The Exmoor Steam Railway is a narrow gauge steam railway and locomotive manufacturer, located at Bratton Fleming in North Devon.
The Exmoor Steam Railway is a narrow gauge steam railway and locomotive manufacturer, located at Bratton Fleming in North Devon.
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 gradient of 1 in 28.
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.
| Name | Builder | Type | Number | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglo Franco Belge | 2-8-2 | 2685 | 1955 | S.A.R. NG15 | |
| Beyer Peacock | 2-6-2+2-6-2 T | 115 | 1939 | S.A.R. NGG16 | |
| Hanomag | 2-6-2+2-6-2 T | 77 | 1928 | S.A.R. NGG13, repainted in Dark Blue livery 2010 | |
| Eddy | Hunslet | 4w DH | 9336 | 1946 | Now at Exbury Gardens after re-gauging to 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) |
| Motor Rail | 4w DM | 8856 | 1944 |
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.
| 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 | 2-8-0 T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 1990 | Exbury Gardens | Withdrawn from service and dismantled | ||
| Christopher | 191 | 2-6-2 T | 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 | 2-4-2 T | 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 | 0-6-0 T | 15 in (381 mm) | 1993 | Perrygrove Railway |  | ||
| 7 Merlin | 296 | 2-4-2 T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 1998 | Leek and Rudyard Railway |  | ||
| Pendragon | 297 | 2-4-2 T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) regauged from 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 1994 | Astbury Light Railway | Originally Ashorne built for the Ashorne Hall Railway |  | |
| Bella | 298 | 2-4-2 | 1996 | Barn Well Hill Railway | Built for the Ashorne Hall 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 | 0-4-2 T+T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 1995 | Exmoor Steam Railway | |||
| Monty | 300 | 0-4-2 T | 15 in (381 mm) | 1996 | Evesham Vale Light Railway | Originally named Markeaton Lady at Markeaton Park Light Railway |  | |
| Sandy | 301 | 0-6-0 T | 15 in (381 mm) | 1996 | Wotton Light Railway | |||
| Ruby | 302 | 0-4-2 T | 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 | 0-4-2 T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | |||||
| Cricor | 305 | 0-4-2 T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 1999 | Unknown | |||
| Hunton | 306 | 0-4-2T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2000 | Unknown | |||
| Jane | 307 | 0-4-2 T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2000 | Pugneys light Railway | |||
| Jools | 308 | 0-4-2 T | 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 | 0-4-2 T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2000 | Barnards Miniature Railway | |||
| Billy May | 310 | 2-4-2 T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2000 | Woodseaves Miniature Railway | Privately owned |  | |
| St. Christopher | 311 | 2-6-2 T | 15 in (381 mm) | 2001 | Bressingham Steam Museum & Gardens |  | ||
| St Egwin | 312 | 0-4-0 T+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 | 0-6-2 T | 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 | 0-6-2 T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 2002 | Exbury Gardens |  | ||
| The Duchess of Difflin | 317 | 0-4-2 T | 15 in (381 mm) | 2003 | Oakfeild Park Railway |  | ||
| Pulborough | 319 | 0-4-2 T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2004 | South Downs Light Railway | |||
| Dame Ann | 320 | 0-4-2 ST | 2 ft (610 mm) | 2004 | Wales West Light Railway |  | ||
| Doris Hilburn | 321 | 0-4-2 T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2004 | Barnards Miniature Railway | Originally named Audrey | ||
| Brasken | 322 | 0-4-2 T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | 2006 | Unknown | |||
| ANNE | 323 | 0-6-2 T | 15 in (381 mm) | 2004 | Perrygrove Railway | Originally named John Hayton |  | |
| King Arthur | 324 | 0-6-2 T | 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 | 0-4-2 T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2007 | Wills Garden Railway | |||
| 328 | 0-4-2 T | 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) | 2008 | |||||
| Lorna Doone | 330 | 0-4-2 T | 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) | Exmoor Steam Railway | ||||
| Ellie | 331 | 0-4-2 T | 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 | 2-4-2 T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2008 | Unknown | Operational | ||
| Peggy | 334 | 0-4-2 T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2007 | South Downs Light Railway | Operational | ||
| George | 335 | 0-4-2 T | 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) | 2010 | Poole Park Railway | Operational |  | |
| Barnarda Von Barnards | 337 | 0-4-2 T | 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 | 0-4-2 DH | 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 |  |
Don.Fifer The Heywood Society Journal No.56 Spring 2005
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