Dean Forest Railway

Dean Forest Railway
9681 north of Lydney Junction station
Commercial operations
Original gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Stations	5 open
Length	4.25 miles (6.8 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Commercial history
Preservation history

Dean Forest Railway

Legend Severn and Wye Railway   Parkend Station Crossing Parkend  Whitemead Park Crossing Oakenwood No.3 Crossing Oakenwood No.2 Crossing Oakenwood No.1 Crossing Grove Road Crossing Whitecroft Crossing B4234 Whitecroft  Mineral Loop on S&WR Tufts Bridge over River Lyd S&WR to Princess Royal Colliery Tufts Junction Norchard High Level/Low Level  Middle Forge Crossing Middle Forge Junction  Lydney High Street B4234 Lydney Town St Mary's Halt  Pidcock's Canal Lydney Bypass Crossing over A48 River Lyd Lydney Junction Link Road Lydney Junction for Gloucester to Newport Line

The Railways of Lydney

Legend For canal icons used below, please refer to waterways legend instead. Dean Forest Railway Mineral Loop on Severn and Wye Railway Parkhill Colliery Tufts Junction Tinworks Tufts Bridge Norchard High Level Norchard Low Level Middle Forge Junction Engine Shed Severn Bridge Tunnel Lydney Town Severn Bridge St Mary's Halt Lydney Junction Lydney Gloucester to Newport Line Lydney Harbour Branch Pidcock's Canal Forges Lydney Canal Lower Docks Upper Docks River Severn Severn Railway Bridge (Dismantled 1970) Swing bridge over Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Locks onto River Severn River Severn Severn Bridge Railway

The Dean Forest Railway is a 4.25-mile (6.8 km) long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and bought the trackbed and line from British Rail in 1986. Services were extended from Norchard to Lydney Lakeside in 1991, Lydney Junction in 1995/96, Tufts Junction in 2001, and to Whitecroft in 2003. HM Railway Inspectorate approval for the section to Parkend was granted in December 2005. Trains are operated by both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, and heritage diesel multiple units.

The Dean Forest railway has recently been given the former GWR signal box that stood slightly to the east of Codsall station in Staffordshire. Its removal was completed in July 2007, and will be placed at Whitecroft railway station.

There are plans to extend operations a further 2+¹⁄₂ miles (4.0 km) towards Speech House (located in the middle of the Royal Forest) via Coleford Junction and Bisclade Wharf once current projects are complete and funding obtained.

Stations and junctions

• Lydney Junction (Terminus)
• St Mary's Halt
• Lydney Town
• Middle Forge Junction – Line spilts into High and Low Levels. No Station.
  • Norchard Low Level (Terminus)
• Norchard High Level - includes a railway museum
• Tufts Junction – Historic junction with disused mineral loop and freight branch.
• Whitecroft (Not open – station under construction)
• Parkend (Current Terminus)

Future Extension

• Bisclade Wharf
• Speech House Road

Locomotives

• 

  1450 and Autocoach 178 at Norchard Low Level

• 

  1450 passes through Oakenwood, just north of Whitecroft

• 

  9681 sits at Parkend

• 

  Preserved Class 25, D7633, on the Dean Forest Railway at Lydney Junction Diesel Depot Headshunt, near St. Mary's Halt

• 

  Class 73 number E6001, restored at Lydney, 7 May 2007

Steam

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery
No. 1450	GWR 0-4-2T 1400 Class	Operational	GWR Green
No. 5538	GWR 2-6-2T 4575 Class	Undergoing restoration	N/A
No. 5541	GWR 2-6-2T 4575 Class	Undergoing overhaul; due to return in 2012[citation needed]	N/A
No. 9681	BR(W) 0-6-0PT 5700 Class	Operational	BR Black (Early Emblem)
No. 2147 Uskmouth 1	Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST	Static display	Light Green
No. 2221	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST	Stored	N/A
No. 3806 "Wilbert"	Austerity Saddle Tank Engine 0-6-0ST	Undergoing overhaul	Dark Blue
No. 3823 "Warrior"	Austerity Saddle Tank Engine 0-6-0ST	Undergoing restoration	N/A

Bill Parker's GWR 2-6-2T 4575 Class number 5521 is currently on loan to the DFR working service trains.

Diesel and electric

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery
No. 5622 "Don Corbett"	Hunslet 0-4-0 Diesel Shunter	is complete and not being used
No. 6688 "Salty"	Hunslet 0-4-0 Diesel Shunter	6688 arrived from the Barry Island Railway in January 2009 and operational.	Red with Yellow ends and Wasp-Stripes
"Pluto"	Hibberd 0-4-0 Diesel Mechanical Shunter	Operational	Green
No. 08238 (13308) "Charlie"	BR 0-6-0 Class 08	Back in service after a heavy overhaul - Operational	BR Blue with Wasp Stripes
No. 08473	BR 0-6-0 Class 08	Spare parts donor	BR Blue
No. 08734	BR 0-6-0 Class 08	Undergoing a rebuild with parts from 08473	BR Blue
no. D9521	BR 0-6-0 Class 14	Operational	BR Green
No. D9555	BR 0-6-0 Class 14	Failed - Frost damage; on long-term loan from Rutland Railway Museum	BR Green
No. D7633	BR Bo-Bo Class 25	Stored awaiting overhaul; leaking header tank	BR Two-Tone Green
No. 27066	BR Bo-Bo Class 27	Operational	BR Blue
No. D5634/31210	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Undergoing restoration	N/A
No. 31466	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Operational	EWS Maroon/Gold
No. 37263	BR Co-Co Class 37	Undergoing restoration	BR Blue
No. E6001	BR Bo-Bo Class 73	Operational	BR Green
No. 73002	BR Bo-Bo Class 73	Static display/Spare parts donor for E6001	BR Large Logo Blue
No. E50619	BR Class 108 DMBS	Operational	BR Green
No. M51566	BR Class 108 DMCL	Undergoing restoration	BR Blue/Grey
No. M51914	BR Class 108 DMBS	Operational	BR Green
No. M50933/M53933	BR Class 108 DMBS	Sold to Severn Valley Railway	BR Green
No. M56492	BR Class 108 DTCL	Operational	BR Green
No. M59387	BR Class 108 TSL	Undergoing restoration	BR Green
Unit No. 1392	BR Class 421(4-CIG)	Stored - Heavily vandalised - Spare parts donor	South West Trains
Unit No.1499	BR Class 421(4-CIG)	Undergoing restoration	South West Trains/Southern Region Malachite Green

Coaches

Great Western Railway Coaching Stock

Design	Type	Number	Status	Livery	Notes
Collett	Autocoach	178	Operational	Chocolate and Cream	Often paired with 0-4-2T No. 1450 and spends time away at gala events
Hawksworth	Autocoach	W238	Operational	Maroon	Formerly at the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway where it carried the name "Charlotte", now carries "Chaffinch"
Collett Standard	TK	5813	Static	Chocolate and Cream	Used as sales coach to raise funds for 0-6-0PT No. 9681
Collett Standard	TK	5863	Static	Chocolate and Cream	Used as volunteer accommodation coach
Collett Standard	TK	5848	Stored	Unpainted	Stored at Lydney Jcn
Hawksworth (but to Collet Standard outline)	Inspection Saloon	W80943	Out of Traffic	Chocolate and Cream	Axle box issues

British Railways Coaching Stock

• Special Coaches

• BR Mk1 RBR M1665 'Rosie' – Part of Dining Set (In Service)
• BR Mk1 RMB 1829 – part of Dining Set (In Service)
• XP64 Coach TSO 4729 (Sheeted over)
• XP64 Coach FK 13407 (Sheeted over)

• Normal Passenger BR Mk1 Coaches

• BR Mk1 RMB W1803
• BR Mk1 TSO W4862, W4890, W4891, W4923
• BR Mk1 BSOT W9003
• BR Mk1 FK 13317
• BR Mk1 BCK W21129 and 21247
• BR Mk1 BSK 34742
• BR Mk1 BG 92387

Plus a number of other coaches including a few at Lydney Jcn, in the DFDA siding; Norchard – Plate-layers Buffet, in the yard (including GWR Coaches, stored) and the 9681 shop.

Coach type codes

• BCK – Brake Composite Corridor
• BSK – Brake Standard Corridor
• BSOT – Brake Standard Open (Micro-Buffet)
• RMB – Restaurant Miniature Buffet
• RBR – Restaurant Buffet Refurbished
• TSO – Tourist Standard Open
• BG – Full brake gangway

External links

• Dean Forest Railway homepage
• Historical site
• Dean Forest Diesel Association