 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(September 2022) |
The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway is a ridable miniature railway and the third railway of any gauge to run along the side of Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire, England.
The railway runs for 1+1⁄2 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+1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge, and operates to a timetable. It was built by John Eastman of Congleton working on his own over a period of ten years. In October 2000, he sold the railway to Rudyard Lake Steam Railway Ltd, who have developed it since that date.[ citation needed ]
The railway was purchased by the Leek and Rudyard Railway on 18 December 2015. This company owns the assets of the former Isle of Mull Railway and has plans to combine the two railways at Rudyard.[ citation needed ]
Trains run at weekends and bank holidays from March to November, with more regular services from Easter to October and daily during school holidays.[ citation needed ] The railway is a member of Britains Great Little Railways and is a member of the Heritage Railway Association.
The railway runs for 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km ) on the track bed of an old standard gauge North Staffordshire Railway line.[ citation needed ] It operates from Rudyard railway station to the dam, then along the side of the lake to terminate at Hunthouse Wood, about a mile south of the site of the old Cliffe Park railway station.
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Many of the locomotives were named by the former owner's wife after the legends of King Arthur:
| Image | No. | Name | Wheel arrangement | Builder | Date built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Locomotives | ||||||
 | 6 | Excalibur | 2-4-2 T | Exmoor Steam Railway | 1993 | Previously named River Churnet prior to rebuild in 2003, when regauged from 12 1/4 inch gauge. |
 | 7 | Merlin | 2-4-2 T | Exmoor Steam Railway | 1998 | Overhauled 2020 |
 | 8 | King Arthur | 0-6-2 T | Exmoor Steam Railway | 2005 | Overhauled 2019 |
 | 196 | Waverley | 4-4-2 | David Curwen | 1948 | On permanent loan; formerly at the Isle of Mull Railway. |
 | - | Victoria | 2-6-2 T | Mouse Boiler Works | 1993 | Based on the Victorian Railways NA class, Victoria is owned by the Leek & Rudyard Railway Ltd. Removed for overhaul in Sheffield from December 2015 to December 2018. |
 | - | Nelly | ||||
| Lady Jane Grey | 0-4-0T + T | Bressingham Steam Museum & Gardens | Still privately owned, but has been temporarily brought to Rudyard for a major overhaul and is now run often | |||
| Internal Combustion Locomotives | ||||||
| 2 | Mordred | 4w PM | Terry Stanhope of Leeds | 1969 | Known locally as Ferret. | |
 | 5 | Rudyard Lady | Bo-Bo | L.A.Smith of Leek | 1989 | Bogie diesel |
| Glen Auldyn | Bo-Bo | Bob Davies | 1986 | Bogie diesel, formerly at Isle of Mull Railway. | ||
| Frances | Bo-Bo | David Vere | 1999 | Bogie diesel, formerly at Isle of Mull Railway. | ||
No 9 Pendragon (another Exmoor Steam Railway 2-4-2 T ) left the railway in 2019 and is now at the Astbury Light Railway. [1]
A fleet of 13 carriages and a wide variety of goods wagons are also used. A further enclosed brake carriage was constructed in 2011 and brought into service in August; another 12 seat enclosed coach was added in December 2012. The carriages from the closed Isle of Mull Railway are also slowly being brought back into service after restoration.
Rudyard Station comprises Platform 1 with a shelter where the trains depart. A footbridge links this to Platform 2 where the cafe, a large covered picnic area, signal box and toilets are located. Platform 2 is, in fact, the original standard gauge platform built by the North Staffordshire Railway. The original flower beds and retaining walls are clearly visible. At a higher level than platform 1 is a good vantage point. To the South end of the station are the engine shed, water tower, coal bunker, storage shed and workshop.
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 cold refreshments all year around whenever the railway is running.
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a 15 in minimum gauge heritage railway in Cumbria, England. The 7-mile (11.3 km) line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale, in the Lake District. At Ravenglass the line ends at Ravenglass railway station on the Cumbrian Coast Line.
Rudyard is a lakeside village in the county of Staffordshire, England, west of Leek and on the shore of Rudyard Lake. Population details as taken at the 2011 census can be found under Horton.
The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway (L&MVLR) was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, England that operated between 1904 and 1934. The line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 instandard gauge system. It also provided passenger services to the small villages and beauty spots along its route. The line was built to a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge and to the light rail standards provided by the Light Railways Act 1896 to reduce construction costs.
The North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire.
The Churnet Valley Railway is a preserved standard gauge heritage railway in the Staffordshire Moorlands of Staffordshire, England. It operates on part of the former Churnet Valley Line which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway. The railway is roughly 10.5 miles (16.9 km) long from Kingsley and Froghall to Ipstones. The land from Leek Brook Junction to Ipstones was opened by Moorland & City Railways (MCR) in 2010 after they took a lease out from Network Rail. This has subsequently been purchased by the Churnet Valley Railway. The main stations along the line are Kingsley and Froghall, Consall, Cheddleton and Leek Brook. Work has begun to extend the line to the town of Leek which will act as the northern terminus of the line. The line between Leek and Waterhouses has also been reopened as part of the heritage railway as far as Ipstones.
The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway and museum complex at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.
The Isle of Mull Railway was a 10+1⁄4 in gauge line, 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) long, which ran from the ferry terminal at Craignure to Torosay Castle, on the Isle of Mull in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. Originally it was known as the Mull and West Highland Railway. The line was marketed as Scotland's original island passenger railway. The line opened in 1983 and closed in October 2010. A limited service operated over the 2011 Easter holiday and during summer 2011. The company's lease expired in October 2011. The track was lifted in October 2012.
The Bala Lake Railway is a narrow-gauge railway along the southern shore of Bala Lake in Gwynedd, North Wales. The line, which is 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) long, is built on a section of the former standard-gauge Ruabon–Barmouth GWR route that closed in 1965. Another section of the former permanent way is used by the Llangollen Railway. The Bala Lake Railway, which runs on 600 mm -gauge preserved rolling stock, is a member of the Great Little Trains of Wales.
Rudyard Lake is a reservoir in Rudyard, Staffordshire, located north-west of the town of Leek, Staffordshire. It was constructed in the late 18th century to feed the Caldon Canal. During the 19th century, it was a popular destination for daytrippers taking advantage of easy access using the newly constructed North Staffordshire Railway. The lake is still used for many water activities such as boating, canoeing, fishing and also for walks and recreational steam train trips.
The Wells and Walsingham Light Railway is a 10+1⁄4 in gauge heritage railway in Norfolk, England running between the coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea and the inland village of Walsingham. The railway occupies a four-mile (6.4 km) section of the trackbed of the former Wymondham to Wells branch which was closed to passengers in stages from 1964 to 1969 as part of the Beeching cuts. Other parts of this line, further south, have also been preserved by the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
The Amerton Railway is a 2 ft narrow gauge heritage railway in the English county of Staffordshire. It is owned by Staffordshire Narrow Gauge Railway Limited, a registered charity, and operated by volunteers.
Weston-super-Mare railway station serves the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England. It is situated on a loop off the main Bristol to Taunton Line, 137 miles 33 chains from the zero point at London Paddington via Box.
Perrygrove Railway is a minimum-gauge railway of 15 in gauge. It is located at Perrygrove Farm in the Forest of Dean, near Coleford, Gloucestershire, England. Trains travel at frequent intervals on a round trip of 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) between four stations. Passengers can ride on the train to use activities including a Treetop Adventure, a covered picnic and play area at Foxy Hollow, an Indoor Village with secret passages, and a den-building area in the woods.
Paignton railway station serves the town and seaside resort of Paignton in Devon, England. It is 222 miles 12 chains (358 km) from London Paddington, via Box. It opened in 1859 and is now the terminus of Riviera Line services from Exeter and heritage services on the Dartmouth Steam Railway from Kingswear.
The Exmoor Steam Railway is a narrow gauge steam railway and locomotive manufacturer, located at Bratton Fleming in North Devon.
The Ashorne Hall Railway was a ridable miniature railway in Warwickshire, England. It was conceived as an added attraction to the collection of mechanical musical instruments at the Ashorne Hall museum. It was completed in the mid-1990s and was called the Nickelodeon Line.
The Churnet Valley line was one of the three original routes planned and built by the North Staffordshire Railway. Authorised in 1846, the line opened in 1849 and ran from North Rode in Cheshire to Uttoxeter in East Staffordshire. The line was closed in several stages between 1964 and 1988 but part of the central section passed into the hands of a preservation society and today operates as the Churnet Valley Railway.
Rudyard railway station served Rudyard, Staffordshire and was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) in 1850 on the Churnet Valley line. In the village the NSR also owned the Rudyard Hotel as part of the company's efforts to develop Rudyard Lake and its environs as a tourist destination.
Waterhouses railway station was a railway station that served the village of Waterhouses, Staffordshire. It was opened jointly by the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) and the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway (L&MVLR) in 1905 and closed in 1943.
Hulme End railway station is a disused railway station in Staffordshire, England.
