Great Whipsnade Railway
Encyclopedia
The Great Whipsnade Railway, also known as The Jumbo Express, is a gauge narrow gauge heritage railway
that operates within Whipsnade Zoo.
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. The railway is now equipped with four steam locomotives and five diesels (although one has been sold to the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway). Steam services run once every half-hour, usually during the summer holidays.
The track then curves more sharply to the right before straightening up and passing the first elephant paddock on the left. The route then crosses a wide foot path used to move the elephants between paddocks. This crossing is equipped with barriers. The Route continues roughly straight and level past the elephant and Asian rhino paddocks on the right before crossing over a road and entering into the area of the zoo known as passage through Asia. Here there are no barriers between the train and the animals, which consist of Bactrian Camels, Yak and Pere David Deer.
The track then crosses the big ha-ha and turns to the right passing through the deer park (also known as Cut throat paddock) and the Przewalski horses on the right. Here the track slopes downhill before passing through the tunnel.
Emerging from the tunnel into round close paddock the train passes the Africa paddock on the left which contains Gemsbok, Ostrich and common Zebra and Lake Daedelus on the right. Here the track curves more sharply to the right and climbs uphill back to the station level crossing central avenue just before reaching the platform. This level crossing has gates and is manned by platform staff during train operation. The Whipsnade Central station has an old-fashioned signal box which you can see when leaving or approaching the station platform.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
that operates within Whipsnade Zoo.
Overview
Construction started in 1970 and the initial 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 railway is now over a mile long in length.The line was primarily equipped from the Bowater's Railway (now Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway) in 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...
, 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...
, which was the last steam-operated narrow gauge industrial railway
Industrial railway
An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...
in Britain. The railway is now equipped with four steam locomotives and five diesels (although one has been sold to the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway). Steam services run once every half-hour, usually during the summer holidays.
The route
The train normally travels clockwise around the loop. Leaving the station the train travels east under the foot bridge and passing the children's play area and children's farm on the left. At this point the track crosses the road. There are no barriers but the crossing is controlled by an automated warning system. Past the crossing the track begins to curve to the right and descend slightly, passing the emu paddock on the right and the train yard, including the engine shed, on the left. You can sometimes catch a glimpse of a steam or diesel locomotive sitting in the shed, or the diesels Hector and Victor in a siding adjacent to the running track.The track then curves more sharply to the right before straightening up and passing the first elephant paddock on the left. The route then crosses a wide foot path used to move the elephants between paddocks. This crossing is equipped with barriers. The Route continues roughly straight and level past the elephant and Asian rhino paddocks on the right before crossing over a road and entering into the area of the zoo known as passage through Asia. Here there are no barriers between the train and the animals, which consist of Bactrian Camels, Yak and Pere David Deer.
The track then crosses the big ha-ha and turns to the right passing through the deer park (also known as Cut throat paddock) and the Przewalski horses on the right. Here the track slopes downhill before passing through the tunnel.
Emerging from the tunnel into round close paddock the train passes the Africa paddock on the left which contains Gemsbok, Ostrich and common Zebra and Lake Daedelus on the right. Here the track curves more sharply to the right and climbs uphill back to the station level crossing central avenue just before reaching the platform. This level crossing has gates and is manned by platform staff during train operation. The Whipsnade Central station has an old-fashioned signal box which you can see when leaving or approaching the station platform.
Steam locomotives
| No. | Name | Builder | Class | Type | Works Number | Built | At GWR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevalier | Manning Wardle Manning Wardle Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,... |
0-6-2 T | 1877 | 1915 | No | Built for the Chattenden and Upnor Railway Chattenden and Upnor Railway The Chattenden and Upnor Railway was a narrow gauge railway serving the military barracks and depot at Upnor and associated munitions and training depots... , purchased for the Bowaters Paper Railway Bowaters Paper Railway The Bowaters Paper Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway. It had the distinction of being the last steam-operated industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain when it closed in 1969.-History:... at Sittingbourne in 1950, worked the first passenger train at Whipsnade, sold to Bill Parker in 2006. Was the first locomotive to enter GWR service in 1970. |
|
| 2 | Excelsior | Kerr Stuart Kerr Stuart Kerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as James Kerr & Company, and became Kerr, Stuart & Company from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner... |
Brazil | 0-4-2 ST | 1049 | 1908 | Yes | Newly built for the Bowaters Paper Railway Bowaters Paper Railway The Bowaters Paper Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway. It had the distinction of being the last steam-operated industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain when it closed in 1969.-History:... at Sittingbourne, arrived at Whipsnade in 1970. Mainly runs during the summer holidays. |
| 3 | Conqueror | W.G.Bagnall | 0-6-2 ST | 2192 | 1922 | No | Built new for the Bowaters Paper Railway Bowaters Paper Railway The Bowaters Paper Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway. It had the distinction of being the last steam-operated industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain when it closed in 1969.-History:... at Sittingbourne, arrived at Whipsnade in 1970. Sold in 1994 to the Phylis Rampton Trust. |
|
| 4 | Superior | Kerr Stuart Kerr Stuart Kerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as James Kerr & Company, and became Kerr, Stuart & Company from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner... |
Baretto | 0-6-2 T | 4034 | 1920 | Yes | Built new for the Bowaters Paper Railway Bowaters Paper Railway The Bowaters Paper Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway. It had the distinction of being the last steam-operated industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain when it closed in 1969.-History:... at Sittingbourne in Kent, arrived at Whipsnade in 1970. |
Diesel locomotives
| No. | Name | Builder | Type | Works Number | Built | At GWR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Victor | John Fowler John Fowler John Fowler was a Jeffersonian Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Kentucky in the United States Congress.... |
6wDM | 4160005 | 1951 | Yes | Built for a failed groundnuts scheme in Africa, sold to British Portland Cement Co.'s works at Lower Penarth Penarth Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay... , Glamorgan Glamorgan Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three... . Sold to the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway in Powys, Wales. The line is around long and runs westwards from the town of Welshpool via Castle Caereinion to the village of Llanfair Caereinion. The track gauge is .... in 1968, arrived at Whipsnade in 1972. |
| 9 | Hector | John Fowler John Fowler John Fowler was a Jeffersonian Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Kentucky in the United States Congress.... |
6wDM | 4160004 | 1951 | Yes | Built for a failed groundnuts scheme in Africa, sold to British Portland Cement Co.'s works at Lower Penarth Penarth Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay... , Glamorgan Glamorgan Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three... . Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway Welsh Highland Railway The Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway... in 1968, arrived at Whipsnade in 1975. |
| 10 | Mr. Bill | Ruston Hornsby Ruston (engine builder) Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam... |
4wDM | 221625 | 1944 | No | Built for the Royal Navy Armaments Depot Broughton Moor RNAD Broughton Moor RNAD Broughton Moor is a decommissioned Royal Naval Armaments Depot located between Great Broughton and Broughton Moor in the County of Cumbria, England.... military railway. Arrived at Whipsnade in 1992. Named after Sir William McAlpine. |
| 11 | Edward Lloyd | Ruston Hornsby Ruston (engine builder) Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam... |
4wDM | 435403 | 1961 | No | Built for the Nettleton Top iron ore mines. Arrived at Whipsnade in 1970. Sold to the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway in 1972. |
| 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... |
4wDM | 5060 | No | Built as a gauge locomotive for the London Brick Company. Arrived at Whipsnade in 1971. Sold in 1983 to Alan Keef Alan Keef Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineer which manufactures, overhauls and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment.... . |
See also
- British narrow gauge railwaysBritish narrow gauge railwaysThere were more than a thousand British narrow gauge railways ranging from large, historically significant common carriers to small, short-lived industrial railways...
- Umfolozi RiverUmfolozi RiverThe Umfolozi River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, a province of South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Black and White Umfolozi Rivers near the southeastern boundary of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve...
- Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game ReserveHluhluwe-Umfolozi Game ReserveHluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, located 280 km north of Durban, is the oldest proclaimed park in Africa. It consists of 960 km² of hilly topography in central Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is known for its rich wildlife and conservation efforts. The park is the only...