Great Whipsnade Railway
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| Great Whipsnade Railway | |
|---|---|
| Locale | England |
| Dates of operation | 1970 – present |
| Track gauge | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) |
| Length | 1½ miles |
| Headquarters | London |
The Great Whipsnade Railway is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge narrow gauge heritage railway that operates within the Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. Construction started in 1970 and the inital line opened on August 26 1970. The line provided rides within the animal enclosures and an additional attraction in its own right. Originally called the Whipsnade and Umfolozi Railway, it began as a short line running from near the children's zoo. It was later extended to form a loop through several paddocks.
The line was primarily equipped from the Bowater's Railway (now Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway) in Sittingbourne, Kent, which was the last steam-operated narrow gauge industrial railway in Britain.
Contents |
[edit] Locomotives
| Number | Name | Builder | Type | Works Number | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevalier | Manning Wardle | 0-6-2 T | 1877 | 1915 | Built for the Chattenden and Upnor Railway, purchased for the Bowaters Paper Railway in 1950, worked the first passenger train at Whipsnade |
| 2 | Excelsior | Kerr Stuart | 0-4-2 ST | 1049 | 1908 | Built new for the Bowaters Paper Railway, arrived at Whipsnade 1970 |
| 3 | Conqueror | W.G.Bagnall | 0-6-2 ST | 2192 | 1922 | Built new for the Bowaters Paper Railway, arrived at Whipsnade 1970. Sold 1994 to the Phylis Rampton Trust |
| 4 | Superior | Kerr Stuart | 0-6-2 T | 4034 | 1920 | Built new for the Bowaters Paper Railway, arrived at Whipsnade 1970 |
| 9 | Victor | John Fowler | 6wDM | 4160005 | 1951 | Built for a failed groundnuts scheme in Africa, sold to British Portland Cement Co.'s works at Lower Penarth, Glamorgan. Sold to the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway in 1968, arrived at Whipsnade 1972. |
| 9 | Hector | John Fowler | 6wDM | 4160004 | 1951 | Built for a failed groundnuts scheme in Africa, sold to British Portland Cement Co.'s works at Lower Penarth, Glamorgan. Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1968, arrived at Whipsnade 1975. |
| 10 | Mr. Bill | Ruston Hornsby | 4wDM | 221625 | 1944 | Built for the Broughton Moor military depot railway. Arrived at Whipsnade in 1992 |
| Ruston Hornsby | 4wDM | 435403 | 1961 | Built for the Nettleton Top iron ore mines. Arrived at Whipsnade in 1970. Sold the the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Railway 1972 | ||
| Motor Rail | 4wDM | 5060 | Built as a 3 ft (914 mm) gauge locomotive for the London Brick Company. Arrived at Whipsnade in 1971. Sold in 1983 to Alan Keef |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Thomas, C.S. (1995). The Whipsnade & Umfolozi Railway and the Great Whipsnade Railway. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0 85361 478 4.
[edit] External links
