Wells Harbour Railway
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Howard hauling a southbound train on the Wells Harbour Railway. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Fleet size: | 4 |
| Stations called at: | 2 |
| Stations operated: | 2 |
| Route km operated: | 1.1 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Technical | |
| Line length: | 1,200 yards (1,100 m) |
| Gauge: | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) |
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The Wells Harbour Railway is a 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge railway at Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, United Kingdom. It is 1,200 yards (1,100 m) long, running between Wells Harbour and Pinewoods. Diesel locomotives are used.
History
The Wells Harbour Railway was established in 1976 by Roy Francis.[1] It opened in July of that year. There are two stations, Harbour and Pinewoods. Harbour station is located at the town end of the line, and Pinewood is located at the seaward end of the line, where there is a caravan park and the beach is located.[2] The railway provides an alternative to the long walk between Wells next the Sea and its beach. A bus route once served Pinewoods, but this was withdrawn.[1] The engine shed is located at Pinewoods.[2] Over 80,000 passengers were carried in the first two years of operation. In January 1978, a storm washed away over 1⁄2 mile (800 m) of track. The railway was rebuilt and reopened in July that year.[1] In 1980, Francis sold the Wells Harbour Railway and established the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway on part of the trackbed of the dismantled Wymondham to Wells Line. The railway was sold again in 1988, the new owners finding that it was in poor condition. In 1998, new carriages were supplied by Alan Keef of Ross on Wye, Hereford and Worcester. A new steam-outline diesel locomotive was supplied by Keef as the new carriages were too heavy for Weasel to pull. The railway was sold after the 2000 season, with the new owners improving the track and Pinewoods station. Another new locomotive was supplied in 2005.[3]
Operation
The Wells Harbour Railway operates at Weekends from Easter to the May Day bank holiday, then daily until the end of September, using a published timetable. It then operates at weekends until the end of October.[2] The railway claims to hold the record of being the first railway of its gauge (or any smaller gauge) to operate a scheduled timetable passenger service.[4]
Rolling stock
- Current locomotives
| Name | Wheel arrangement | Year built & builder | Notes | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weasel | 4wPM | 1980 David King |
Petrol mechanical locomotive.[2] Powered by an Alfa Romeo petrol engine, driving all four wheels.[5] Currently undergoing restoration and re-build. | |
| Densil | 0-6-0 DH | 1998 Alan Keef |
Steam outline diesel locomotive.[2] Powered by a one-litre 3-cylinder Perkins engine.[5] |  |
| Howard | 0-6-0 DH | 2005 Alan Keef |
Steam outline diesel locomotive.[2] |  |
| The Duke | 0-6-0 DH | 2014 Alan Keef |
Diesel locomotive.[2] |  |
- Former locomotives
| Name | Wheel arrangement | Year built & builder | Notes | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmund Hannay | 0-4-2ST | 1972 David King |
Steam locomotive.[5][5] Sold in 2011 and now based at the Vanstone Woodland Railway in Hertfordshire.[6] |
The original carriages used on the line were made by David King, who was the engineer who built Edmund Hannay. They were two open carriages and two covered carriages with wooden bodies on steel underframes. In 1998, four new covered carriages were made by Alan Keef. These have steel bodies on steel underframes.[3]
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wells Harbour Railway. |
- 1 2 3 "Wells Harbour Railway". Steam Railway Lines. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Wells Harbour Railway 10 1⁄4 inch". Miniature Railway World. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- 1 2 "Wells Harbour Railway History". Wells Harbour Railway. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ↑ "Wells Harbour Railway Homepage". Wells Harbour Railway. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "Wells Harbour Railway Engines". Wells Harbour Railway. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ↑ http://www.vanstonerailway.co.uk/Locos.htm
Coordinates: 52°58′5″N 0°50′54″E / 52.96806°N 0.84833°E
