Telford Steam Railway
| Telford Steam Railway | |
|
Shropshire | |
|---|---|
| |
| Gauge: | standard |
| Location: | 52°39’49"N, 2°28’56"W |
| No. of stations: | 3 |
| Track: | 1 mile |
| Information | |
| Operated by: | Telford Horsehay Steam Trust |
The Telford Steam Railway is a heritage railway running on one mile of track at Horsehay in Shropshire. The railway was formed in 1976.
The railway is operated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas. Its official name is the ' Telford Horsehay Steam Trust Company Limited', which is a registered charity.[1]
History
Telford Steam Railway operates over a portion of the Wellington and Severn Junction railway. The line to Lightmoor and beyond to Buildwas was constructed by the Wenlock, Craven Arms and Lightmoor Extension railway. Both of these became a part of the Wellington to Craven Arms Railway.
For most of its working life the line was operated by the Great Western Railway and subsequently the Western Region of British Railways
The line directions between Buildwas and Lightmoor were counter-intuitive for a period when the line going down the hill was the Up Line (towards London), and the line going up the hill was the Down Line (away from London), as the direction towards London from Lightmoor Junction was then considered to be routed via the former Severn Valley line. Since the last change the up line oes up and the down line down.
Stations and locations
| Spring Village station | 52°39’46"N, 2°28’57"W |
| Horsehay & Dawley station | 52°39’47"N, 2°28’54"W |
| Heath Hill tunnel | 52°40’8"N, 2°28’48"W |
| Lawley Village station | 52°40’18"N, 2°28’48"W |
Current passenger operation
The preserved railway operates between three stations of the former W&SJR.
Horsehay & Dawley platform sits on a north-south through line, beneath Bridge Road. 150 yards to the west, Spring Village platform is at the end of a short spur off the running line. In between the two station platforms are the sidings and yard used for storing the railway's stock. Beyond Spring Village platform is the former goods transhipment shed, built in 1860, which had originally permitted the transfer of goods from the W&SJR to the Coalbrookdale Company's narrow gauge plateway system. The building now serves as the railway's engine shed. At the north end of the line Lawley Village station sits south of the site of the original Lawley station, now occupied by a commercial development.
The Telford Steam Railway's regular passenger timetable consists of a departure from Spring Village north to Lawley Village and then back along the line to stop at Horsehay & Dawley. The train then repeats this journey in reverse, for a round trip taking 50 minutes.
In addition to the standard gauge running line, the railway also operates a short 2' gauge line adjacent to Horsehay Pool. The Phoenix Model Engineering Society operates a 5" model railway on the Spring Village site.
Horsehay & Dawley Station houses a large model railway and a café.
Expansion
The Trust intends to extend the Telford Steam Railway south beyond Horsehay & Dawley station to Doseley Halt, build a new bridge over the A4169 and continue to the Ironbridge Gorge passing through Coalbrookdale and eventually onto the power station site at Buildwas. South of Doseley half a mile of trackbed and two missing level crossings separate the railway's current railhead from the A4169 and Lightmoor Junction. Permission was given in June 2014 by Telford & Wrekin Council for trains to operate south to Doseley once all trackworks and building works have been completed. It is expected for work to commence south from Horsehay & Dawley station to Doseley Halt in the summer of 2015.
Although from the road it appears the formation would have to be raised by a prohibitive amount to achieve the statutory headroom below the bridge over the A4169, surveying confirmed that a modest increase in height will provide the necessary clearance without increasing the already steep gradient between Doseley station and Lightmoor Junction. Network Rail have donated a fabricated steel bridge that will be suitable to span the road which arrived at Spring Village on 15 October 2010.
The extension south of Lightmoor is dependent upon TSR securing the redundant half of the former double track from Lightmoor to Buildwas and reinstating the missing portion of the bridge over Brick Kiln Bank. This bridge was previously reduced to a single track width when Network Rail replaced the original double track width brick arch with single track width concrete section.
In October 2006, with the closure of Lightmoor Junction, Network Rail took the uphill line out of use; the former downhill line becoming a bi-directional extension of the existing single line from Madeley Junction. TSR plans to use the uphill line as its route into the Ironbridge Gorge including extension over Coalbrookdale Viaduct and across the Albert Edward Bridge onto the power station site, at Buildwas, when it closes. TSR intends to reinstate Coalbrookdale station to serve the Ironbridge Gorge Trust's Museum of Iron, Coalbrookdale's original station buildings survive as part of the Green Wood Centre's Woodland Experience site.
In August 2008 Telford Steam Railway concluded negotiations with Network Rail for the lease and occupation of Lightmoor Junction Signal Box. Substantially intact, TSR has begun work to replace components removed by NR and plans to return the box to 1950s conditions. Until it comes into operational use TSR will make it available for group visits and a limited number of open days during the year.
Stock list
Steam
- 0-4-0ST "Rocket" built in 1926
- GWR 5600 Class 0-6-2T No 5619 built in 1925 (ex-main line steam locomotive)
File:No3 at TSR.jpg|right|thumb|Ironbridge No3 at Horsehay
- Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST No 1990, "Ironbridge No3", built in 1940 (under repair)
- Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST No 3240 "Beatty" built in 1917 (under repair)
Diesel
- British Rail Class 108 No 51950 DMBS and No 52062 DMCL
- British Rail Class 104 No 50479 DMBS and No 50531 DMCL
Coaches
- 1961 BR Mk 1 coach No. SC 14901
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Telford Steam Railway) |
References
- ↑ Telford Horsehay Steam Trust Company Limited - Registered Charity no. 1003150 at the Charity Commission
- The Wenlock Branch – Wellington to Craven Arms, Ken Jones, Oakwood Press 1998, ISBN 978-0-85361-500-2