Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway in Kent
is a gauge heritage railway
that operates from Sittingbourne
to the banks of The Swale
. The line was formerly owned by Bowater
, the paper making firm, and was used to carry raw materials and finished products between Ridham Dock and the company's two mills, one at Sittingbourne and the other at Kemsley.
In the late 1960s the railway faced closure by its owners but the Locomotive Club of Great Britain accepted an offer to operate the railway from 1970. The section of line from Kemsley Down to Ridham Dock was however abandoned for redevelopment of the paper mills.
In 2008-09, the line survived a threat of closure due to the owners of Sittingbourne Paper Mill closing the mill and selling the land, the lease then held by the railway expired in January 2009. Negotiations resulted in the railway being saved, although no public trains ran in 2009.
In September 2010, press reports announced the possibility that the railway would operate an anniversary service - over a short section between Kemsley Down Station and the Milton Regis Halt - to celebrate 40 years of operation. The service carried more than 700 passengers over several days during October, and a full service to Sittingbourne resumed in Spring 2011, once viaduct
repairs had been completed.
In the 1960s a time and motion study was undertaken by the owners, Bowaters UK, and the railway was deemed to be more expensive than road transport and was closed. However, Bowaters UK offered the main line, some of the locos and rolling stock of the railway to the Locomotive Club of Great Britain for preservation as a tourist railway. Other locomotives and rolling stock were sold to the Great Whipsnade Railway
and the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
. The SKLR is now the longest continuous operator of the Railway.
In January 2007, the Railway entered another era as M-real
closed Sittingbourne Paper Mill, however, as one door closes, another opens - Church Marshes Country Park now has a managing committee and will see the surrounding area between Milton Regis Halt and Kemsley Down being turned into a fully-fledged country park.
The railway is now operated by the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway and operates over almost two miles of the original main line from Sittingbourne Viaduct station to Kemsley Down station. It crosses one of the first and longest reinforced concrete viaducts in the world between Sittingbourne Viaduct and Milton Regis Halt stations.
The main fleet of locomotives worked the railway before it was preserved. "Barton Hall" was the first new arrival on the railway in over 25 years on long term loan and was eventually purchased by the Railway to assist with railway operations.
In 2005, the Railway had its first ever visit of a steam loco - 'Chevallier' returned to the railway after being sold to a new owner. She arrived at the Railway on a low loader days before the Centenary Celebrations and stayed on site until early 2006, when she was taken away for restoration. 'Chevallier' was originally built for the Admiralty's Chattenden & Upnor Railway before being sold to Bowaters for use on the Paper Railway, she then moved to the Great Whipsnade Railway
. Excelsior, Conqueror and Superior also moved to the Great Whipsnade Railway
when it officially opened in 1970.
The railway was closed to the public for the 2009 season, see "Closure threat" section below.
The railway attempted to buy the land it occupies. A bid of £1 was submitted in view of the high cost of removing asbestos
covered pipes alongside the line. The bid was rejected by M-real. English Heritage
is considering whether or not to list the 118-span Milton Regis Viaduct. As well as the railway, the future of three feral cat
s that live under the café at Sittingbourne was also threatened. It was announced at the National Railway Museum
on 4 September 2008 that the railway had won the 2008 Small Group award from the Heritage Railway Association
.
The Heritage Railway Association supported a bid to secure the railway, overseen by Julian Birley of the North Norfolk Railway
. Swale Borough Council
were also reported as backing the scheme. At a full meeting of Swale Borough Council on 17 September, General Manager Tony James's speech resulted in the council unanimously voting to support the railway in its fight to survive. Mr James accredited the Heritage Railway Association as influencing the decision of the council by their actions in giving the award. On 21 September, the railway was visited by Baron Faulkner, chairman of the Railway Heritage Committee, a statutory body which oversees the preservation of railway artefacts in the United Kingdom. Lord Faulkner has asked that the railway write to the Secretary of State for Transport
in a bid for powers to gain a Compulsory Purchase Order
which will enable the railway to buy the trackbed.
The line's "Farewell Gala" on 27–28 September was declared a massive success, with the timetable being abandoned after the first train on the Saturday and altogether on the Sunday. Around 600 passengers were carried each day. After pressure from local MP
Derek Wyatt
, a meeting was held on 7 October between the railway and M-real about the future of the railway. A screening of the film The Titfield Thunderbolt
took place at Sittingbourne on 16 November to raise money for the fighting fund.
In November 2008, the railway was contracted to remove asbestos
pipes from a 200 yards (183 m) section alongside the railway. On 12 November, Triumph was used to haul the train, just days before its boiler certificate expired.
It was revealed that the Government had been asked to use international diplomacy in the campaign to prevent closure. Lord Faulkner wrote to Lord Adonis
asking for intervention at inter-Government level with the Finnish Government
in an attempt to influence the decisions of Metsäliitto Group
, who own M-real, to resolve the situation. At a meeting of Swale Borough Council on 12 November, representatives of M-real and their land agents refused to alter their position over the line. The preferred bidder for the land which the line occupies is to be announced on December 18.
in November 2008, the railway carried commercial freight again. Some of the pipework that ran alongside the line was dismantled, and removed to Kemsley Down by rail as there was no road access. Triumph provided the motive power on 12 November as a one-off. The "last train" ran on 26 December, hauled by Triumph on her last day in service before her boiler certificate expired. It was driven by Keith Twyman, who had driven the first train when the SKLR opened. A power cut at Kemsley Down meant that some of the railway's staff were unable to access the railway, so an empty stock working was run to Sittingbourne to collect them. After the final public service had run, a members special was run. Although there had been no response from M-Real, the railway was planning a week of engineering work in mid-January and also to continue the restoration of Superb. It was reported that the railway was planning to run trains on the line even after the lease expired on 29 January. Swale Borough Council's portfolio holder for regeneration was authorised to continue negotiations with M-Real with a view to retaining the whole of the railway on its present site. It was reported that M-Real had offered to sell a half mile (800m) length of the line to the council, who could then lease it to SKLR. This was dismissed by the railway as being impracticable as there was no road access to the stretch of line.
Reports that the railway would continue to run after its lease had expired were dismissed as speculation as negotiations between SKLR, Swale Borough Council, developers and M-Real continued. It was announced on 24 March 2009 that negotiations had been concluded between SKLR and M-Real. A press release stated:-
The freehold of Kemsley Down station is held by D F Smith Ltd, owner of St Regis Paper. The viaduct and Sittingbourne station are part of the estate which D F Smith Ltd are purchasing from M-Real and the SKLR need to negotiate future use of these sites. The railway announced that no public trains will run for the 2009 season, although Melior appeared at a steam rally at Preston-next-Wingham, Kent on 27 and 28 June, running on temporary track. Melior was also in action at Preston-next-Wingham on 1 January 2010.
In January 2010 it was reported that the railway was operating security trains over the line for M-Real in a bid to deter thieves from stealing metal for scrap. Three travellers received burns when they tried to steal live electricity cables from the viaduct at Milton Regis
. The large pipeline which carries water at high pressure between Sittingbourne and Kemsley mills had also been damaged in an attempted theft.
Landlord D S Smith, owners of the Kemsley site have agreed to allow the SKLR to retain use of the site. As of January 2010, the station at Sittingbourne and the viaduct had not found a buyer.
At the start of September 2010, it was announced that the Railway would briefly reopen in October, running a series of passenger train specials on the 24th, 27th, 30th and 31 October 2010. A number of volunteer work days were organised to prepare the line for these specials, and over 700 passengers were carried between Milton Regis and Kemsley Down. The line then closed again for ongoing maintenance, mainly to the viaduct, with the intention of re-opening a full service between Sittingbourne Viaduct and Kemsley Down stations from March 2011 onwards.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
is a gauge 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...
that operates from Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...
to the banks of The Swale
The Swale
The name The Swale refers to the strip of sea separating North Kent from the Isle of Sheppey.- History :The name "Swale" is Old English in origin, and is believed to mean "swirling, rushing river", or "rushing water"....
. The line was formerly owned by Bowater
Bowater
Bowater was an American pulp and paper company based in Greenville, South Carolina. Bowater had 12 pulp and paper mills in the United States, Canada and South Korea and 13 North American sawmills. It had approximately 10,000 employees...
, the paper making firm, and was used to carry raw materials and finished products between Ridham Dock and the company's two mills, one at Sittingbourne and the other at Kemsley.
In the late 1960s the railway faced closure by its owners but the Locomotive Club of Great Britain accepted an offer to operate the railway from 1970. The section of line from Kemsley Down to Ridham Dock was however abandoned for redevelopment of the paper mills.
In 2008-09, the line survived a threat of closure due to the owners of Sittingbourne Paper Mill closing the mill and selling the land, the lease then held by the railway expired in January 2009. Negotiations resulted in the railway being saved, although no public trains ran in 2009.
In September 2010, press reports announced the possibility that the railway would operate an anniversary service - over a short section between Kemsley Down Station and the Milton Regis Halt - to celebrate 40 years of operation. The service carried more than 700 passengers over several days during October, and a full service to Sittingbourne resumed in Spring 2011, once viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
repairs had been completed.
History
In 1905, the horse-drawn tramway operating around the paper mill was upgraded to steam operation with the purchase of two steam locomotives - Premier and Leader - which celebrated their 100th birthday in 2005. Other locomotives were bought for use on the railway as the network expanded.In the 1960s a time and motion study was undertaken by the owners, Bowaters UK, and the railway was deemed to be more expensive than road transport and was closed. However, Bowaters UK offered the main line, some of the locos and rolling stock of the railway to the Locomotive Club of Great Britain for preservation as a tourist railway. Other locomotives and rolling stock were sold to the Great Whipsnade Railway
Great Whipsnade Railway
The Great Whipsnade Railway, also known as The Jumbo Express, is a gauge narrow gauge heritage railway that operates within Whipsnade Zoo.-Overview:...
and the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway in Powys, Wales. The line is around long and runs westwards from the town of Welshpool via Castle Caereinion to the village of Llanfair Caereinion. The track gauge is ....
. The SKLR is now the longest continuous operator of the Railway.
In January 2007, the Railway entered another era as M-real
M-real
M-real Corporation is a Finnish paper and pulp company. It was originally established by G.A. Serlachius, and named Metsä-Serla . The brand Serla is an M-real brand. M-real's slogan is "make it real"....
closed Sittingbourne Paper Mill, however, as one door closes, another opens - Church Marshes Country Park now has a managing committee and will see the surrounding area between Milton Regis Halt and Kemsley Down being turned into a fully-fledged country park.
Preservation
The railway is now operated by the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway and operates over almost two miles of the original main line from Sittingbourne Viaduct station to Kemsley Down station. It crosses one of the first and longest reinforced concrete viaducts in the world between Sittingbourne Viaduct and Milton Regis Halt stations.
The main fleet of locomotives worked the railway before it was preserved. "Barton Hall" was the first new arrival on the railway in over 25 years on long term loan and was eventually purchased by the Railway to assist with railway operations.
In 2005, the Railway had its first ever visit of a steam loco - 'Chevallier' returned to the railway after being sold to a new owner. She arrived at the Railway on a low loader days before the Centenary Celebrations and stayed on site until early 2006, when she was taken away for restoration. 'Chevallier' was originally built for the Admiralty's Chattenden & Upnor Railway before being sold to Bowaters for use on the Paper Railway, she then moved to the Great Whipsnade Railway
Great Whipsnade Railway
The Great Whipsnade Railway, also known as The Jumbo Express, is a gauge narrow gauge heritage railway that operates within Whipsnade Zoo.-Overview:...
. Excelsior, Conqueror and Superior also moved to the Great Whipsnade Railway
Great Whipsnade Railway
The Great Whipsnade Railway, also known as The Jumbo Express, is a gauge narrow gauge heritage railway that operates within Whipsnade Zoo.-Overview:...
when it officially opened in 1970.
The railway was closed to the public for the 2009 season, see "Closure threat" section below.
Closure threat
It was announced on the Meridian Television local news on 22 August 2008 that the railway was expected to close at the end of the year. The last public train was scheduled to depart Sittingbourne Viaduct at 14:00 on 26 December 2008, although the operating company were hoping that negotiations to keep the railway open into the future might be successful.The railway attempted to buy the land it occupies. A bid of £1 was submitted in view of the high cost of removing asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
covered pipes alongside the line. The bid was rejected by M-real. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
is considering whether or not to list the 118-span Milton Regis Viaduct. As well as the railway, the future of three feral cat
Feral cat
A feral cat is a descendant of a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild; the offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.In many parts of...
s that live under the café at Sittingbourne was also threatened. It was announced at the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
on 4 September 2008 that the railway had won the 2008 Small Group award from the Heritage Railway Association
Heritage Railway Association
The Heritage Railways Association is an umbrella organisation representing the majority of the heritage and tourist railways, railway museums, steam centres and railway preservation groups in the UK and Ireland....
.
The Heritage Railway Association supported a bid to secure the railway, overseen by Julian Birley of the North Norfolk Railway
North Norfolk Railway
The North Norfolk Railway – also known as the "Poppy Line" – is a heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the coastal town of Sheringham and Holt, It cuts through the countryside to the east of Weybourne with views of its windmill and passes through the well preserved country...
. Swale Borough Council
Swale
Swale is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its council is based in Sittingbourne. The borough is named after the narrow channel called The Swale, a channel that separates the mainland of Kent from the Isle of Sheppey, and which occupies the central part of the...
were also reported as backing the scheme. At a full meeting of Swale Borough Council on 17 September, General Manager Tony James's speech resulted in the council unanimously voting to support the railway in its fight to survive. Mr James accredited the Heritage Railway Association as influencing the decision of the council by their actions in giving the award. On 21 September, the railway was visited by Baron Faulkner, chairman of the Railway Heritage Committee, a statutory body which oversees the preservation of railway artefacts in the United Kingdom. Lord Faulkner has asked that the railway write to the Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
in a bid for powers to gain a Compulsory Purchase Order
Compulsory purchase order
A compulsory purchase order is a legal function in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that allows certain bodies which need to obtain land or property to do so without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for public betterment - for...
which will enable the railway to buy the trackbed.
The line's "Farewell Gala" on 27–28 September was declared a massive success, with the timetable being abandoned after the first train on the Saturday and altogether on the Sunday. Around 600 passengers were carried each day. After pressure from local MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Derek Wyatt
Derek Wyatt
Derek Murray Wyatt FRSA is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Sittingbourne and Sheppey from 1997 to 2010, having previously been a councillor in the London Borough of Haringey.-Early life:...
, a meeting was held on 7 October between the railway and M-real about the future of the railway. A screening of the film The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Titfield Thunderbolt is a 1953 British comedy film about a group of villagers trying to prevent British Railways from closing the fictional Titfield branch line. The film was written by T.E.B...
took place at Sittingbourne on 16 November to raise money for the fighting fund.
In November 2008, the railway was contracted to remove asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
pipes from a 200 yards (183 m) section alongside the railway. On 12 November, Triumph was used to haul the train, just days before its boiler certificate expired.
It was revealed that the Government had been asked to use international diplomacy in the campaign to prevent closure. Lord Faulkner wrote to Lord Adonis
Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis
Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis is a British academic, journalist, Labour Party politician and Life Peer, who was Secretary of State for Transport between 2009-2010....
asking for intervention at inter-Government level with the Finnish Government
Government of Finland
Finland is a republic with a representative democracy governed accordingly to the principles of parliamentarism. Legislative power is vested in the Parliament of Finland . Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet, officially termed Council of State , which is led by the Prime Minister, the Head...
in an attempt to influence the decisions of Metsäliitto Group
Metsäliitto
Metsäliitto Group is a Finnish forest industry group present in about 30 countries. The Group's five business areas are Wood Supply, Wood Products, Pulp, Board and Paper,Tissue and Cooking Papers...
, who own M-real, to resolve the situation. At a meeting of Swale Borough Council on 12 November, representatives of M-real and their land agents refused to alter their position over the line. The preferred bidder for the land which the line occupies is to be announced on December 18.
in November 2008, the railway carried commercial freight again. Some of the pipework that ran alongside the line was dismantled, and removed to Kemsley Down by rail as there was no road access. Triumph provided the motive power on 12 November as a one-off. The "last train" ran on 26 December, hauled by Triumph on her last day in service before her boiler certificate expired. It was driven by Keith Twyman, who had driven the first train when the SKLR opened. A power cut at Kemsley Down meant that some of the railway's staff were unable to access the railway, so an empty stock working was run to Sittingbourne to collect them. After the final public service had run, a members special was run. Although there had been no response from M-Real, the railway was planning a week of engineering work in mid-January and also to continue the restoration of Superb. It was reported that the railway was planning to run trains on the line even after the lease expired on 29 January. Swale Borough Council's portfolio holder for regeneration was authorised to continue negotiations with M-Real with a view to retaining the whole of the railway on its present site. It was reported that M-Real had offered to sell a half mile (800m) length of the line to the council, who could then lease it to SKLR. This was dismissed by the railway as being impracticable as there was no road access to the stretch of line.
Reports that the railway would continue to run after its lease had expired were dismissed as speculation as negotiations between SKLR, Swale Borough Council, developers and M-Real continued. It was announced on 24 March 2009 that negotiations had been concluded between SKLR and M-Real. A press release stated:-
In January 2010 it was reported that the railway was operating security trains over the line for M-Real in a bid to deter thieves from stealing metal for scrap. Three travellers received burns when they tried to steal live electricity cables from the viaduct at Milton Regis
Milton Regis
Milton Regis is a village in the district of Swale in Kent, England. It has a population of about 5,100. Today it is a suburb of Sittingbourne although this has not always been the case. Milton Regis has a much older and richer history...
. The large pipeline which carries water at high pressure between Sittingbourne and Kemsley mills had also been damaged in an attempted theft.
Landlord D S Smith, owners of the Kemsley site have agreed to allow the SKLR to retain use of the site. As of January 2010, the station at Sittingbourne and the viaduct had not found a buyer.
At the start of September 2010, it was announced that the Railway would briefly reopen in October, running a series of passenger train specials on the 24th, 27th, 30th and 31 October 2010. A number of volunteer work days were organised to prepare the line for these specials, and over 700 passengers were carried between Milton Regis and Kemsley Down. The line then closed again for ongoing maintenance, mainly to the viaduct, with the intention of re-opening a full service between Sittingbourne Viaduct and Kemsley Down stations from March 2011 onwards.
Locomotives
| Name | Builder | Wheel arrangement | Works Number | Built | Notes | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | W.G. Bagnall W.G. Bagnall W. G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962 when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford... |
0-6-2T 0-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
2472 | 1932 | On display at Kemsley Down |  |
| Leader | Kerr Stuart | 0-4-2ST 0-4-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
926 | 1905 | Originally numbered 2. Under restoration. |
 |
| Melior | Kerr Stuart | 0-4-2ST | 4219 | 1924 | In service. |  |
| Premier | Kerr Stuart | 0-4-2ST | 886 | 1905 | Originally numbered 1. Awaiting restoration. |
 |
| Superb | W.G. Bagnall | 0-6-2T | 2624 | 1922 | Under restoration. |  |
| Triumph | W.G. Bagnall | 0-6-2T | 2511 | 1934 | Out of service, boiler certificate expired. |  |
| Unique | W.G. Bagnall | 2-4-0 2-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels.... F |
2216 | 1924 | A rare narrow gauge fireless locomotive Bagnall fireless locomotives (preserved) Six Bagnall fireless locomotives have been preserved in Great Britain. This is a surprisingly large number since W. G. Bagnall of Stafford, England, built only 14 fireless locomotives in total.... . On static display at Kemsley Down station |
 |
| Victor | Hudson 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... |
4wDM | 4182 | 1953 | In Service. |  |
| Edward Lloyd | Ruston & Hornsby | 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... DM |
435403 | 1961 | In service. Converted to Ivor the Engine Ivor the Engine Ivor the Engine is a British children's animation by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin's Smallfilms company. It is a children's television series relating the adventures of a small green locomotive who lived in the "top left-hand corner of Wales" and worked for The Merioneth and Llantisilly Railway... replica. Arrived from the Great Whipsnade Railway Great Whipsnade Railway The Great Whipsnade Railway, also known as The Jumbo Express, is a gauge narrow gauge heritage railway that operates within Whipsnade Zoo.-Overview:... in 1972. |
|
| Barton Hall | 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... |
4wDH | 6651 | 1965 | In service. |  |
| No 1 | Andrew Barclay and Sons | 0-4-0F | 1876 | 1925 | Static exhibit at Kemsley Down. 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... , ex Northfleet Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. Its name is derived from North creek , and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201... Paper Mill, retired 1979. |
 |
| No 3, Bear | Peckett and Sons 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... |
0-4-0ST | 614 | 1896 | Static exhibit at Kemsley Down. Standard gauge, ex Colvilles Ltd, Mossend Mossend Mossend is a town on the A775, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, to the east of its larger sister town, Bellshill, and near to the Strathclyde Country Park.... , retired in 1967. Oldest surviving standard gauge Peckett locomotive. |
 |
See also
- British narrow gauge railwaysBritish narrow gauge railwaysThere were more than a thousand British narrow gauge railways ranging from large, historically significant common carriers to small, short-lived industrial railways...
- Bowaters Paper RailwayBowaters Paper RailwayThe Bowaters Paper Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway. It had the distinction of being the last steam-operated industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain when it closed in 1969.-History:...
- Welshpool and Llanfair Light RailwayWelshpool and Llanfair Light RailwayThe Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway in Powys, Wales. The line is around long and runs westwards from the town of Welshpool via Castle Caereinion to the village of Llanfair Caereinion. The track gauge is ....
- Great Whipsnade RailwayGreat Whipsnade RailwayThe Great Whipsnade Railway, also known as The Jumbo Express, is a gauge narrow gauge heritage railway that operates within Whipsnade Zoo.-Overview:...
- Phyllis Rampton TrustPhyllis Rampton TrustThe Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust is a British charity which is registered with the British Charity Commission as 292240 under the classification of "Education/TrainingEnvironment/Conservation/Heritage"...