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Exmoor Steam Railway

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Locomotive Mariloo in Exbury Gardens
Exmoor Steam Railway Builder's Plate

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Identity Works number Type Gauge Year built Operator Status Notes Image
Tryfan 189 2-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) private Wilderness Railway Originally named Bray Valley and original loco of Exmoor Steam Railway
Yeo Valley 190 2-8-0T 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 1990 Exbury Gardens Withdrawn from service and dismantled
Christopher 191 2-6-2T 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm)regauged from 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 1991 Littlehampton Miniature Railway Originally John-Remy and a 0-6-2T. Name, wheel arrangement and gauge changed when moved from Beale Park to Littlehampton
Excalibur 293 2-4-2T 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) regauged from 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 1993 Leek and Rudyard Railway Formerly River Churnet
Exmoor 294 2-4-2T 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 1993 Exmoor Steam Railway
Spirit of Adventure 295 0-6-0T 15 in (381 mm) 1993 Perrygrove Railway
7 Merlin 296 2-4-2T 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 1998 Leek and Rudyard Railway
Pendragon 297 2-4-2T 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) regauged from 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 1994 Astbury Light Railway Originally Ashorne
Bella 298 2-4-2 1996 Barn Well Hill Railway
Exmoor Ranger 0-4-4-0 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) Unknown Unknown mostly build never left the works used as parts for other exmoor builds
Denzil 299 0-4-2T+T 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 1995 Exmoor Steam Railway
Monty 300 0-4-2T 15 in (381 mm) 1996 Evesham Vale Light Railway Originally named Markeaton Lady at Markeaton Park Light Railway
Sandy 301 0-6-0T 15 in (381 mm) 1996 Wotton Light Railway
Ruby 302 0-4-2T 15 in (381 mm) 1997 (for Brocklands Adventure Park) Lappa Valley Steam Railway Originally named Dennis
303 2-6-0 15 in (381 mm)
Gillian 304 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm)
Cricor 305 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 1999 Unknown
Hunton 306 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2000 Unknown
Jane 307 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2000 Pugneys light Railway
Jools 308 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 1999 Beer Heights Light Railway Major rebuild by B.H.L.R completed in 2018 Originally named Samstipur
Jean 309 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2000 Barnards Miniature Railway
Billy May 310 2-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2000 Woodseaves Miniature Railway Privately owned
St. Christopher 311 2-6-2T 15 in (381 mm) 2001 Bressingham Steam Museum & Gardens
St Egwin 312 0-4-0T+T 15 in (381 mm) 2003 Evesham Vale Light Railway
Amy Louise 314 0-4-2 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2003 Barnards Miniature Railway
Rosemary 315 0-6-2T 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 2001 Exbury Gardens
Eddy n/a 0-4-0 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 2001 Exbury Gardens First non steam loco made by the railway made on frames of a hunslet 24in
Naomi 316 0-6-2T 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 2002 Exbury Gardens
The Duchess of Difflin 317 0-4-2T 15 in (381 mm) 2003 Oakfeild Park Railway
Pulborough 319 0-4-2T 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 2004 South Downs Light Railway
Dame Ann 320 0-4-2ST 2 ft (610 mm) 2004 Wales West Light Railway
Doris Hilburn 321 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2004 Barnards Miniature Railway Originally named Audrey
Brasken 322 0-4-2T 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 2006 Unknown
ANNE 323 0-6-2T 15 in (381 mm) 2004 Perrygrove Railway Originally named John Hayton
King Arthur 324 0-6-2T 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 2005 Leek and Rudyard Railway
Black Beauty 325 2-6-2 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 2009 Ree Park Safari
Mariloo 326 2-6-0 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 2008 Exbury Gardens
Jillie 327 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2007 Wills Garden Railway
328 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2008
Lorna Doone 330 0-4-2T 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) Exmoor Steam Railway
Ellie 331 0-4-2T 15 in (381 mm) 2006 Lappa Valley Steam Railway
Victoria 332 2-4-2 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 2007 Statfold Barn Railway Operational[1] Didn't run for 16 years after construction
Phalaenopsis 333 2-4-2T 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 2008 Unknown Operational
Peggy 334 0-4-2T 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 2007 South Downs Light Railway Operational
George 335 0-4-2T 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 2010 Poole Park Railway Operational
Barnarda Von Barnards 337 0-4-2T 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2010 Barnards Miniature Railway Operational Originally named Jeremy
340 4-4-0 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2018 Operational
Arun 341 0-4-2DH 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 2015 South Downs Light Railway Operational Diesel locomotive
Jack 342 2-6-0 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 2016 Delamont Miniature Railway Operational
Sapphire 343 2-4-0 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) 2021 Pugneys' Miniature Railway Operational Last loco to data made by exmoor
Carol Ann 350 2-6-2 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) 2024 Statfold Barn Railway Operational Named and entered service on Mease Valley Light Railway at Statfold Country Park during 'Steam in Miniature' event on Saturday 11th May 2024.
Pengelly 351 2-4-2 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) 2024 North Cornwall Miniature Railway Operational

References

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  1. ^ @StatfoldMuseum. "Tweet". Twitter. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Industrial Locomotives: including preserved and minor railway locomotives. Vol. 17EL. Melton Mowbray: Industrial Railway Society. 2015. ISBN 978 1 901556 88 9.
  4. ^ "Locomotives". Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Surviving Steam Locomotive Search". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 13 April 2017.

Don.Fifer The Heywood Society Journal No.56 Spring 2005

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