Appleby Frodingham Railway
Template:Short description Template:Refimprove Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Heritage Railway
The Appleby Frodingham Railway - Scunthorpe (AFR-S) is based at Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. The society owns locomotives and rolling stock but not the railway it runs on. The name comes from the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company, now known as British Steel Limited Scunthorpe after the companies buyout by Greybull Capital in 2016, and after going into compulsory liquidation in 2019, Jingye Group. The railway operates entirely within the Steelworks limits over tracks normally used for moving molten iron, steel and raw materials. Trains travel between Template:Convert, all within the steelworks.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
History
Template:Refimprove section Occasional excursion trains were run around the Scunthorpe Steel Works site (such as in 1986) using the works' own locomotives.
In 1990, British Steel PLC celebrated their 100 years of steelmaking at their plant in Scunthorpe. The works asked every department to join in with the celebrations. Keith Norris, rail traffic manager at the time, spoke with the works loco drivers and it was decided the Rail Traffic Department would borrow a steam engine and a coach to take a group of invited dignitaries around the site. After the first tour, over 100 trips were run for school children and members of the public The last trip ran in September, but requests for tours around the work kept coming in.
At the end of 1990, some of the works drivers met British Steel PLC management and asked if they could run the tours again in 1991. With this, and with management in full agreement, the idea of a railway preservation group was born.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
"Bellerophon" was borrowed from the Vintage Carriage Trust at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. British Rail donated 2 ex-Class 108 DMU carriages to be used on rail tours. These tours were run throughout 1991, and donations collected were put towards the maintenance of the coaches and rolling stock.
1992 saw the arrival of "Arnold Machin", an 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunter from (the then) East Coast Slag Co. It was overhauled and returned to working order, whilst steam traction was provided by "Sir Berkley". This locomotive was also on loan from the Vintage Carriages Trust. Towards the end of 1992, a member saw an advert in the Railway Press for a Polish steam locomotive being sold by a Polish steelworks. With these locos being ideal for operations around the work, two members decided to visit the plant in Poland and "Hutnik" (Polish for "iron worker") was purchased and brought back to Scunthorpe.
In 1993, "Hutnik" took charge of her first train, becoming the staple motive power for the next 12 years.
In 1995, after a members' purchase, a Pecket 0-4-0 saddle tank was brought to Scunthorpe, and after receiving a full overhaul, joined "Hutnik" hauling passengers.
Since then, the society has been home to many privately owned locomotives and rolling stock, including a Bagnal 0-4-0 Diesel-hydraulic bought by a members' consortium, and a steam locomotive owned by a group of volunteers at the Derwent Valley Light Railway.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
On occasions, internal steelworks (radio controlled) locomotives have also been used on passenger trains to the delight of visitors, and with many thanks to British Steel.
Locomotives
| Photograph | Number | Class | Name | Current Livery | Year built | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Rolls Royce Janus 0-6-0DE - 54102436225.jpg | No.1 (Works Number: 2877) | Yorkshire Engine Company Template:Whyte Janus | - | Appleby Frodingham Steel Company (Apple Green) | 1963 | Operational |
| File:3138 Hutnik - 0-6-0T steam locomotive built by Fabryka Lokomotyw im. Feliksa Dzierzynskiego, Chrzanów, Poland.jpg | Works Number: 3138 | Template:Whyte steam locomotive built by Fabryka Lokomotyw im. Feliksa Dzierzynskiego, Chrzanów, Poland | Hutnik | AFRPS Maroon | 1954 | Stored / awaiting cosmetic restoration |
| File:Yorkshire Engine 2661 at Frodingham Platform 03-05-03.jpeg | Works Number: 2661 | Template:Whyte diesel electric Half Janus locomotive built by the Yorkshire Engine Company | Arnold Machin | Eccles Slag Company, Scunthorpe (Grey) | 1958 | Under restoration |
| File:Andrew Barclay Works No 2320 NCB 54 0-4-0ST - 54101977621.jpg | Works Number 2320 | Template:Whyte 14" Andrew Barclay steam locomotive | No.54 | NCB Maroon | 1952 | Operational |
| File:AFRPS at Scunthorpe - geograph.org.uk - 5841321.jpg | Works Number: 7409 | 0-6-0DH Diesel Hydraulic Hunslet | No.58 (Workington No.402) | Green with both operating numbers | 1976 | Under Restoration |
| File:No 8368 W G Bagnall 0-4-0 diesel Hydraulic "Horsa" of 1962.jpg | Works Number: 8368 | Template:Whyte diesel hydraulic W. G. Bagnall locomotive built by RSH in 1962 | Horsa | CEGB Goldington (Bedford) | 1962 | Under restoration |
| File:No8 Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Works number 2369 of 1955 under restoration.jpg | No.8 (Works Number: 2369) | Template:Whyte 16" Andrew Barclay steam locomotive | - | NCB East Ayr Area | 1955 | Private owner. Under overhaul |
| File:144 017 Pacer set - DMS 55817 - MS 55853 - DMSL 55840.jpg | Class 144 017 | BR Class 144 'Pacer' 3-Car DMU (DMS 55817 - MS 55853 - DMSL 55840) | - | Northern Rail unbranded | 1986 | Operational |
| File:Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society - geograph.org.uk - 5935804.jpg | No.1 (Works Number: 1438) | Peckett Template:Whyte steam locomotive | (Nechells No.1) | Nechells Power Station Green | 1916 | Private owner. Under restoration |
Rolling Stock
| Photograph | Class / Type | Number(s) | Current Livery | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BR Class 108 DTCL | 56207 | Carmine & Cream | AFR-S | Awaiting Restoration | |
| BR Class 108 TBSL | 59245 | Carmine & Cream | AFR-S | Awaiting Restoration | |
| File:M30106M Ex-LMS Inspection Saloon built 1948.jpg | Operating Department
Instruction Saloon |
395280 (M30106M) | Loadhaul Orange and Black | AFR-S | Under Restoration |
| File:DB993829 ZUQ Shark ballast brake van.jpg | BR 20T Shark Ballast Plough Brake Van | DB993829 (6094) | Departmental Grey | AFR-S | Operational (Restored 2023/24) |
| BR Standard 20T Brake Van | 7606 | BR Maroon | AFR-S | Operational | |
| File:B955010 BR 25 ton brake van.jpg | BR Standard 20T Brake Van | B955010 | Rail Express Services Red | Privately Owned | Stored (No restoration currently planned) |
| BR Standard 20T Brake Van | B955160 | BR Railfreight | AFR-S | Operational | |
| BR Standard 20T Brake Van (Chassis Only) | DB953867 (4702) | - | AFR-S | Used for Storage | |
| LMS 20t Goods Brake Van | 295516 | LMS Light Grey | Privately Owned | Operational | |
| MK1 Tourist Second Open Coach
(Converted to a Lounge Car) |
E4668 | BR / GWR Chocolate & Cream | AFR-S | Stationary | |
| File:No 8368 W G Bagnall 0-4-0 diesel Hydraulic Horsa of 1962.jpg | GWR Toad 20T Goods Brake Van | BW68494 | - | Privately Owned | Under Restoration |
| ex-Internal LUMB Mill Roller Wagon | - | Internal Grey | AFR-S / BSC | Restored / On Display | |
| "MELD" ex-Internal Iron Ore Hopper Wagon | 197 | - | AFR-S | Stored / On Display | |
| ex-Orgreave UCC Tar Tank Wagon | 33 | Orgreave Grey | AFR-S | Stored / On Display | |
| BR 26t Steel Mineral Wagon | B388553 | Plain Grey | AFR-S | Used for Storage / On Display | |
| ex-Internal 4w Bolster Wagon | 4023 | - | AFR-S | Stored / On-Display | |
| ex-BR Frodingham / Internal Plate Layers Van
(converted 12t Fish Van) |
975329 (Internal: 6005) | BR Frodingham Red | AFR-S / BSC | Used for Storage | |
| ex-Internal Short Plate Wagon | 4311 | - | AFR-S | Used for Storage |
Special Events
Template:Refimprove section Irregular special events are organised such as 'Diesel Days' where Corus and other visiting locomotives operated a series of trains through the day. For example, in 2003 one of each type of internal steelworks locomotive: a Yorkshire Engine Company Janus, a Hunslet Anchor Locomotive and a 'High Line locomotive', together with an EWS Class 08 were used on the Gala trains, each making one round trip of around Template:Convert using the societies Brake Vans and Class 108 DMU Carriages.
It is not unusual for the passenger trains to be stopped to allow steelworks trains to pass. It is sometimes possible to see trains carrying molten iron from the "Queens" - Blast Furnaces.