List of British private narrow-gauge railways

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For a list of passenger-carrying narrow-gauge railways, see British narrow-gauge railways.

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Crumbleholme, Roger & Kirtland, Terry (1981). steam '81. George Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-04-385082-0.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d e Mitchell, Vic & Smith, Keith (2006). Dorset and Somerset Narrow Gauge. Middleton Press. ISBN 1904474764.
  7. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b c 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[edit]

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