Foxfield Railway

Foxfield Railway

Wimblebury seen working a train at Dilhorn Park
Locale Staffordshire
Terminus Caverswall Road
Coordinates 52°58′33″N 2°03′52″W / 52.97570°N 2.06454°W / 52.97570; -2.06454Coordinates: 52°58′33″N 2°03′52″W / 52.97570°N 2.06454°W / 52.97570; -2.06454
Commercial operations
Original gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Stations 2
Length 2 1⁄4 miles (3.6 km)
Preserved gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
1893 Opened
1965 Colliery closed
Preservation history
1965 Railway preserved
Foxfield Railway
 Banktop
Foxfield Colliery
 Dilhorne Park
Caverswall Road
Crewe-Derby Line to Stoke-on-Trent
 Blythe Bridge National Rail
 Crewe-Derby Line to Derby

The Foxfield Railway is a preserved standard gauge line located south east of Stoke-on-Trent. The line was built in 1893 to serve the colliery at Dilhorne on the Cheadle Coalfield. It joined the North Staffordshire Railway line near Blythe Bridge. It is open at weekends and operates trains on Sundays, Bank Holidays and some Saturdays from April to October and Santa Special trains in December.

History

The Foxfield Railway was built in 1892-1893 to provide a link to the North Staffordshire Railway for the Foxfield Colliery. The railway was built by local labour provided by North Staffordshire Railway employees at weekends and supervised by the North Staffordshire Railway foreman plate layer Noah Stanier, using second hand material, again obtained from the North Staffordshire Railway.[1]

Preservation

When the colliery closed in August 1965,[2] local volunteers formed the Foxfield Light Railway Society to preserve the line. At first, passengers were taken in converted trucks up the formidable 1:19 to 1:26 gradient out of the colliery site at Dilhorne, accompanied by a tank engine.

Eventually, new coaches were purchased and a station was built at Caverswall Road, Blythe Bridge, half a mile from Blythe Bridge station. The service runs for 2 1⁄4 miles (3.6 km) from there to the top of Foxfield Bank. The last half mile into the colliery is currently being relaid to suitable standards for passenger trains to be re-introduced.

Location

The original line left the Crewe to Derby Line a little west of the station. The link has been lifted, but several abandoned wagons can be seen in the old sidings from passing trains. A station and depot have been built at Caverswall Road, half a mile north of Blythe Bridge railway station along Blythe Bridge Road.

Although located in Staffordshire, the railway has been used for the filming of sequences for the BBC Television series Cranford, which is set in Cheshire. The railway featured in the two-part Christmas special that was first broadcast in December 2009. Judi Dench, who played the part of Matilda 'Matty' Jenkyns, invited several of the main characters to ride on the train in an attempt to alter their opinions about the benefits of the railway being extended into the town of Cranford.[3]

The station at Caverswall offers visitor facilities such as a Buffet serving hot and cold food and drinks and a Real Ale bar "The One Legged Shunter". Also a museum building displaying a variety of artifacts relating to local railways and locomotives currently out of service.

The railway operates Sundays and Bank Holidays from April to October and Santa Special trains during December.

Locomotive fleet

The Foxfield Railway has the largest collection of standard gauge steam locomotives in Staffordshire, most of which are of industrial origins.

Operational steam locomotives

Steam locomotives undergoing overhaul or restoration

Stored steam locomotives

Operational diesel locomotives

The Foxfield Railway also has an extensive accumulation of industrial diesel locomotives, of which three are operational.

Diesel locomotives undergoing overhaul or restoration

Non-operational diesel locomotives

Non-operational electric locomotives

The Foxfield Railway also has one industrial battery electric locomotive. The locomotive is currently non-operational due to a lack of batteries or overhead lines on site.

Passenger carriages

The railway has a collection of carriages from a wide range of years which are used to take passengers up and down the line.

In 2008 a small group was formed with the aim of restoring the two surviving North Staffordshire Railway 4-wheeled coaches, with a long term aim of recreating a proto-typical Victorian train that would have once operated in the local area. The Knotty Trust, as it has become known as, was registered as a charity in 2009 and in 2012 received a £30,000 grant for the completion of the first vehicle (no. 127).[6] This was completed at Stanegate Restorations, who have become a major supporter in the recreation of a Knotty Train.[7] Since then the collection has grown to include other former 'Knotty Coaches' that have been discovered, as well as other historically important vehicles.

Number Type Status Notes
28 First (FY) Awaiting Restoration Owned by the NSRC, based at the Churnet Valley Railway. Given to the KCT on a 99-year loan in 2014, and so an appeal has now been launched for this vehicle's restoration.[8]
61 Third (TY) Operational The second vehicle to have to have been restored by the KCT. Entered service in August 2014, after a visit to the CVR to launch the "Project 28 Appeal".
127 Third (TY) Operational The first vehicle to have to have been restored by the KCT. Entered service in August 2014, alongside 61.
Brake Third (TB) Under Restoration One of three newly discovered vehicles found in woodland alongside Rudyard Lake, though no number has presently been identified. These vehicles were recovered in October 2014, with the Brake Third being sent away immediately for restoration to begin at Stanegate Restorations.[9] Plans for conversion into an 'Accessible Brake Coach' were announced in November 2014 ahead of the Warley Model Railway show, which will include disable access to the vehicle.[10]
First (FY) Stored One of three newly discovered vehicles found in woodland alongside Rudyard Lake, though no number has presently been identified. These vehicles were recovered in October 2014, and put into store whilst other projects take priority.[9]
First (FY) Stored One of three newly discovered vehicles found in woodland alongside Rudyard Lake, though no number has presently been identified and only half of this vehicle really exists following numerous years in the open. These vehicles were recovered in October 2014, and put into store whilst other projects take priority.[9]
MR Six-wheel Composite Luggage (CLZ) Stored One of two former Midland Railway vehicles donated to the KCT. One of only three survivors, the other two having been restored at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and National Railway Museum respectively. No recognisable number has been found on the body to date. This vehicle is planned to be restored once a fully operation Knotty Train is operational.
1108 MR Bogie Third (T) Stored One of two former Midland Railway vehicles donated to the KCT. This vehicle is planned to be restored once a fully operation Knotty Train is operational.
NSR Brake Van Stored The sides from an original NSR Break Van was found being used as a barn on Kingsley Moor, including the original painted Knotty emblem. These have been recovered and are now stored at Foxfield.
4384 LMS Covered Carriage Truck (CCT) Stored Donated to the trust to assist with the eventual restoration of the CLZ.
731945 LMS Goods Brake Van Stored Frame only. To be modified for use with the ABC.
DB 993867 Shark Brake Van Operational On loan to the KCT. Has been painted in fictitious Victorian Brown livery to operate with 61 + 127 until the ABC is complete.

As of December 2014, the Knotty Coach Trust had 3 main projects underway.

Freight wagons

The railway also has a selection of freight wagons, in order to preserve what remains of Britain's industrial history.

These include the ubiquitous '16 ton' mineral wagons which were associated with coal trains and the railway in the 1960s, and also examples of 21 ton hopper wagons also used for coal traffic.

References

Further reading

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