Horton Light Railway

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The Horton Light Railway was built in 1905 to transport materials for building the Longrove Asylum that was needed in addition to the previously built Manor Hospital. It was later used to serve other London County Council psychiatric hospitals built in the Horton area to the west of the English town of Epsom. It never (officially) carried passengers - its main purpose being to carry coal and other supplies to the hospitals.

The railway connected with the main network near to Ewell West railway station.

Up to nine hundred workers travelled from Waterloo Station to Ewell West station every day to build the hospitals. The workers had to walk the two and a half miles from Ewell West station to the hospitals as passengers were never officially carried on the railway.

It was a standard gauge light railway built by Forster & Dicksee with the help of a Manning Wardle 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotive named "Hollymoor", or "Puffing Billy" to the local residents. Other locomotives used on the line included "Crossness", "Hendon" and "Sherwood".

It closed, and the track was lifted, circa 1950. The track routes are now walking and riding paths in Horton Country Park.

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