Exmoor Steam Railway
The Exmoor Steam Railway is a narrow gauge steam railway and locomotive manufacturer, located at Bratton Fleming in North Devon.
12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) gauge
The railway was built by the Stirland family and first opened as a tourist attraction in August 1990. At this time the railway ran in a circuit from the main station at Exmoor Central, trains descending on a large embankment before climbing back up through a spiral tunnel. In 1996 a new station was opened at Cape of Good Hope, which changed the line to an "end-to-end" layout. At the end of the 2001 season, the decision was taken to close the railway to the public and concentrate on building new steam locomotives and associated equipment. The railway remains in full working order, and work started in the winter 2008/9 on extending the railway. By mid-2010 an additional 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) of track had been brought into use, with a very steep ascending and descending ruling gradients of 1 in 28.
1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) gauge
During the 1990s, a number of 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) gauge Beyer Garratt articulated locomotives from South Africa arrived on site and were displayed. One locomotive was sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 2006, whilst another has been under long-term restoration. Over the winter 2008/9 work started on constructing around 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) of 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in gauge railway to run the Garratts on.
Locomotives
| Name | Builder | Type | Number | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglo Franco Belge | 2-8-2 | 2685 | 1955 | S.A.R. NG15 | |
| Beyer Peacock | 2-6-2+2-6-2T | 115 | 1939 | S.A.R. NGG16 | |
| Hanomag | 2-6-2+2-6-2T | 77 | 1928 | S.A.R. NGG13, repainted in Dark Blue livery 2010 | |
| Eddy | Hunslet | 4wDH | 9336 | 1946 | Now at Exbury Gardens after re-gauging to 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) |
| Motor Rail | 4wDM | 8856 | 1944 |
Engineering works
Since the railway opened, there has been a large workshop on site, which was used to build all the locomotives and equipment used on the railway. In 2001, the decision was taken to close the railway as a tourist attraction and concentrate on the manufacture of miniature and narrow gauge railway equipment.
Exmoor Steam Railway builds several new steam locomotives a year, as well as rolling stock and also advise on the setup and expansion of miniature and narrow gauge railways. Exmoor is a member of Britain's Great Little Railways and has supplied locomotives to many other members who operate public miniature and narrow gauge railways.
Locomotives Constructed
| Identity | Works Number | Type | Gauge | Year Built | Operator | Status | Notes | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cricor | 0-4-2T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 1999 | Dibleys Nurseries Railway | [1] | ||||
| Phalaenopsis | 2-4-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2008 | Mortocombe Miniature Railway | [1] | ||||
| John-Remy | 0-6-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 1991 | Beale Railway | [1] | ||||
| George | 0-4-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2010 | Poole Park Railway | [1] | ||||
| Samastipur now named Jools | 0-4-2T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 1999 | Beer Heights Light Railway | Major rebuild by B.H.L.R completed in 2018 | [2] | |||
| Yeo Valley | 190 | 2-8-0T | 1990 | Withdrawn from service and dismantled[when?] | |||||
| Excalibur | 293 | 2-4-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) regauged from 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 1993 | Rudyard Lake Steam Railway | Formerly River Churnet[3] | |||
| SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 295 | 0-6-0T | 15 in (381 mm) | 1993 | Perrygrove Railway | [4] | |||
| 7 Merlin | 296 | 2-4-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 1998 | Rudyard Lake Steam Railway | [5] | .jpg)
| ||
| Pendragon | 297 | 2-4-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) regauged from 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 1994 | Rudyard Lake Steam Railway | Originally Ashorne[6] | |||
| Denzil | 299 | 0-4-2T+T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 1995 | Exmoor Steam Railway | [7] | |||
| MONTY | 300 | 0-4-2T | 15 in (381 mm) | 1996 | Evesham Vale Light Railway | Originally named Markeaton Lady at Markeaton Park Light Railway | [4] | .jpg)
| |
| SANDY | 301 | 0-6-0T | 15 in (381 mm) | 1996 | Wotton Light Railway | [4] | |||
| Dennis now named Ruby | 302 | 0-4-2T | 15 in (381 mm) | 1997 (for Brocklands Adventure Park) | Lappa Valley Steam Railway | [7] | |||
| Jane | 307 | 0-4-2T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2000 | Pugneys light Railway | ||||
| Jean | 309 | 0-4-2T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2000 | Barnards Miniature Railway | [8][1] | |||
| Billy May | 310 | 2-4-2T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2000 | Woodseaves Miniature Railway | Privately Owned [8][1] | |||
| ST.CHRISTOPHER | 311 | 2-6-2T | 15 in (381 mm) | 2001 | Bressingham | [4][7] | 
| ||
| ST EGWIN | 312 | 0-4-0T+T | 15 in (381 mm) | 2003 | Evesham Vale Light Railway | [4] | .jpg)
| ||
| Amy Louise | 314 | 0-4-2 | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2003 | Barnards Miniature Railway | [8][1] | |||
| ROSEMARY | 315 | 0-6-2T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 2001 | Exbury Gardens | [7] | 
| ||
| NAOMI | 316 | 0-6-2T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 2002 | Exbury Gardens | [7] | 
| ||
| THE DUCHESS OF DIFFLIN | 317 | 0-4-2T | 15 in (381 mm) | 2003 | Difflin Lake railway | [4] | |||
| Pulborough | 319 | 0-4-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2004 | South Downs Light Railway | [1] | |||
| DAME ANN | 320 | 0-4-2ST | 2 ft (610 mm) | 2004 | Wales West Light Railway | 
| |||
| ANNE | 323 | 0-6-2T | 15 in (381 mm) | 2004 | Perrygrove Railway | Formerly John Hayton | |||
| 8 King Arthur | 324 | 0-6-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2005 | Rudyard Lake Steam Railway | [9] | |||
| Black Beauty | 325 | 2-6-2 | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 2009 | [7] | ||||
| MARILOO | 326 | 2-6-0 | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 2008 | Exbury Gardens | [7] |
| ||
| Lorna Doone | 330 | 0-4-2T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | Exmoor Steam Railway | [7] | ||||
| Peggy | 334 | 0-4-2T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2007 | South Downs Light Railway | [1] | |||
| Jeremy | 339 | 0-4-2T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2010 | Barnards Miniature Railway | [8][1] | |||
| ARUN | 341 | 0-4-2DH | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2015 | South Downs Light Railway | [10] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bryant, Peter; Holroyde, Dave (2012). Miniature Railways of Great Britain & ireland (First ed.). Sheffield, UK: Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-902336-93-0.
- ^ "Samastipur". Beer Heights Light Railway. Pecorama. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Excalibur". Leek and Rudyard Railway Ltd. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g Industrial Locomotives: including preserved and minor railway locomotives. Vol. 17EL. Melton Mowbray: Industrial Railway Society. 2015. ISBN 978 1 901556 88 9.
- ^ "Merlin". Leek and Rudyard Railway Ltd. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Pendragon". Leek and Rudyard Railway Ltd. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Surviving Steam Locomotive Search". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Locomotives". Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "King Arthur". Leek and Rudyard Railway Ltd. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "News". South Downs Light Railway. South Downs Light Railway. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
Don.Fifer The Heywood Society Journal No.56 Spring 2005
External links
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