Colne Valley Railway
| Colne Valley Railway | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Castle Hedingham station on the Colne Valley railway | |
| Coordinates | 51°59′48″N 0°34′47″E / 51.9966°N 0.5798°ECoordinates: 51°59′48″N 0°34′47″E / 51.9966°N 0.5798°E |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Colne Valley and Halstead Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1861/1863 |
| Closed | 1961 Passenger traffic 1965 Freight traffic |
| Preservation history | |
| 1973 | land purchase |
| 1974 | Preservation Society formed |
| Headquarters | Castle Hedingham Station |
The Colne Valley Railway is a heritage railway based at Castle Hedingham Station, near Halstead in Essex, England. The railway consists of a 1 mile (1.6 km)-long running line, with a fully reconstructed station, signal box and railway yard.
Contents |
History [edit]
The railway occupies part of the former Colne Valley and Halstead Railway (CVHR), which opened in stages between 16 April 1860 and 10 May 1863. This part of the railway was a through line from Birdbrook to Wakes Colne.
The line continued to remain open until 30 December 1961, when passenger traffic ended. In 1965, freight traffic ended and the line was demolished a year later.
Preservation [edit]
The land was purchased in 1973 and the preservation society was formed in 1974. The first steam locomotive to arrive on site was No.WD190 shortly followed by No.72. Members of the preservation society began to operate the locomotives on a short section of line, which developed into a tourist attraction.
Although originally a main line railway, the track was taken up in the late 60s, during the Beeching axe era, so when the railway was purchased there was no remaining infrastructure. The original Hedingham station was one mile away and was taken down carefully brick by brick. The bricks were numbered so that it could be easily and correctly reassembled on the preservation site.
The Hedingham signal box came from Cressing. The timber top half (first floor) was saved for preservation and remounted on a new higher (ground floor) brick base re-constructed for it. The bridge crossing the River Colne came from Earls Colne in 1982.
Despite its short length, the CVR is home to three ex-mainline steam locomotives and holds Pullman dining services on a monthly basis.
Possible future extension [edit]
In 2012, the site of the former Yeldham station was cleared of undergrowth for the provision of a path for walkers. This is the most likely location for an extension, which subject to raising suitable finance, would double the length of the line to 2 miles (3.2 km).
Motive power [edit]
Steam locomotives [edit]
- LMS 4-6-0 Class 5MT nos. 45163 and 45293. Both under restoration.
- SR 4-6-2 Merchant Navy Class no. 35010 "Blue Star". built in 1942. Static display awaiting restoration.
- WD 0-6-0ST "Austerity" no. 190. built in 1952. Operational
- Avonside 0-4-0ST "Barrington". built in 1921. Static display, awaiting overhaul.
- Hawthorne Leslie 0-4-0ST No 1. built in 1928. Static display.awaiting restoration
- RSH 0-6-0ST No 60 "Jupiter". built in 1950. Undergoing overhaul.
visiting locomotives [edit]
- Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST 'Little Barford. built in 1939. Operational
Diesel locomotives [edit]
- BR 0-6-0 Class 03 nos. D2041 and D2184 Both Operational
- BR A1A-A1A Class 31 no. 31255 Undergoing emergency repairs
- BR Co-Co Class 47 no. 47771 "Heaton Traincare Depot" (under long term restoration 2/9/2007)
- Royal Admiralty. Ruston&Hornsby 0-4-0 no. YD43. under restoration. (search RBRG on facebook for the latest news on Ruston YD43!)
- BR 0-6-0 British Rail Class 08, various Nos. None operational.
- Class 121 DMU, Operational
- Class 141 Pacer No. 141108,Non-operational - Undergoing Repairs
- 1950s diesel railbus, static display
- Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DM No. 349/41 Operational
Diesel multiple units [edit]
- BR Class 121 nos. 55033 and 54287 Operational
- BR Class 141 unit 141108 (55508+55528) Operational
- BR (Western) British rail Railbus Number. W79978. Static Display.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Colne Valley Railway |
- Colne Valley Railway website
- Historical details and website
- 1975 photos of the society's beginnings
- Ruston,Barrington restoration Group
CVR Cab-Ride [edit]
Youtube Channel [edit]
click above for the cvr youtube channel, link is operational
