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List of British private narrow-gauge railways

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Many private individuals in Great Britain own collections of narrow-gauge railway equipment or operate short railways. These railways are generally not open to the public, but often contain historically significant rolling stock or other items.

Private collections

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
D.L. Walker private collection[1] 1970 1985? 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) Minsterley, England Static storage of quarry Hunslet Dorothea
F. Stapleton private collection[2] ? after 1987 2 ft (610 mm) Newbury, England 4wDM locomotive in storage
I. Gunn private collection[2] ? after 1987 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) Bristol, England 4wBE locomotive in storage
Ian Jolly private collection[1] 1976 Present various Mold, Wales A private collection of narrow-gauge locomotives, including a 1/4 mile line.
J. Hampton private collection[2] ? after 1987 3 ft (914 mm) Fenstanton, England 4wDM locomotive in storage
J. Thomas private collection[1][2] before 1981 after 1987 2 ft (610 mm) Bletchley, England A private collection of narrow-gauge locomotives ex-Oxstead Greystone Lime
M.A.G. Jacobs private collection[2] ? after 1987 2 ft (610 mm) Long Eaton, England One 4wPM, one 4wDM locomotive
M. Capron private collection[2] ? after 1987 2 ft (610 mm) Bristol, England 4wDM locomotive in storage
Pallot private collection[2] ? after 1987 2 ft (610 mm) Jersey, Channel Islands Two 4wDM locomotives
Pengally Farm[1] ? after 1987 [2] 2 ft (610 mm) Callington, England Private collection of narrow-gauge locomotives
Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust ? Present Various gauges Surrey, England Test track a private location near Godalming, Surrey. The trust owns the Vale of Rheidol Railway in Wales
Ray Maslen collection[3] ? present? 2 ft (610 mm) Arlesey, England
R.J. Harrison private collection[1] before 1981 ? 2 ft (610 mm) Carlisle, England Private collection of narrow-gauge locomotives

Private railways

Name Opened Closed Gauge Length Location Notes
Beeches Light Railway 2004[4] 2023 2 ft (610 mm) 1 mile (1.6 km) Steeple Aston, England, A figure of eight layout in Adrian Shooter's garden, operated with the steam locomotive DHR 778.
Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway 1970s 2 ft (610 mm) 1⁄2 mile near Maidstone, England A short line laid across fields surrounding a private house, open for charity events one Sunday each month during the summer.
Bromyard and Linton Light Railway 1968[5] present 2 ft (610 mm) 1 mile (1.6 km) Bromyard, England A short line laid on the trackbed of the standard gauge former GWR Worcester-Bromyard branch.
Cadeby Light Railway[1] 1962 2005 2 ft (610 mm) 97 yards Hinckley, England A short line and collection of rolling stock running round the rectory garden. Assembled by the late Reverend Teddy Boston, the line was closed in 2005.
Cheltenham Light Railway[1] ? ? 2 ft (610 mm) ? Cheltenham, England A short private line, not open to the public
Creekmoor Light Railway[6] 1967 1973[7] 2 ft (610 mm) Fleetsbridge, Poole, England Technically an agricultural railway, its main use was for private passenger trains. Used a small collection of Motor Rail diesel locomotives and Orenstein & Koppel 9239 0-6-0WT locomotive Fojo.[7]
Crockway Light Railway[6] 1973[7] 1979 2 ft (610 mm) Maiden Newton, England Built using the track and rolling stock of the Creekmoor Light Railway.
Derbyshire Dales Narrow Gauge Railway 1990 2018 2 ft (610 mm) Unknown Rowsley South railway station, Peak Rail Private railway at, but separate from, Peak Rail. Rail lifted 2018-2019. Some of the trackbed to be used by The Ashover Light Railway Society's new running line.
Eynsford Light Railway[8] ? present 2 ft (610 mm) Eynsford, England Short private line in Kent, with ex-Provan Gas Works steam locomotive
Gartell Light Railway[6][9] 1984 Present 2 ft (610 mm) 3⁄4 mile Templecombe, England Private railway with occasional open days
Great Bush Railway[10] 1971 Present 2 ft (610 mm) 1⁄4 mile Hadlow Down, England Private railway with occasional open days
Hindlip and District Light Railway[11] 1959 1971 2 ft (610 mm) 100 yards Brockamin, England Built by Alan Maund to run Kerr Stuart 3114.
Isle of Thanet Light Railway[12] 1995 Present 2 ft (610 mm) 300 yards Isle of Thanet, England A short private line, not open to the public
Inny Valley Railway[1][13] 1968 1987 1 ft 10+3⁄4 in (578 mm) 400 yards Launceston, England A short private line, not open to the public. ex-Dinorwic Bagnall locomotive Sybil was located here.
Oldberrow Light Railway[1] ? before 2002 2 ft (610 mm) ? Henley-in-Arden, England A short private line, not open to the public
Penton Light Railway[1] 1981 ? 2 ft (610 mm) ? Penton, England
Richmond Light Railway[14] 2015 Present 2 ft (610 mm) 730 yards (670 m) Kent, England Extensive "garden" railway with eight steam and three internal combustion locomotives
Rheilffordd Llechi Sir Caernarfon 2004 present 1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm) Gwynedd, Wales Private railway
Ripon and District Light Railway[15] 1984 present 2 ft (610 mm) ½ mile Ripon, England Private railway moving building materials around a housing estate. Uses extremely light track and Lister locomotives
Southfield House Railway 2004 Present 2 ft (610 mm) 2 Miles Louth, England A short private garden line, open to the public on special open days [16]
Statfold Barn Railway ? present 2 ft (610 mm) and 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Staffordshire, England An extensive collection of restored narrow-gauge locomotives running on several miles of track. The railway hosts several open days each year.
Stevington and Turvey Light Railway[3] ? 2014 2 ft (610 mm) Turvey, England A short line laid on the trackbed of a former standard gauge branch from Bedford. Closed due to vandalism in 2014 and the stock and rails moved to Woburn in Bedfordshire.
Surrey Light Railway[17][18] 1976 2000 1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm) ? Hersham, England Fully signalled private line with one steam locomotive, several 4wDMs and 2 4wBEs. Most of the stock went to the Great Bush Railway on closure. From there the stock moved to Rheilffordd Llechi Sir Caernarfon.
Tiny Tramway Mining Company[6] 1991 1995 2 ft (610 mm) and 18 in (457 mm) ? Corfe Mullen, England Locomotive-worked garden railway with a working mine shaft and adit for sand extraction.
Tucking Mill Tramway[1] ? 1987 2 ft (610 mm) ? Midford, England A short private line
Umberslade Light Railway[1] ? ? 2 ft (610 mm) ? Hockly Heath, England A short private line, not open to the public
Vobster Light Railway[6] 1991 1994 2 ft (610 mm) 1⁄4 mile Vobster, England Diesel locomotive worked short line connecting with the trackbed of the standard gauge Newbury Railway
Wootton Railway 2009 Present 2 ft (610 mm) ? Northampton, England A short private garden line, not open to the public
Wychbold Railway[11] 1963 1970 2 ft (610 mm) 1/2 mile Droitwich, England Built by Graham Mullis to run 0-4-0WT locomotive Eigiau purchased from Penrhyn quarry. Steam locomotives Una (Hunslet 873), Diana (Kerr Stuart 1158) and Mesozoic (Peckett 1327) were also located here, but did not run.
Wychwood Railway[11] 1965 1970 2 ft (610 mm) 1/2 mile Leamington Spa, England Brian Goodchild's private railway featuring Baguley 774, Motor Rail 8575, Hunslet 2207 and Lister 41545.

References

  1. Crumbleholme, Roger & Kirtland, Terry (1981). steam '81. George Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-04-385082-0.
  2. Bryant, R.S. (ed.) (1987). Industrial Locomotives, including preserved and minor railway locomotives. Industrial Railway Society. ISBN 0901096555. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. Compiled by Dave Holroyde & Lawson Little (2003). Annual Guide to Narrow Gauge and Miniature Railways in the British Isles and Ireland: 2003. Narrow Gauge Railway Society.
  4. Sinha, Kounteya (18 September 2014). "Love for Darjeeling toy train makes Briton buys off world's oldest surviving locomotive". Times of India. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  5. "BBC Hereford and Worcester article on Bromyard railways".
  6. Mitchell, Vic & Smith, Keith (2006). Dorset and Somerset Narrow Gauge. Middleton Press. ISBN 1904474764.
  7. "Creekmoor Light Railwaway, Poole, Dorset" (PDF). Narrow Gauge News. No. 83. The Narrow Gauge Railway Society. June 1983.
  8. Stuart Chapman (1 July 2017). Eynsford Light Railway (YouTube). Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  9. "Gartell Light Railway web site".
  10. "Tinkerspark web site".
  11. Quine, Dan (March 2015). "Private railways of the West Midlands in the 1960s". Narrow Gauge World.
  12. "Locomotive Elsa of the IoTLR".
  13. Dart, Maurice (2005). Cornwall narrow gauge including the Camborne & Redruth tramway. Middleton Press. ISBN 190447456X.
  14. James, Jonathan (May 2021). Narrow Gauge Railways London and South East England. Narrow Gauge Railway Society.
  15. "Ripon and District Light Railway website".
  16. brokenlashes (6 July 2017). SHLR - A trip around the largest private railway in the UK (YouTube).
  17. Mitchell, Vic & Smith, Kevin (2003). Surrey Narrow Gauge including South London. Middleton Press. ISBN 1901706877.
  18. Mitchell, Vic & Smith, Keith (2004). Hampshire Narrow Gauge including the Isle of Wight. Middleton Press. ISBN 1904474365.

See also