Saltwood Miniature Railway
Encyclopedia
Saltwood Miniature Railway was a gauge miniature railway which first opened in Sheffield
, but subsequently relocated to Saltwood
in Kent
, England
.
Until its final closure in 1987 the Saltwood Miniature Railway was an important part of community life in Saltwood. In wider terms it came to hold a historically important position as the oldest extant miniature railway in the world.
-type locomotive of mogul
wheel arrangement, but with an oversized boiler by GWR standards. He took these designs to Henry Greenly
, arguably the foremost miniature railway engineer of the twentieth century, and formal plans were devised. Greenly's original drawings, based on Alex Schwab's sketches, are still housed in the Greenly archive collection. It is unknown who named the resulting prototype locomotive Maid of Kent, but Greenly had been the Chief Engineer of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
, which itself had envisaged a locomotive of this name, although a last-minute change had resulted in this RH&DR engine being named 'Samson' instead. The Schwab/Greenly design became a classic of the miniature railway world, and many locomotives have been built in the 'Maid of Kent Class' in 5 in, , and gauges.
train services resumed and a steady pattern of service developed at Saltwood, seeing it outlive many of its contemporaries. Indeed, by the mid 1970s the available evidence suggested that the Saltwood line had become the oldest extant miniature railway in the world. The miniature railway author and engineer Tom Smith conducted world-wide research on this subject, and concluded that the Saltwood line was indeed the oldest miniature railway still operating. During the early 1970s the steam locomotives were replaced with electric engines, and newer coaches were added to the passenger stock. However, in 1987 the owner Alexander Schwab died, and his executors took the decision to sell the assets of the Saltwood Miniature Railway in lots, and to close the line. Certain earthworks, and sheds may still be seen at the site of the railway, as well as other tangible reminders of the line including a deep locomotive inspection pit and a lengthy, and elegant, brick tunnel; another survivor is the substantial locomotive air-raid shelter, designed to protect the engines from a direct hit by a German bomb. However, the track has all been lifted, stations demolished, signals and other equipment disposed of, and the rolling stock is now operating at a variety of new locations.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, but subsequently relocated to Saltwood
Saltwood
Saltwood is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Within the parish are two other settlements: Pedlinge and Sandling; both being small hamlets.-Geography:...
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Until its final closure in 1987 the Saltwood Miniature Railway was an important part of community life in Saltwood. In wider terms it came to hold a historically important position as the oldest extant miniature railway in the world.
Sheffield History
In 1920 Frank Clement Schwab and his son Alexander Carlisle Schwab began constructing a miniature railway line in the extensive gardens of their family home in Sheffield. The railway network which they established was extensive, and was served by a passenger carriage and several wagons, built by the father and son, both of whom were natural engineers. In 1922 Alex Schwab went up to Emmanual College, Cambridge to read Mechanical Sciences, and in the same year the railway took delivery of its first locomotive, supplied by the local Sheffield engineering firm of Jupp.Saltwood History
In 1924 the Schwab family relocated to Saltwood in Kent, and the railway was dismantled and then recreated in the grounds of the new home. In 1931 public open days commenced, in support of charitable causes, and this led to a considerable expansion of the passenger coach fleet, and also the rebuilding of the locomotive into a far more powerful design.Maid of Kent
Design also began on a second steam locomotive. Alex Schwab had an innovative design concept for a Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
-type locomotive of mogul
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
wheel arrangement, but with an oversized boiler by GWR standards. He took these designs to Henry Greenly
Henry Greenly
Henry Greenly was amongst the foremost miniature railway engineers of the 20th century, remembered as a master of engineering design.-Miniature railways:...
, arguably the foremost miniature railway engineer of the twentieth century, and formal plans were devised. Greenly's original drawings, based on Alex Schwab's sketches, are still housed in the Greenly archive collection. It is unknown who named the resulting prototype locomotive Maid of Kent, but Greenly had been the Chief Engineer of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a gauge light railway in Kent, England. The line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch, St...
, which itself had envisaged a locomotive of this name, although a last-minute change had resulted in this RH&DR engine being named 'Samson' instead. The Schwab/Greenly design became a classic of the miniature railway world, and many locomotives have been built in the 'Maid of Kent Class' in 5 in, , and gauges.
Later History
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
train services resumed and a steady pattern of service developed at Saltwood, seeing it outlive many of its contemporaries. Indeed, by the mid 1970s the available evidence suggested that the Saltwood line had become the oldest extant miniature railway in the world. The miniature railway author and engineer Tom Smith conducted world-wide research on this subject, and concluded that the Saltwood line was indeed the oldest miniature railway still operating. During the early 1970s the steam locomotives were replaced with electric engines, and newer coaches were added to the passenger stock. However, in 1987 the owner Alexander Schwab died, and his executors took the decision to sell the assets of the Saltwood Miniature Railway in lots, and to close the line. Certain earthworks, and sheds may still be seen at the site of the railway, as well as other tangible reminders of the line including a deep locomotive inspection pit and a lengthy, and elegant, brick tunnel; another survivor is the substantial locomotive air-raid shelter, designed to protect the engines from a direct hit by a German bomb. However, the track has all been lifted, stations demolished, signals and other equipment disposed of, and the rolling stock is now operating at a variety of new locations.
Locomotives
All Saltwood locomotives were built especially for the line, except Earl of Berkeley which was constructed for the Lechlade Light Railway, and bore the original name King of the Road, but was transferred to Saltwood (and renamed) whilst still less than a year old.| Number | Name | Locomotive type | Wheel arrangement |
Builder | Entered Service | Withdrawn | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | Steam | 0-4-2 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... Tank |
Jubb Engineering | 1922 | 1928 | Parts used in construction of next locomotive |
| 471 | Trojan | Steam | 4-4-2 4-4-2 (locomotive) Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... Atlantic |
F & A Schwab | 1928 | 1970 | Raven Atlantic, rebuilt 1929 as North British Atlantic |
| 260 | Maid of Kent | Steam | 2-6-0 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... Mogul |
F & A Schwab & Henry Greenly Henry Greenly Henry Greenly was amongst the foremost miniature railway engineers of the 20th century, remembered as a master of engineering design.-Miniature railways:... |
1939 | 1975 | Prototype of Maid of Kent Class |
| 5060 | Earl of Berkeley | Battery Electric | Bo'2' | Tom Smith | 1974 | 1987 | Double cab enclosed locomotive, built 1973 |
| 7007 | Great Western | Battery Electric | Bo'2' | Tom Smith | 1976 | 1987 | Designed by A Schwab |
See also
- Henry GreenlyHenry GreenlyHenry Greenly was amongst the foremost miniature railway engineers of the 20th century, remembered as a master of engineering design.-Miniature railways:...
, railway engineer. - The official website of the Saltwood Miniature Railway.
- "The World's Oldest Miniature Railway - The Saltwood Miniature Railway" by T J Smith, privately published 1978.