HISTORY OF THE RUDYARD LAKE STEAM RAILWAY

2008 News

Merlin and Pendragon passed their annual boiler inspection on 10th of November. The other 3 engines will have their inspections soon. Work on the track has resumed between the Dam and Rudyard station with about 8 panels left to do.

Work to improve the performance and economy of the steam engines is underway. This includes ceramic arches, new fire doors and fitting of sanders. Excalibur, King Arthur and Pendragon have had sanders fitted so far.  The Halloween trains were well received despite the very cold weather.

A new 8 lever frame has been built for Rudyard Station signal box and installed. The new signal box at Lakeside loop was erected on June 22nd and the existing lever frame from Rudyard has been transferred including 4 new permanent  colour light signals. These are now in use when 2 trains are running.

Dual gauge 10.25 & 7.25 inch gauge track has been installed at Rudyard for the steam gala on September 13/14th. Dolgoch is the first engine to be used and passed its boiler test on 10th of September ready for the weekend. The train ran on both days along with the portable track of the North Staffs Model Engineering Society. Both were very popular with the public and will hopefully appear again. Altogether there were 5 steam trains on 3 different gauges in use.

All the 4 CCTV poles are now up and the cameras are now in use at Rudyard. A web cam may follow. New information and safety signs are being installed around the railway.

Experiments with different fire hole doors with extra air inlets and firebox arches are being conducted on King Arthur and show promise in reducing smoke and therefore the coal bill.

Waverley has been used on revenue earning trips on its own with 3 coaches as a second train.

Work was started on Lakeside signal box with the casting of the concrete base and the structure being repaired prior to erection. Merlin is back in service after boiler repairs. The Heywood Society visited an May 18th and saw a 3 trains in operation using all the steam locomotives.



The latest rolling stock to  be commissioned is No.3 Sir Ernie a 2-2-2 battery electric "device" with major components from a motorised wheel chair. Named Sir Ernie after the famous milk float it has ventured the full length of the line and proved capable of pulling a bogie flat wagon. Another new 12 seat open coach body has been commissioned . All the yard points are now connected to the lever frame.

Waverley has proved reluctant to re-enter service and has required great persistence to overcome the valve gear's desire to escape from the engine. However on the 20th of April it successfully did 3 trips up the line then took a final short train up on its own and is now back in use.

New fencing is being installed at Rudyard Station to improve safety and the station appearance. The new CCTV system is being commissioned. We have also located the local sewerage system so that the long awaited toilets can be progressed. The car park has finally had attention from Staffordshire County Council.

A new LNWR style ground frame was installed at Rudyard over the Easter weekend to operate the yard points. The first point has been connected. The weather was bizarre with every day seeing sunshine and then hail or snow. It was also very cold. Six or seven coach trains were run with the new public address system in the coaches bringing a notable improvement in behaviour and safety. A walker on the lake path who had become ill was also successfully evacuated by train on Easter Monday to meet an ambulance summoned by the train guard's mobile phone. This had a pleasing outcome as he was seriously ill but subsequently made a full recovery after a hospital stay.

A new water tower was built  and commissioned at Rudyard over Easter to speed up watering  of engines and therefore the engine turn-round times.  The water tower has been painted and the lifting gantry relocated to the workshop track. An ash pit has been installed for the smaller engines. Merlin also has had its boiler removed for attention to the fire level stay head nuts which have all been replaced.

Waverley is now back together painted Apple Green and ready for lining out and test runs. Merlin was dismantled on 3 March for attention to a leaking boiler stay.

A new coach body to replace the last of the original articulated coaches is complete and ready for collection after Easter. It will be a little wider and easier of access than its predecessor. A new bogie is also almost ready so that this set of coaches can go back up from 2 to 3 coaches.

Work to replace all the points in the yard at Rudyard  started on Sunday February 3rd and  thanks to a major effort from the railways volunteers 4 points and 4 panels of track were laid on that Sunday . Further track panels and a  further curved point was altered and installed on Sunday the 10th of February as well as ballasting and packing of the new track. This has extended the run round loop and will give better access to the storage sheds. Conventional track is now in use for all of the yard and train services re-commenced after a  week's gap on February 12th. 



A view part way through with most of the new track in place

There was none of the old box section track remaining in use by the end of Sunday the10th February. A new point has been manufactured and  is now  installed to give access to the workshop. A lever frame is to be installed to control the yard points.

Waverley has been repainted in Apple Green. Its motion has been overhauled and is now largely  reassembled. A large radius point from Ashorne Hall has been re-gauged and installed at the North end of Lakeside loop. This will give a smoother entry for trains returning to Rudyard.

Work on the track is continuing when the weather is reasonable. The newly machined point blades have been fitted to the North end  loop points at Rudyard Station. The left hand curve is now much more gentle.

Trains ran on all Sundays in January for the first time and were well patronised.

The carriages  have had an intercom system fitted ready for 2008. Tidying up the workshops is underway as more machinery has arrived.  New point blades have been manufactured for an existing point. Steel for the planned extended station canopy and CCTV poles has arrived.

The railway will operate in future on more Sundays in the winter.  The 2008 scheduled services will run on School holidays and every Sunday from February 17th. Check the events page for exact dates.

 

2007 News

2007 was by far the busiest year in the railways history beating the previous best of year 2006 by over 20%. Hopefully this improvement will be maintained in 2008.

Lights have been fitted to the station for running at night and were successfully  tested by the bonfire night trains on November 3rd This was an all ticket event organised by the Friends of Rudyard Lake . Work on the track has resumed for the winter as usual.

All the engines have passed their annual boiler test. Waverley is currently having major mechanical work done and Excalibur & Merlin are stored for the winter. Waverley will emerge in 2008 painted Apple Green.

The annual steam gala was held on September 29 & 30th and featured 7 steam engines in use.  Dry weather and a  frequent 3 train service meant that all the steam engines got plenty of opportunities to run. The smaller atlantic type engines had the new first class coach to themselves and ran in combination or singly over both days. The Leek and Manifold engine E.R. Calthrope again impressed everyone with its power and happily pulled the  trains and  one of our Exmoor engines up and down the track. The Exmoor engines simply were there to provide air braking to the train. Sadly it had to go back to Trago Mills in Devon on Sunday the 30th. We are very grateful to David Nicholson who drove 500 miles to bring it on Saturday and take it back on the Sunday. The Great Northern Atlantic was able to run the length of the line despite its very fine scale wheel flanges.

 A new footbridge is complete at Rudyard Station to link the old and new platforms and was opened by Janet Woolley on 2nd of September . The next project is to erect the signal box at Lakeside loop. The signals have been re sited to match the extended passing loop. 

Daily train services  ran through the school holidays. Traffic is up on 2006 levels despite the poor weather earlier in the summer. The new coaches and shelters to give wet weather protection were well timed.

Coach No.6 a 12 seat glazed, enclosed coach with doors was delivered on 26th June by LTM Engineering and is in service.  The railway now has 10 coaches in service at present. Over the weekend on 23, 24 June refurbished bogies for coach No. 11 were delivered , fitted and the the coach successfully tested with unloaded and them loaded test runs. It will be in use soon for special events. The lifting gantry has been erected and painted and is proving to be ideal for coach bogie inspections.

The loop at Lakeside was lifted, the track bed scraped and re ballasted. The South point re timbered and refurbished and moved 5 track panels towards Rudyard. The main line was then tamped and ballasted. The loop line has been re-laid.  The loop was back in use by early July. A site for the new signal box ( ex Fairbourne Railway) has been dug out at the South end of the loop.

The platform shelter at Rudyard now has been completed and the valances fitted. It has been very useful in the very wet weather this summer.  The clock tower awaits delivery of the clocks.

Additional storage has been provided to allow all the coaches to remain under cover. The sets have been rearranged to allow complete rakes to be shunted in or out at the start and end of the day. The good weather in April meant busy passenger  traffic and an experimental two train service running at half hourly intervals successfully operated on April 15 & 22nd. The extension to the passing loop is urgent and now planned for June. The new waiting shelter at Hunthouse wood is complete and looks very smart.

Plans relay the yard at Rudyard are being made in view of the heavier stock and the use of engines to shunt the trains rather than hand shunting to  assemble them.

Easter was the busiest in the railway's history. Good weather over most of the weekend meant the extra seating capacity was fully utilised with two 5 coach trains in use on three days. All the railways steam locomotives were used at some point over the holiday period. A further enclosed coach has been ordered from LTM engineering and will become fleet No.6.

A visiting scale model Great Northern Atlantic steam engine was on test on 3-5th April.

The loop at Lakeside has been ballasted and packed. It is intended to extend it by 100 feet in June. The railway's signal department has fitted all the signals with lights to allow for running after dark.

A new 12 seat enclosed coach No.5 has been delivered from LTM Engineering and was in service at Easter 2007. Delivery and test running took place on 31st March. No. 6 is now ready for delivery

 Work has been carried out to extend the head shunt at Hunthouse Wood to take a full works train. Rumours that this is the start of the extension to Rushton Spencer are incorrect.



Merlin on the newly laid section of track 14 Jan 2007

The last new panels of track were replaced on Sunday February 4th and the track rejoined.  Packing and ballasting to make the track is fit for the Half Term passenger trains was completed in time. The total length of track replaced is well over a quarter of a mile. All the main line is now either S7( 13.5 lb per yard) on new sleepers or 20 lb per yard rail section. The S7 rails came from closed railways at Drayton Manor and Ashorne Hall.

Regular steam hauled works trains are in operation during the week. Excalibur is being used at the current time. It sounds superb taking the three loaded bogie wagons up the track.

The next tasks are:  to paint the extended waiting shelter at Hunt house Wood. The passing loop at Lakeside is also to be extended to allow 8 coach trains to pass.

 

2006 News

A quarter mile  length of the oldest and lightest section of track has been lifted between Lakeside loop and Hunthouse Wood and will be re laid over the next few months with new track panels.  As at 22nd of December 19 two thirds of the 50 panels  required have been re-laid.  This will mean the whole railway will then have either 20lb per yard rail or good 13.5 lb per yard rail with extra sleepers. Santa Trains were sold out by 9th of December . The track bed has been scraped clean with a JCB before the new track panels are laid 



Traffic for 2006 ended up by just under 10% after a mixed season. The weather and world cup had a adverse affect until improvements later in the season took us to comfortably beat the 2005 result.  The final day of normal running was Halloween on October 29th when kids in costume travelled free and got a lollipop if they  braved the spiders who guard them. Four engines were in steam and the railway decorated for the event.

The new shelter at Hunthouse Wood is almost complete.  Double the size of the previous shelter it forms part of a plan to upgrade the station facilities. Clearance of the overgrown trees is also underway.  A shelter over the platform at Rudyard is next on the list. Work on the track is progressing well to remove and upgrade the fishplates and re-fix the sleepers at the rail joints.

The steam gala was blessed with good weather and the best ever attendance. All 5 steam engines were in use on both days and a two train service operated.

August Bank holiday weather was variable- showers and sunny spells. A Two train service ran on Monday with three engines taking turns this worked very well and ran to time all day. The foundations for an enlarged shelter at Hunthouse Wood were put in over the weekend.

The lake festival broke the record for the busiest ever day by 25% on August 6th with all 9 carriages in use on two trains and with three steam engines  taking turns on the trains.



Excalibur & King Arthur cross at Lakeside loop

A new coach is complete and is an enclosed 12 seat coach No.12 that arrived at the railway on July 22nd and was brought into service for the lake festival.  It will be followed by two replacement semi open coaches. A special train was run for the children from Chernobyl on July 30th. A two train service ran for most of the day using King Arthur & Excalibur. Sources of railway parts are being developed by a local engineering company LTM Engineering Services. Contact us for details.

No. 2 Mordred returned from overhaul on July 23rd and is back in use. Work is underway on the track to add ballast and change sleepers. Traffic is busy again with the good weather helping.

A new coach was brought into service to replace the first of the three articulated coaches. Given the number 3 it was first used on May 27th. It is wider and higher than existing coaches.

The very wet weather has driven down passenger numbers with disappointing traffic during May and the the bank holiday. An advantage of our smaller size and costs make us better able to overcome this than larger railways and tourist attractions which are now in serious difficulty.

Train services ran from Good Friday to Wednesday inclusive over Easter. Two train services ran on Sunday with two or three engines in steam most days. This was the busiest Easter yet for the railway. On Sunday a two train service ran using three engines and kept to time all day.

Train services started again on March 13th in snow and heavy winds. Pendragon and Merlin worked back to back to beat the weather conditions but passengers were thin on the ground in view of the very poor weather.

No.9 Pendragon was collected from the Exmoor Steam Railway on March 5th and delivered to Rudyard later that day. After minor changes to the air brake piping it was put into service on March 12th. The level crossing at Rudyard was also re-laid on March 5th after an excellent effort by a volunteer working party.  Two new bogies were delivered to make it a busy day's work. All the railway's 5 steam engines are now in working order and will run in 2006.



Pendragon and a new engine 7.25 inch gauge engine Brasken on March 5th at Exmoor

Trains ran at half term with 3 engines in Steam on Sunday Feb 26th. Cold weather kept visitor numbers down. A rail bender has been borrowed from the South Downs Railway and used to start straightening some of our large stock of curved rail.

The main priority is work to ballast the track and pack it to level. A further stretch of about 50 metres was completed on 19/2/06. A mini digger was brought in to help with the work at Hunthouse Wood on Sunday February 12th. It made light work of making a space for a larger shelter and extended platform. Merlin was in steam to haul the works train. The extended run round loop was completed by Thursday 16th February.

Merlin passed its steam test on 2nd Feb 2006 and is back in service. Its the first engine to be overhauled at Rudyard.



Merlin raises steam for its test

Work continues on the track to ballast and level it and has moved to extend the loop at Hunthouse Wood by 30 feet. This involves moving then extending the waiting shelter and developing picnic facilities.

The next coach is being built off site and may be ready for Easter. It will be a covered 12 seat semi open coach.

New years day trains ran in bright sunshine and were well patronised.

 

2005 Developments & Improvements

No.7 Merlin's boiler has passed its hydraulic boiler test after fitting of new boiler tubes and  has been re-assembled. A formal steam test will take place soon and the engine should be ready for service in 2006. Santa Trains ran almost fully booked on 11 & 18 December and were a great success . Overall Traffic for the year 2005 has finished well up on 2004 which is very pleasing.

Track work is being carried out to raise the track level above the footpath and to add extra sleepers from the  level crossing at Rudyard. This is complete for about 250 metres and is a vast improvement. In addition a new lifting barrier interlinked to the signals has been installed at Rudyard station by the S&T  department. Work has now moved to the cutting above the dam station. This was largely complete by 11th December.

The 2005 season finished on October 30th with Halloween Specials. The weather was unkind with heavy rain in the morning but fine after lunch. Those who braved the weather saw the spooky graveyard and its inhabitants at play. The trains carried spiders and ghosts as well as passengers and everyone had a good time. The final trains of 2005 are on December 11th & 18th with Santa specials for which prior booking is required. See the webpage for details.

No.9 Ashorne has gone back to Devon for re-gauging to 10.25 inch gauge and renaming as Pendragon. Uther Pendragon was King Arhur's father. It ran at Exmoor for a day with its old coaches from Ashorne Hall on October 9th. Together with Denzil a two train service was run.

The 2005 steam gala featured 2 visiting engines. An 0-4-2T Pulborough and a 4-4-2T Bray Valley. In all six engines were in steam over the weekend. see the gala page for more detail.



The Curwen Atlantic locomotive Waverley  returned to Rudyard on August 27th and is back in use after fiiting of an air brake system.  Merlin is being re-tubed and hopefully will be in use again by late autumn. The first point from Ashorne Hall has been converted for use on the railway.

The long awaited King Arthur arrived on the 25 July and is in service after successful  trial runs. Complete with a copper capped Chimney and a Great Western whistle it's in authentic Hogwarts Great Western red livery!



King Arthur at Exmoor on 18 July 2005

King Arthur is an 0-6-2 Tank engine built by the Exmoor Steam Railway in Devon with a works plate bearing the date 07/05. With cylinders 4.625 X 7.5 inch stroke its very large and powerful for the gauge of railway. Its painted in the bright red livery of the old County Donegal Narrow Gauge Railway in the North West of Ireland.



No.9 Ashorne in steam after arrival at Rudyard July 3rd 2005 ( Photo Chris Burgess)

The railway also has another steam locomotive a dark red 2-4-2T currently called Ashorne It is the the sister engine to Merlin but was built slightly earlier in 1994. It is now at the Exmoor Steam Railway in Devon for conversion to 10.25 inch gauge. About 400 yards of track and 6 points from this railway have now been lifted and moved to Rudyard during week ending June 17th.



Ashorne at Ashorne Hall on 14 May 2005

A new siding has been added at Rudyard and another container for stock storage and as a workshop. A new 12 seater coach has arrived. Not yet in service until glazing and new bogies are fitted.

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New coach after arrival on 2nd July 2005

Rudyard Station now has its fences and picnic benches installed and in use. Planting of the gardens has been done. More coaches have had air braked bogies fitted and only one now remains to be done. A new first class coach is being built in Leek by Ian and Chris Burgess and should grace the railway later this year.

Track in the cutting above the Dam has been raised, ballasted and 45 new sleepers were added on 27 February. Steam hauled ballast and works trains were run over winter and made a great sight and sound. A new waiting shelter has been provided at the Dam Station and the area tidied up. A second shelter at Rudyard should appear soon.

The atlantic type tender engine No. 296 Waverley is being overhauled in Scotland and should return to Rudyard this year. Its boiler is finished and a lot of work done on the tender and it is hoped to use it regularly on the quieter trains his year.

Work on Rudyard Station continues with the walls completed and a new engine steaming area prepared outside the engine shed.  CCTV cameras are being installed.



 

2004

Santa trains successfully ran for the first time in December. See the Santa webpage for more information and about how to book for 2005. Santa arrives by boat and meets the children in his grotto in the new lake activity centre.

Relaying of a 100 metre section of track is complete between Lakeside and Hunthouse Wood and ballasting is in progress. A new lattice type bracket starter signal has been  installed at Rudyard.  A new platform shelter & ticket office has been provided on the old platform at Rudyard.

The normal 2004 season finished on a high note with very popular Halloween Specials. Large numbers of Kids in costume were welcomed to travel free. They were treated to lollipops and spiders and both were equally popular. The ghostly guard hijacked the brake van for the day. The phantom goods train also put in a couple of appearances 

Work has moved on to coach No.10 which has been through air piped for braking. New bogies have arrived for this coach and fitted. This was used on Santa trains with complete success. A successful test run was made over the whole line on Sunday October 3rd. This coach should be in use soon and will bring the operational coach fleet up to 8.

The next coach will be No 11. This is expected to be a 12 seater enclosed coach.

The new crane wagon arrived on November 21st and following the tradition of having the name of a type of fish has been designated as a carp. It has already been used.

The Lake Festival Day Sunday August 8th was the busiest ever day at the railway. The train had 9 vehicles and two engines and was so long two guards were needed.

Visiting engine E. R. Calthrop returned to Devon on July 18th. It proved to be a powerful engine easily capable of pulling our trains. We have been promised that we can borrow it again or perhaps one of the other larger engines from Trago Mills!!

A new tank wagon built by Alan Boon  arrived and was adapted for fishplate oiling and weed killing. Its bright red livery is very striking. It was successfully used for the first time on 7th of July to weed kill the track. The next off the production line was an impressive crane wagon. ( These particular wagons have now left the railway.

The steam Gala on June 26 & 27th saw frequent trains in use on both days from 10.30 until 5pm. Goods and mixed trains operated early and late in the day and an intensive two train service most of the time.

The steam engine  Waverley will return by soon for a at least a two year stay. With King Arthur the railway will have 4 steam engines in regular use in 2005.

The siding at Rudyard was installed in May along with more secure storage to give more space for the expanding fleet. Mains electricity supplies are also now available.

The new Rudyard signal box looks very well in red and cream and the site is starting to look attractive with dry stone walling and flower beds being created and planted. To see details click on this link to Chris Burgess's site for the latest pictures. A new bracket signal has been installed and can be seen below.

Problems with poor steaming due to bad coal caused two trains to have diesel haulage on 28th of March. These were the first diesel trains since Easter 2001.

The express steam engine Waverley is having a boiler overhaul in Scotland. The boiler tubes have been removed and the boiler inspected. New boiler tubes are on order and will be fitted. With some work to reprofile the tender wheels the engine will be ready for use and will visit us later this year.

Work to lower and extend the platform at Rudyard has been completed. The run round loop has been extended and re-laid with new rails and sleepers adding 20 feet to the length of the loop. This will allow 7 coach trains to operate if necessary.

A ground signal has appeared to act as a point indicator to trains returning to Rudyard. The loop has been relayed and the point for the siding installed.

 Work on adding extra sleepers to the track will continue throughout 2004 ready for the delivery of the new steam engine King Arthur.  A replica of the Leek & Manifold Engine E. R. Calthrop visited in June.

2003

Our visiting engine Waverley has returned North to Scotland for the winter 2003-4 and for work to its boiler. We hope to see it visit us again in the future. We had only just sorted out the best method of using its power when the time came for it to leave. Its boiler has been removed from the frames for retubing. Attention will also be given to the profile of the tender wheel sets.

A large quantity of good rail has been delivered and sorted ready for relaying some of the most worn stretches this winter. Regular working parties are scheduled for the winter season. More volunteers will be welcome if you would like to help.

More wagons are on the way with a tank wagon and a crane wagon next on the Boon production line.

The advertised 2003 season finished on 26 October and has been the railways busiest ever with business 30% up on 2002. Plans are now being drawn up for the 2004 season which will feature increased services.

An order has been placed with the Exmoor Steam Railway for the next steam engine No.8 King Arthur. This should be delivered in June 2004 and will be larger and more powerful than the existing locomotives.

The 2003 steam gala was a great success with busy trains on both days. Ivanhoe the steam engine which started the railway made its final visit for the Steam Gala and was displayed each day for photographs. It joined our summer visitor Waverley from the Isle of Mull. This years Gala had an old engines theme. Waverley was used on both days to double head the trains up the line. It proved capable of taking 4 coaches, 3 wagons and an Exmoor steam engine up the gradients.

Excalibur takes a goods train up the line one evening in August

The Steam Gala featured our visiting steam engine Waverley with the small Bullock steam locomotive Ivanhoe making a final visit to the railway. Unfortunately Ivanhoe was not able to pull trains over the weekend but was on view. It has now returned to its home in Cheshire.

Ivanhoe at Rudyard again in 2003

August Bank Holiday weekend 2003 was the busiest in the railway's history with most trains full to capacity. The first air braked trains ran in regular service with complete success. All the passenger stock and locomotives are now piped up to use air brakes.

The railway now has two videos available for sale at £8 inclusive of post and packing or £6 at Rudyard. One tells the story of the 2002 Steam Gala and was produced by Alan Boon. The second tells the story of the 2003 season and also includes rare scenes of the lifting of the original standard gauge railway. This is produced by Chris Burgess. If you want a copy please click on this link to our sales page.

The petrol engine No.2 Modred has been painted for the first time in many years. The bright red livery is very striking and it now has a cut down cab roof . The Diesel No.5 Rudyard Lady will be repainted next in Union Pacific Chrome Yellow and grey.

Locomotive No. 6 Excalibur returned to the railway on Sunday March 30th 2003. It looks superb and performs as well as it looks. It is effectively a new engine with a new boiler and many improvements and new parts. A removable cab back has been built to make it more comfortable in wet weather.

Waverley is seen here on Mull its home in recent years

The 2003 Steam Gala was on September 27th & 28th.  In 2004 we had a Steam Gala on June 26 & 27th to celebrate the centenary of the opening of the Leek & Manifold Light Railway in 1904. Click here for more information

The latest wagon from Fairacre Engineering is a box van No.9 type described as a Chub because its bigger than the previous van.

Work on continues on improving the track by ballasting, levelling and adding lots of extra sleepers in readiness for heavier engines to be used.  In excess of 1000 sleepers have been replaced or added to the track in the last two years. A new point has arrived to allow an extra siding to be added at Rudyard station. A second siding is also on the agenda. Plans for another passing loop and platform at the Dam are being considered for 2004.

 The platform at The Dam station has also been extended to handle longer trains. Operating flashing lights are in use this year at the Rudyard Station car park level crossing. They were first tested on Sunday 30th of March. A new water column was also installed at Rudyard and used by both locomotives for the first time. This has proved to be a great success speeding up the turnaround of trains.

One of our volunteers Ian Burgess has devised very neat battery engine and guards van lamps which will be in use this year. Lamp brackets are being fitted to the rolling stock and the lamps are now in use.

Our oldest steam engine No.6 River Churnet returned to its builders the Exmoor Steam Railway on 6th of December 2002 for its ten year overhaul. It returned on 30th March 2003 with a larger cab and funnel a new name, Excalibur and lined black livery. It is ready for another 10 years work. It is estimated to have run 20,000 actual miles on trains at Rudyard since it arrived in 1993.

2002 NEWS

The Steam Gala on September 28/29 2002 was a great success. The visiting engine Bray Valley was a hit with the visitors and enthusiasts alike. A great many photographs were taken. See the Gala Page for more details by clicking here. The 2003 Steam Gala was on September 27th& 28th

Bray Valley leaves Rudyard Station on 28/9/02

Peter Hanton from Congleton who built the railway on his own sadly passed away on November 16th. He was a real character whose legendary thrift and abrupt manner concealed his true worth. He continued to come and help on the railway and drove for the last time at the Steam Gala. His single handed achievement in building the railway will remain as a testimonial to his determination. It is planned to place a seat at Lakeside Station dedicated to his memory.

No. 2 Mordred leaves Rudyard with 2 of the new wagons

The Steam Launch now named The Lady Alice returned to service on Sundays and bank holidays giving trips up the lake. The boiler is one dating from 1941 which has not been used until installed earlier this year. The boat looks superb.

The steamboat The Lady Alice at the pier on August 18th 2002

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MERLIN leaves the Dam Station on New Years Day 2002 braving the snow

Work has been completed on Carriage No. 4 which is believed to be the largest carriage in existence on this gauge of railway. The bogies were overhauled late in 2001. A new floor and seats have been fitted and bolted down. A new lower aluminium roof has been fitted as the old one required four men to lift it when it was removed to lower it. This explains why the coach used to rock so much as it ran along. The coach is now in regular use and proving very useful because its 20 seat capacity helps move the crowds. 

Sundays in July, August  and September 2002 were busy with two trains in use most Sundays. The annual visit by the Children from Chernobyl took place on Sunday July 28th. We were pleased to provide a special train as a part of the visit. In common with recent years the weather was hot and sunny as is usual on this occasion. Two trains operated all afternoon and with the steam boat also in use a vintage atmosphere prevailed.

Goods and passenger trains cross at Lakeside

A new 16 seater bogie coach has been ordered and is complete. Delivery took place on the 1st May 2002. New air braked bogies have been built in 2004 for this coach. An extension to the engine shed to provide more covered accommodation for the carriages and new wagons has been constructed but is already full. The railway has a total stock of  4 locomotives, 8 coaches and 8 wagons.

A rake of 4 wheel wagons has been construction by one of the railway's volunteers and the first ones were in use on goods trains at the Gala on September 28/29th. There are two open wagons and a box van now in use. It is planned to fit them with air brakes later after running trials. A fourth 3 plank drop side open wagon is complete and in use with delivery taking place on Saturday 18th January. Another goods van No.9 is now in service.

The new wagons have been built by Alan Boon and are of superb quality. They can carry a substantial weight and follow the principles established by Sir Arthur Heywood. They have followed the historic railway convention and been given type names of fish living in the lake. So far we have bream, eel, pike, chub and tench.

Merlin is seen with the new wagons on September 1st 2002

New signals were installed at Lakeside passing loop on Good Friday and brought into use on Easter Sunday. They are upper quadrant types electrically powered from their own rechargeable batteries. They look superb and have been much admired by the  general public and passengers alike. The whole scheme has been designed and installed by Ian and Chris Burgess.

A Steam Gala with a visiting steam engine took place on the weekend of September 28th & 29th. See the Gala page for more details. Visitors from all over the North West, Cheshire and Staffordshire attended to see the development of the railway.

No. 189 Bray Valley was our visiting engine seen here on 21/9/02 on its home railway before collection.

Our diesel and petrol locomotives are always in regular use on works trains.

The Development of the Railway by Peter Hanton (This is his own account)

Construction of the line began in December 1984 and passenger services commenced from Rudyard Station in August 1985 over a length of 300 yards and this was progressively increased by a further 100 yards by October 1985.

Easter 1986 saw the inauguration of services to the Dam giving an overall length of 700 yards. During 1986 a larger locomotive shed was constructed and run round loops installed at Rudyard and the Dam.

Work on the extension beyond the Dam started in September 1987 and regular services to lakeside commenced in August 1988. The line was then extended beyond Lakeside loop to the terminus at Hunthouse Wood over the next few years formally opening in 1993.

The original Locomotives.

No.1  Kingsley  0-4-0 Diesel Mechanical powered by a 3HP Peter AVA1. Built in 1954 by Curwen and Newbury of Devizes. Operated previously on the Shillingstone Light Railway in Dorset where is was named Belle.

No.2   0-4-0 Petrol Mechanical powered by a 1000cc BMC engine. Built about 1969 by Terry Stanhope of Leeds as a 2 foot gauge engine. Later rebuilt to 15 inch gauge. Acquired by Peter Hanton in 1971. in March 1973 it was tested on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

It was reguaged in early 1986 and arrived at Rudyard the following June. Various modifications were necessary and it was not until December that it entered regular traffic.

No. 5013 Ivanhoe  4-4-0 Steam

Built in 1937 by HCS Bullock incorporating various parts from a Stirling single ex Pitmarston Moor Railway. It ran at California in England near Eversley in Hampshire then approximately 1938 to  Kerrs Miniature Railway at Arbroath in Scotland.

Early in 1947 it was sold to the Royal Anchor Railway at Liphook in Hants and again in 1953 to a mr. George Woodcock of Bishop Stortford who extensively rebuilt it including fabricationg a new smokebox and fitting larger diameter driving wheels.

It was bought by Peter in 1954 and ran on short lines at Gamesley near Glossop and Eaton, Congleton, Cheshire. A new copper boiler was constructed in 1976 and the engine entered service at Rudyard in May 1987.

Rolling Stock

Click on this link for more pictures and details of the line

OPERATIONS

The railway has no paid staff and is run by the Friends of the Railway. All proceeds are being reinvested in developing the railway.

The Friends of the Railway are a friendly and active group who derive a great deal of enjoyment from working on or for the railway . If you would like to find out more about getting involved please contact us by phone, email or letter. The Friends aim is:

" To help develop and run a safe and prosperous railway and to have fun doing it "

There are opportunities to volunteer to get involved for both the physically active and those who are less inclined in that direction.

If you are unable to come and help but want to fulfil a dream you can also learn to drive a steam engine on one of our driver experience courses. Click here for more details.

FURTHER INFORMATION ( click on buttons below)

 Contact us by telephone 01538 306704 or fax on 01995 672280

or email info@rlsr.org