Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway is a minimum gauge railway and the third railway of any gauge to run along the side of Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire. The railway runs for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) on the track bed of an old standard gauge North Staffordshire Railway line. After the NSR line closed down, a small narrow gauge train ran on the site for two years before moving via Suffolk to Trago Mills in Devon. The current line started in 1985 and is 10.25 gauge, and operates to a timetable. It was built by the late Peter Hanton of Congleton working on his own over a period of 10 years. He sold the railway to the Rudyard Lake steamn Railway Ltd in Ocrober 2000 who have developed it since that date.
Trains are about half the size a normal narrow gauge railway and are steam hauled. The railway runs from Rudyard railway station to the Dam then along the side of the lake to terminate by the lakeside at Hunthouse Wood. This is about a mile South of the site of the old Cliffe Park railway station.
Trains run on Sundays and Bank Holidays from January to the end of November, with more regular services from Easter to October and daily during school holidays. The railway is a member of Britains Great Little Railways and was a member of the Heritage Railway Association.
Locomotives
It has five steam engines, named by the owners wife after the legends of King Arthur:
- King Arthur 0-6-2T built 2005 No.8
- Pendragon 2-4-2T built 1994 No.9 (previously named Ashorne from Ashorne Hall Railway)
- Excalibur 2-4-2T built 1993 No.6 (previously named "River Churnet" prior to rebuild in 2003)
- Merlin 2-4-2T built 1998 No.7
- Waverley 4-4-2 built 1948 by David Curwen, on permanent loan from a group linked to the Isle of Mull Railway
The first four of these locomotives were built by the Exmoor Steam Railway
There is also :
- A 4 Wheel Petrol Loco No.2 Modred (also known by the volunteers, as the Ferret)
- A 4W+4W bogie diesel loco. No.5 Rudyard Lady
- A 2-2-2 battery electric loco. No.3 Sir Ernie
These are normally only used for maintenance although even for these duties the railway is now using its steam engines year round in preference to internal combustion engines as they are proving more economical and reliable.
Visiting steam engines often attend the annual steam gala held each year over a weekend in late September.
A fleet of 11 carriages and a wide variety of goods wagons are also used. A further enclosed brake carriage is under construction in 2011.
Facilities
The railway offers learn to drive a steam train courses, of either a half or full day for individuals or groups. Children's parties are hosted and the Platform 2 Cafe provides hot and cold refreshments from April to October
References
- Hanton. Peter The Heywood Society Journal No.34 Spring 1994
- Williams John K. The Heywood Society Journal No.52 Spring 2003
- Hanson Michael The Heywood Society Journal No. 56 Spring 2005
External links
- Official website, including current timetable details