Rudyard Lake Steam Railway LOCOMOTIVES

Steam Locomotives

Our original steam locomotives were of the same 2-4-2 type and came from the same builder the Exmoor Steam Railway. However Merlin which was built 5 years after Excalibur is physically bigger. This means that it holds more coal and water and that two people can sit in the cab more easily. These two have been joined in 2005 by a sister engine 2-4-2T No.9 now called Pendragon and a new much larger 0-6-2T No.8 King Arthur.

The boiler pressure of the 2-4-2 tank engines is 150 pounds per square inch and the cylinders are 4 inch diameter with a 5 inch stoke.  They have roller bearings on all the axles and weigh about 2 tons each. They have power to spare in pulling any train we wish and are very reliable and economical in use. It costs less per day to run one of the steam engines than the petrol engine.

No. 6 Excalibur (was River Churnet) 2-4-2T Works No. 294 built 1993

This locomotive was built in 1993 and painted in green livery with the name River Churnet. It has was rebuilt in 2003 and renamed Excalibur and is repainted in a lined blackberry black livery. In service in 2010

No.7 Merlin 2-4-2T works No.296 built 1998 by the Exmoor Steam Railway

Merlin with a short train

No.7 Merlin is painted dark blue It is in use in 2009/10

No.8 King Arthur is an 0-6-2T Works No 324 built 07/05

No.8 King Arthur brand new at Exmoor

King Arthur is believed to be the most powerful conventional steam engine on this gauge of railway. It has cylinders 5.625 X 7.5 inches and a boiler pressure of 150PSI. It has been designed by the Exmoor Steam Railway specifically to pull the heaviest possible trains on the railway. It is a great success and is both economical and powerful.

It is very similar to a 15 inch gauge engine that runs at Longleat.  At 41 inches wide and 5 feet high it is at the limit of the loading gauge for this size of railway. It is in service in 2010

No.9 2-4-2T Pendragon Works No. 297 built 1994 by the Exmoor Steam Railway

This is a sister engine to Merlin in most respects but being slightly shorter and painted maroon. It ran at Ashorne Hall in Warwickshire until that railway closed. It was changed to 10.25 inch gauge over winter 2005/6 and renamed. It  entered service at Rudyard in March 2006 as Pendragon named after King Arthur's father Uther Pendragon. It had returned to the Exmoor Steam Railway for conversion on October 8th 2005. Trial runs at Exmoor were successfully carried out on October 9th and complete trains from the Ashorne Hall railway were run for probably the final time. It finally returned to Rudyard on 5th March 2006 and is now in service. It runs the opposite way round to all the other locomotives.  It is in service in 2010.

No.9 Pendragon waits for the next train

Curwen Atlantic Locomotive Waverley No.196

The steam locomotive Waverley is now resident on the railway. Built in 1950 by David Curwen and has run at Weymouth, Loughborough, Dinting and on Mull. Now owned by a small group of supporters.

To see more views and information on other trains linked to this railway click here.

Talyllyn Sub Divsion

A short length of dual gauge track has been laid at Rudyard so that our 7.25 inch gauge locomotives and equipment can run.There are 2 steam engines and 3 carriages available based on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. These trains will only run on special event days. The steam engines are

No.2 Dolgoch & No.4 Edward Thomas 

Diesel & Petrol Locomotives

 

No. 2  Petrol Engine - Mordred

This is a 4W petrol locomotive built in  1969 by Mr. Terry Stanhope. The cab was lowered and it was repainted bright red. Removed from the railway 1/1/2006 for engine overhaul by Dave Cruickshank of Middlewhich and has been repainted in green. It  returned on July 23rd 2006 and is in use on works trains

No.3 Sir Ernie

This is a 2-2-2 battery electric 'device' fashioned from an electric wheelchair and can haul a wagon or transport a person the length of the line

No. 5 Rudyard Lady

This is a 4W +4W diesel locomotive built in 1989 by a local contractor Mr. L. Smith of Leek. It has a Lister three cylinder diesel engine. It is probably the largest locomotive in existence on this size of railway. It is being overhauled and repainted in Summer 2007 and will emerge in yellow livery in 2008.

ROLLING STOCK

The railway has 11 carriages available for services. All are painted signal red. There is one more under construction and one awaiting delivery.

The current carriage stock list is:

3  two compartment coaches from Exmoor

2 semi open 3 compartment articulated coaches plus one enclosed 3 compartment coach

1 semi open 16 seat coach

2 12 seat enclosed coaches

1 semi-open coach with 16 seats

1 6 seat enclosed saloon coach

LTM Engineering services built our last two carriages and are recommended Click here for information

Goods Wagons

There are currently 3 bogie wagons  and a brake van in use on maintenance work.

More traditional wagons ( one vans , 3 opens)  are available

This gives 3 open wagons and 1 Van in use on the railway as well as the bogie wagons.

Rudyard Lake Railway annual Steam Gala is the opportunity for all the engines to run together with visiting steam engines

Santa specials ran despite the snow with King Arthur and Pendragon pulling the trains.

Improvements to the covered picnic area and extra covered areas on the platform are being provided. This will make waiting for the trains more comfortable in bad weather.