by the Company to Torfaen County Borough Council
Torfaen County Borough Council
Torfaen County Borough Council is the governing body for Torfaen, one of the Principal Areas of Wales.- Current composition :-Electoral divisions:...
, the successor to the Welsh Development Agency
Welsh Development Agency
The Welsh Development Agency was a QUANGO and later an Assembly Sponsored Public Body established in 1976 to encourage business development and investment in Wales, to clear derelict land and to encourage growth of local businesses...
, and other interested parties, estimated the lowest cost for the extension and the provision of a minimal station at High Level at between £235K and £395K, with cost of the bridges lying between £162K and £323K—by far the dominant item in the total cost. The Company eventually achieved funding from the Welsh Assembly Government's Heads of the Valleys programme to meet much of the refurbishment costs. Blaenavon (High Level) station is close to the centre of Blaenavon town, and, as a result, a substantial increase in passenger numbers is confidently expected. Blaenavon is the centre of the World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a landscape which includes Big Pit National Coal Museum and the famous Blaenavon Ironworks
Blaenavon Ironworks
Blaenavon Ironworks is an industrial museum in Blaenavon in Wales. The ironworks was of crucial importance in the development of the ability to use cheap, low quality, high sulphur iron ores worldwide...
. The presence of the railway there is expected to significantly add to the visitor experience and tourist potential of the town.
With Phase 1 achieved, the railway constructed a branch line into the National Mining Museum in 2011 before turning towards extending the line northwards, under a small road bridge and along the still intact track bed to Waunafon, the summit of the line which at 1,400 ft above sea level was the highest standard-gauge station in England and Wales. There is also growing political interest for the line to extend further again to Brynmawr
Brynmawr
Brynmawr is a market town in Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys...
which interestingly takes the railway over the local authority boundary from Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
into Blaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in South Wales, sharing its name with a parliamentary constituency. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and...
and also the historic county boundary from Monmouthshire into Brecknockshire. However the emphasis with the local authority is that this phase will serve as a community link, rather than a tourist attraction.
Future expansion
With extensions southwards to VartegVarteg
- Location :It lies near Abersychan on the hills above the valley of the Afon Llwyd, between Pontypool and Blaenavon.- History & Amenities :Varteg has one of the two Welsh language medium primary school in Torfaen, namely Ysgol Bryn Onnen. The other is Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrân, in Cwmbrân.It also has...
, it was found that the deck of Varteg Road bridge was beyond economical repair, and could not simply be refurbished as was the case with the other bridges on the line. The local authority replaced the deck with two new bridges, one for the railway, and the other for the cycleway in April 2011. Presently it is not possible to advance more than about 400 yards before coming into conflict with the cycleway. Fortunately, Torfaen County Borough Council
Torfaen County Borough Council
Torfaen County Borough Council is the governing body for Torfaen, one of the Principal Areas of Wales.- Current composition :-Electoral divisions:...
has recognised the railway's potential to expand toward Talywain
Talywain
Talywain is situated between Garndiffaith, Abersychan and Pentwyn in Torfaen in south east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-Old mining area:...
and beyond and have included this within their local development plan. This will also allow for route sharing to accommodate both Cycle Route and future line proposals whilst ensuring measures are taken to minimise any conflict occurring in dual operation.
Southward expansions to Wainfelin may be jeopardised by recent land reclamation schemes presented by Spring UR Ltd. These plans require the swift destruction of the prominent Big Arch, a brick-lined tunnel structure built in 1879 and already a Grade II listed structure. The plans opt for its demolition in order to breach the disused railway embankment, this would create a wider access route for heavy road traffic for open-casting west of Talywain village to commence. Not only would this prevent future line extensions but impede the Celtic Trail cycle path altogether as well. Whether a more beneficial plan for the surrounding area, or alternative put forward by the Torfaen Council, is currently unknown as these proposals are still in the early stages of public meetings.
After Pontypool Wainfelin, any further restoration of the original route down the valley is now virtually impossible as the line through Pontypool to Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
via Clarence Street was lost in the 1980s to the A4043 bypass. Retail development such as Tesco now occupies the site of Pontypool Crane Street station, but thankfully the preservation society managed to rescue this up-platform station building by painstakingly deconstructing brick-by-brick and stored onsite for eventual re-construction further down the line, possibly at Varteg
Varteg railway station
Varteg railway station was a railway station which served the village of Varteg, in the county of Monmouthshire, on the Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway. Built by the London and North Western Railway as an expansion to meet the Great Western Railway at Abersychan and Talywain...
.
Steam Locomotives
- GWR 5600 ClassGWR 5600 ClassThe GWR 5600 Class is a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive built between 1924 and 1928. They were designed by C.B Collett for the Great Western Railway , and were introduced into traffic in 1924. Two hundred locomotives were built and remained in service until withdrawn by British Railways between...
0-6-2T No.5668. Awaiting restoration, has been asbestos stripped. - GWR 5700 ClassGWR 5700 ClassThe Great Western Railway 5700 Class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive, built between 1929 and 1950. 863 were built, making them the second most-produced British class of steam locomotive.- Overview :...
0-6-0PT No.9629. Undergoing restoration with the frames receiving attention. - Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. was a builder of steam and diesel locomotives, based in Kilmarnock, Scotland, that was founded in 1840 and is now owned by Wabtec Rail.- History :...
0-4-0ST "Harry". Awaiting restoration. - Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST "Tom Parry". Awaiting restoration.
- National Coal BoardNational Coal BoardThe National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
AusterityHunslet Austerity 0-6-0STThe Hunslet Engine Company Austerity 0-6-0ST is a steam locomotive designed for shunting. The class became the standard British shunting locomotive during the Second World War, and production continued until 1964 at various locomotive manufacturers....
class 0-6-0ST No.8. Restoration on hold. - Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST "Llantarnam Abbey" Under restoration.
- 19Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 19No. 19 is an 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive, built by W.G. Bagnall. It was the final steam locomotive to work in the HM Devonport Dockyard. It is currently owned by the Cornish Steam Locomotive Preservation Society. No. 19 was taken out of service in 1996 so its wheels tyres could be replaced and...
– Bagnall 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...
ST. On loan from the Bodmin and Wenford railway for the 2009,2010 & 2011 season. - Mech.Navvies.71515 Austerity 0-6-0 - WD71515 www.mechnavviesltd.co.uk
Diesel Locomotives
- BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37216 (D6916) Under restoration back into early BR green. - BR Co-Co Class 31British Rail Class 31The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.- Description :...
no. 31203 (D5627) 'Steve Organ G.M' in early BR green - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37421, Recently Arrived, In EWSEWSDB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
Red and Gold livery with a planned repaint into a British Railways livery.[ - British RailBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
shunter 03141. ex Swansea Vale RailwaySwansea Vale Railway|-|colspan="2" width="320"|-History:First opened in 1816 as a tramroad for conveying coal from Scott's Pit, near Birchgrove, to wharves on the River Tawe nearly four miles to the south, the Swansea Vale route grew to become a feeder railway for several mines and metal-working industries in the...
. - English ElectricEnglish ElectricEnglish Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
0-6-0DH, No.104 "Llanwern". In passenger use. - Rolls-Royce SentinelSentinel Waggon WorksSentinel Waggon Works Ltd was a British company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire that made steam-powered lorries, railway locomotives, and later, diesel engined lorries and locomotives.-Alley & MacLellan, Sentinel Works, Jessie Street Glasgow:...
0-4-0DM, No.1 "Panteg". In P WAY use. - Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0DH, NCB DL16. In shunting use.
- Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0DM, Shell-BP No.14. In shunting use. - Ruston 48DS "Gower Princess". In shunting use
- English Electric 0-6-0DH, No.106.Stored pending restoration.
- John FowlerJohn Fowler & Co.thumb|right|John Fowler & Co. [[steam roller]] of 1923John Fowler & Co Engineers of Leathley Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England produced traction engines and ploughing implements and equipment, as well as railway equipment. Fowler also produced the Track Marshall tractor which was a...
0-6-0DM No. RT1. Undergoing restoration. - Wickham 6947. Nearing end of restoration.
- HunsletHunslet Engine CompanyThe 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...
0-8-0DH, No.170 "Ebbw". Stored.
Diesel Multiple Units
- BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
DMCL W50632 operational. In BR Blue/Grey livery - BR Class 108 DMCL W52044 operational. In BR Blue/Grey livery
- BR Class 205British Rail Class 205The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
DMBS 60117 "Thumper" operational. In SR Green livery - BR Class 205British Rail Class 205The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
DTCL 60828 "Thumper" operational. In SR Green livery - BR Class 108 DMBS 51942. Undergoing restoration
- BR Class 108 DTCL 56270. Undergoing restoration
- BR Class 117 DMS 51351. operational. In green with cream 'whisker' livery
- BR Class 117 DMS 51397. operational. In green with cream 'whisker' livery
- BR Class 117British Rail Class 117The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
TCL 59520. Undergoing restoration
Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 411British Rail Class 411The British Rail Class 411 electrical multiple units were built at Eastleigh works from 1956-63 for the newly electrified main lines in Kent. These units were based on the earlier Southern Railway 4Cor design, built in 1937. They were replaced by Juniper units.-Description:A total of 133 units...
Unit number 1198 "Linda the Lymington Flyer" operational (3 carriage unit formed DMSA - TBC - DMSB for exclusive use on the Lymington Branch in Hampshire) Currently in blue livery with full yellow ends as carried previously when unit 7175. - BR Class 421British Rail Class 421The British Rail Class 421 electrical multiple units were built at BR York Works between 1964 and 1972. Units were built in two batches, and were initially introduced on services on the Brighton Main Line. Later units were introduced on services to Portsmouth. These units replaced older Southern...
Unit number 1399 undergoing restoration (now a 3 coach unit formed DTC - MBS - DTC, planned to be renumbered 1496)
Electro Diesel Locomotives
- BR Bo-Bo Class 73British Rail Class 73The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes...
Electro Diesel no. 73128 " OVS Bullied OBE" in EW&S Red and gold