Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway (BWLR) is located near the villages of Wormshill
and Bredgar
in Kent
, just south of Sittingbourne
. It is a gauge narrow gauge railway about half a mile in length.
The BWLR is a private line which has been built up as a hobby by a group of friends since the early 1970s. It is a fully operational line, operated to a high standard, with a station, engine sheds and workshops at Warren Wood station and a smaller station at the other end of the line, known as Stony Shaw.
The line is open to the public on the first Sunday of each month throughout the summer, to raise money for various charities. On open days, a number of other attractions are on display including: a model railway, a Showman's road locomotive
, a traction engine
and two steam rollers.
In June 2011, the railway appeared briefly in a segment filmed for the BBC's Saturday Kitchen
programme, that aired on 18 June 2011.
cars.
built by Thomas Horn to a design by James Watt
. One of two supplied to a waterworks at Ashford
. Acquired in 1988 and restored to working order.
, Côte-d'Or
, France
.
Wormshill
Wormshill , historically called Wormsell, is a small village and civil parish within the Borough of Maidstone, Kent, England. The parish is approximately south of The Swale and north of Maidstone. The villages of Frinsted and Bicknor are equidistant to the east and west, respectively; while...
and Bredgar
Bredgar
Bredgar is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England. The village lies some 4 miles to the southwest of Sittingbourne on the road between Tunstall and Hollingbourne...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, just south of Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...
. It is a gauge narrow gauge railway about half a mile in length.
The BWLR is a private line which has been built up as a hobby by a group of friends since the early 1970s. It is a fully operational line, operated to a high standard, with a station, engine sheds and workshops at Warren Wood station and a smaller station at the other end of the line, known as Stony Shaw.
The line is open to the public on the first Sunday of each month throughout the summer, to raise money for various charities. On open days, a number of other attractions are on display including: a model railway, a Showman's road locomotive
Showman's road locomotive
A Showman's road locomotive or showman's engine is a steam-powered road-going 'locomotive' designed to provide power and transport for a travelling fair or circus...
, a traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
and two steam rollers.
In June 2011, the railway appeared briefly in a segment filmed for the BBC's Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen Live is a 90 minute cookery programme, which is broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday mornings. It is currently presented by James Martin; previous presenters have included Antony Worrall Thompson and Gregg Wallace. The programme is currently produced by Cactus TV...
programme, that aired on 18 June 2011.
Operational steam locomotives
Manufacturer | Works number and year |
Wheel arrangement |
Number and name |
Notes | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
L. Schwartzkopf Berliner Maschinenbau Berliner Maschinenbau AG was a German manufacturer of locomotives.The factory was founded by Louis Victor Robert Schwartzkopff on 3 October 1852 as Eisengießerei und Maschinen-Fabrik von L. Schwartzkopff in Berlin .... |
9124/1927 | 0-4-0WT 0-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven... |
No.1 Bronhilde | Used at the Norddentsche Copper smelting works, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... . Sold to Bressingham in 1976. Acquired in 1979, the first steam locomotive at the Bredgar and Wormshill. |
|
W.G. Bagnall W.G. Bagnall W. G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962 when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford... |
2088/1919 | 0-4-0ST | No. 4 Armistice | One of two locomotives used on the Birmingham, Tame and Rea District Drainage Board Railway. Preserved in 1961 and renamed Lady Luxborough. Acquired in 1991 by Bredgar and Wormshill and restored in 1992, regaining her original name. | |
Orenstein & Koppel | 5668/1912 | 0-4-0WT | No. 6 Eigiau | Ex Penrhyn Quarry Railway Penrhyn Quarry Railway The Penrhyn Quarry Railway first opened in 1798 as the Llandegai Tramway; it became the Penrhyn Railway in 1801 although on a different route. Constructed to transport slate from Lord Penrhyn's slate quarries at Bethesda to Port Penrhyn at Bangor, Wales. The railway was around six miles long... . Sold to Bressingham in 1963. Acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 1995. |
|
Decauville Decauville The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville , a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported... |
246/1897 | 0-4-2T 0-4-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
No. 7 Victory | Used at the Invicta Sugar Mill, Giru, Queensland Giru, Queensland Giru is a small town in Queensland, Australia, situated on the Haughton River 56 km south-east of Townsville. The Bruce Highway bypasses the town. Giru is noted for its sugar mill, crushing some three million tonnes of sugar cane annually, the highest in the Southern Hemisphere... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... . Sold in 1963 and used on a tourist railway. Acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 1984. |
|
Hunslet Engine Co. | 1429/1922 | 0-4-0ST | Lady Joan | Used in north Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... slate quarries until 1967. Has been used at Woburn Abbey Woburn Abbey Woburn Abbey , near Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the seat of the Duke of Bedford and the location of the Woburn Safari Park.- Pre-20th century :... and Knebworth Knebworth Park and Winter Green Railway The Knebworth and Winter Green Railway was a narrow gauge railway built in the grounds of Knebworth House in 1972 as a tourist attraction.The railway was built by Pleasurerail Ltd. a company set up to build and operate private tourist railways which included the Great Whipsnade Railway and also... . Acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 1996. |
|
John Fowler & Co. John Fowler & Co. thumb|right|John Fowler & Co. [[steam roller]] of 1923John Fowler & Co Engineers of Leathley Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England produced traction engines and ploughing implements and equipment, as well as railway equipment. Fowler also produced the Track Marshall tractor which was a... |
13573/1912 | 0-4-2T | No. 10 Zambese' | Originally built to gauge. Used on Sena Estates railway, Mopeia, Mozambique Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest... , hauling sugar. Worked until 1965 then became derelict. To UK in 1998, regauged Gauge conversion In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks... to gauge. Steam test passed in 2009 and expected to enter service in 2010. |
and gauge locomotives
Manufacturer | Works number and year |
Wheel arrangement |
Number and name |
Notes | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Henschel & Sohn | 29582/1956 | 0-6-0WT | No. 105 Siam | Worked on a sugar plantation in Chonburi Province Chonburi Province Chonburi is a province of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi and Rayong. To the west is the Gulf of Thailand. The eastern seaboard is heavily industrialized and underpinned by shipping, transportation, tourism, and manufacturing industries, and second to only Bangkok... , Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... . Has visited Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. gauge. Completely overhauled, the locomotive is currently (June 2009) offered for sale in excellent condition. |
Steam locomotives undergoing overhaul or restoration
Manufacturer | Works number and year |
Wheel arrangement |
Number and name |
Notes | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arne Jung Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik The Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik was a locomotive manufacturer, in particular of Feldbahn locomotives, in Kirchen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.... |
3872/1931 | 0-6-0WT 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
No. 2 Katie | Used in sugar plantations in the Cameroons Cameroons British Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in West Africa, now divided between Nigeria and Cameroon.The area of present-day Cameroon was claimed by Germany as a protectorate during the "Scramble for Africa" at the end of the 19th century... . Preserved in 1973 and acquired by the Bredgar and Wormshill in 1980. Has flangeless centre driving wheels. |
|
Orenstein and Koppel | 12722/1936 | 0-4-0WT | No.8 | Used at various construction sites in northern Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... until 1957. To UK in 1970 and used on the Brecon Mountain Railway Brecon Mountain Railway The Brecon Mountain Railway is a narrow gauge preserved railway that runs through the Brecon Beacons along the full length of the Pontsticill Reservoir... . Acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 1999. |
|
John Fowler & Co. John Fowler & Co. thumb|right|John Fowler & Co. [[steam roller]] of 1923John Fowler & Co Engineers of Leathley Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England produced traction engines and ploughing implements and equipment, as well as railway equipment. Fowler also produced the Track Marshall tractor which was a... |
18800/1930 | 0-6-0WT | No. 9 Limpopo | Ex Sena Sugar Estates, No.17. Used at sugar mill in Mopeia, Mozambique Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest... . Acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 1998 and restored to working order, entering service in 2003. |
Operational diesel locomotives
Manufacturer | Works number and year |
Wheel arrangement |
Number and name |
Notes | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baguley-Drewry Drewry Car Co. Drewry Car Co, strictly speaking, was a railway locomotive and railcar sales organisation for most of its life. Only at the start and the end of its life did it build its own products, relying on sub-contractors for the rest of its time... |
3775/1983 | 4wDH | No. 5 Bredgar | Worked on the gauge lines at MoD Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces.... Milford Haven Milford Haven Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name... . Acquired in 1995 and regauged to gauge. |
Diesel locomotives undergoing overhaul or restoration
Manufacturer | Works number and year |
Wheel arrangement |
Number and name |
Notes | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hudswell Clarke Hudswell Clarke Hudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:... |
DM1366/1965 | 0-6-0 | 15 | Ex National Coal Board National Coal Board The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947... Harden Colliery and Seaham Colliery. Sold to South Tynedale Railway South Tynedale Railway The South Tynedale Railway is a heritage railway in England and is England's highest narrow gauge railway. The route runs from Alston in Cumbria to Kirkhaugh in Northumberland via the South Tyne Viaduct, the Gilderdale Viaduct and the Whitley Viaduct... in 1990. To Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway in 2006. As of November 2010 undergoing a major rebuild. |
|
Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
9869/1953 | 4wDM | Supplied new to Great Ouse River Authority River Great Ouse The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in... , Ely Ely, Cambridgeshire Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens... . In service until 1977. Acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 2010 from The Hop Farm Country Park The Hop Farm Country Park The Hop Farm Family Park is a Country Park in Beltring, near East Peckham in Kent, England, is over 450 years old, and has the largest collection of oast houses in the world.-History:... , Beltring Beltring Beltring is a village in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England.Beltring is known for the annual War and peace show which takes place at The Hop Farm Country Park... . |
Traction engines
The museum has four steam road locomotives in the collection; some are operational and steamed on open days and others are undergoing repair, restoration or overhaul.Manufacturer | Works number and year |
Registration number and name |
Notes | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|
Garrett Richard Garrett & Sons Richard Garrett & Sons was a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, steam engines and trolleybuses. Their factory was Leiston Works, in Leiston, Suffolk, United Kingdom.The company was active under its original ownership between 1778 and 1932.... |
33305/1918 | HT 7112 The Mighty Atom |
Road locomotive Road locomotive Road locomotive could refer to:* A type of traction engine, usually referring to those designed for heavy haulage on common roads... built for the Ministry of Munitions and used in France during World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... . Sold as war surplus and converted to a showman's engine. Preserved since 1964, acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 2002. Operational and used on open days. |
|
Garrett Richard Garrett & Sons Richard Garrett & Sons was a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, steam engines and trolleybuses. Their factory was Leiston Works, in Leiston, Suffolk, United Kingdom.The company was active under its original ownership between 1778 and 1932.... |
33442/1919 | BL 9009 | Agricultural engine used at Hartford Manor, Faringdon Faringdon Faringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway... until 1943, then at Witney Witney Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'.... until 1950. Relegated to heating a greenhouse at Brize Norton Brize Norton Brize Norton is a village and civil parish east of Carterton in West Oxfordshire. The original part of RAF Brize Norton is in the parish.-Toponym:... until preserved in 1964. Has been named King of the Road and Caroline in preservation but did not carry a name during its working life. Acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 1988. Operational and used on open days. |
|
Ruston & Hornsby | 115023/1922 | XM 6373 | Steam roller new to Henry Woodham, Catford Catford Catford is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Architecture:... in 1922. Used on road repairs until the 1950s. Preserved in 1978 and acquired by Bredgar and Wormshill in 1988. Operational and used on open days. |
|
Burrell Charles Burrell & Sons Charles Burrell & Sons were builders of steam traction engines, agricultural machinery, steam trucks and steam tram engines. The company were based in Thetford, Norfolk and operated from the St Nicholas works on Minstergate and St Nicholas Street some of which survives today.At their height they... |
2551/1903 | Steam roller exported to Magdeburg Magdeburg Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... in 1903. To Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... by 1921, where it worked until 1957. Undergoing restoration. |
Bean cars
The Bredgar and Wormshill railway is home to a collection of BeanBean cars
Bean Cars were made in factories in Dudley, Worcestershire, and Coseley, Staffordshire, England, between 1919 and 1929.-Origins:The company traced its origins beck to two auto-industry component suppliers, A Harper and Sons and Bean Ltd., both based in England's Black Country...
cars.
Model | Power | Year built |
Registration number |
Notes | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Model 2 | 11.9 hp | 1923 | BU2789 | One of the most original Bean cars in preservation. | |
Model 3 | 14 hp | 1925 | PE2445 | Converted to a pick-up in the early 1930s. Restored to five seat tourer in 1974. | |
Model 4 | 12 hp | 1925 | XW8431 | Used by a funeral director as a following car. | |
Model 4 | 12 hp | 1926 | FD3435 | Car has original body, which has four identical doors. | |
Model 6 | 1927 | SV8671 | Exported new to Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... . Fitted with a body made locally in Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... . |
||
Omnibus | 1929 | UL1771 | Body by Birch Bros Birch Brothers - History :William Birch started running horse-drawn cabs in London in 1837. After his death in 1846 his widow, Elizabeth, contitook over the business and in 1847 extended it to include the running of omnibuses, operating a service between Pimlico and Mansion House. The company was divided between... , Kentish Town Kentish Town Kentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'... on a Bean 1½ Ton chassis. Used as a caravan 1941 - 1966, bought for preservation in 1966 and restored 1988 - 1991. |
||
Model 11 | 1930 | FG6161 | Built on a 1½ Ton chassis. Spent its working life in Wooler Wooler Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"... , Northumberland. Bought for preservation in 1970 and restored 1990 - 2000. |
||
Model 6 Tourer | 14 HP | 1923 | SV9172 | Exported to Australia in 1923, re-imported in 2001. | |
Pick-up Truck | 1926 | ||||
Van | XM7525 |
Other cars
Manufacturer | Model | Year built |
Registration number |
Notes | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rolls Royce Rolls-Royce (car) This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen... |
Phantom I Rolls-Royce Phantom I The Phantom was Rolls-Royce's replacement for the original Silver Ghost.-Description:The Phantom I is the second model in the Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp line. It was originally and even now correctly referred to as New Phantom... |
1928 | YX4095 |
Beam engine
An 1870 beam engineBeam engine
A beam engine is a type of steam engine where a pivoted overhead beam is used to apply the force from a vertical piston to a vertical connecting rod. This configuration, with the engine directly driving a pump, was first used by Thomas Newcomen around 1705 to remove water from mines in Cornwall...
built by Thomas Horn to a design by James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
. One of two supplied to a waterworks at Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
. Acquired in 1988 and restored to working order.
Twinning
The Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway is twinned with the Chemin de Fer de La Valée de l'Ouche (CFVO), Bligny-sur-OucheBligny-sur-Ouche
Bligny-sur-Ouche is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.