Edge Hill Light Railway
| Edge Hill Light Railway | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Closed |
| Locale | Warwickshire |
| Termini |
|
| Stations | None |
| History | |
| Opened | 1920 |
| Closed | 1925 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 3.5 mi (5.6 km) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The Edge Hill Light Railway was a standard-gauge light railway in Warwickshire, England. It was designed to carry ironstone from Edge Hill Quarries to Burton Dassett, where a junction was made with the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway.[1] It was never officially opened, but began operating in 1922.[2]
Route
[edit]
The line was 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long in two sections linked by a cable-worked incline with a gradient of 1 in 6 (16%).[2] As the quarry was at the top of the incline, the incline could be worked as self-acting: the weight of full ore wagons descending was sufficient to draw the empties back up.
History
[edit]The Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway proposed a branch line to the ironstone quarries at Edge Hill during the First World War, and a subsidiary company, the Edge Hill Light Railway was set up to build it, with Colonel Stephens appointed as the company's engineer.[1] Operations began in 1922 but within three years it was found that the iron ore deposits were uneconomic, and the line ceased operating in 1925.[2] The rails were not dismantled until 1935 and at least one of the locomotives was not cut up until 1946.[1] In 1942, permanent way from the lower portion of the line was requisitioned for the construction of the army depot now known as MoD Kineton. This had the effect of isolating the line, and the remaining stock at the top of the incline, from the main line and so they survived there until 1946.[3]
Locomotives
[edit]| Name | Number | Builder | Build Date | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deptford | 673 (EHLR 1) | LBSCR Class A1X | 1872 | Scrapped 1946 | [1][4][5] |
| Shadwell | 674 (EHLR 2) | LBSCR Class A1 | 1872 | Scrapped 1946 | [1][4][5] |
| Sankey | 1088 | Manning Wardle | 1888 | [1] |
Goods stock
[edit]| Description | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-wheeled open wagons | Various | ? | All scrapped 1947 |
| Brake vans | GER | 2 | All scrapped 1947 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Martin, Smith (1994). Britain's Light Railways. Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 75–76. ISBN 0 7110 2223 2. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "The Railway". Colonel Stephens Museum. Archived from the original on 28 December 2008.
- ^ Burton, Anthony; Scott-Morgan, John (1985). Britain's Light Railways. Ashbourne: Moorland Publishing. pp. 110–111. ISBN 0-86190-146-0.
- ^ a b "The Colonel's Terriers". Colonel Stephens Railway Museum. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017.
- ^ a b Russell, Patrick (1981). Steam in Camera 1898–1960: Second Series. Ian Allan Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 0 7110 1068 4. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Tonks, Eric (1998). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 2 The Oxfordshire Field. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870754-02-6.
- Scott-Morgan, John (1978). The Colonel Stephens Railways: A Pictorial Survey. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7544-X.
- Jordan, Arthur (1982). The Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co. SBN 86093 131 5.
External links
[edit] | This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (March 2017) |
- Description of a visit to the line in 1945, from Michael Clemens Railways
- Photo gallery at the Colonel Stephens Society
- Warwickshire Railways
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