Edge Hill Light Railway
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox rail line
The Edge Hill Light Railway was a standard-gauge light railway in Warwickshire, England. It was designed to carry ironstone from Edge Hill Quarries to Burton Dassett, where a junction was made with the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway.<ref name="BLR"/> It was never officially opened, but began operating in 1922.<ref name="Stephens Museum, EHLR"/>
Route
The line was Template:Convert long in two sections linked by a cable-worked incline with a gradient of 1 in 6 (16%).<ref name="Stephens Museum, EHLR"/> As the quarry was at the top of the incline, the incline could be worked as self-acting: the weight of full ore wagons descending was sufficient to draw the empties back up.
History
The Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway proposed a branch line to the ironstone quarries at Edge Hill during the First World War, and a subsidiary company, the Edge Hill Light Railway was set up to build it, with Colonel Stephens appointed as the company's engineer.<ref name="BLR"/> Operations began in 1922 but within three years it was found that the iron ore deposits were uneconomic, and the line ceased operating in 1925.<ref name="Stephens Museum, EHLR"/> The rails were not dismantled until 1935 and at least one of the locomotives was not cut up until 1946.<ref name="BLR"/> In 1942, permanent way from the lower portion of the line was requisitioned for the construction of the army depot now known as MoD Kineton. This had the effect of isolating the line, and the remaining stock at the top of the incline, from the main line and so they survived there until 1946.<ref name="BLR, EHLR" />
Locomotives
| Name | Number | Builder | Build Date | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deptford | 673 (EHLR 1) | LBSCR Class A1X | 1872 | Scrapped 1946 | <ref name="BLR"/><ref name="terriers"/><ref name="SiC"/> |
| Shadwell | 674 (EHLR 2) | LBSCR Class A1 | 1872 | Scrapped 1946 | <ref name="BLR"/><ref name="terriers"/><ref name="SiC"/> |
| Sankey | 1088 | Manning Wardle | 1888 | <ref name="BLR"/> |
Goods stock
| Description | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-wheeled open wagons | Various | ? | All scrapped 1947 |
| Brake vans | GER | 2 | All scrapped 1947 |
References
Further reading
External links
- A photo gallery of the line
- Edge Hill Light Railway on Warwickshire Railways