Old Kiln Light Railway

The Old Kiln Light Railway[1] is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway at the Rural Life Living Museum in Tilford, near Farnham, Surrey. It has a collection of historic locomotives and rolling stock including two steam locomotives. It operates on most weekends in the summer and occasionally certain midweek days during school half term.

Old Kiln Light Railway
"Altonia" at Reeds Road, 5 April 2015
LocaleEngland
Preserved operations
Length0.5 miles (0.8 km)
Preserved gauge2 ft (610 mm)

History

Founded in the early 1970s as a heritage Wey Valley Light Railway, it was first located around a disused pumping station in Farnham. In 1982 the land was sold for housing and the track and equipment were moved to the Old Kiln Museum, now known as the Rural Life Centre. The line has since lengthened around the centre and a small stretch of track serves the museum's heritage timber yard demonstration area.

Stations
Reeds Road station on 22 April 2019

The railway has four stations: Reeds Road, Old Kiln Halt, Oatlands and Mills Wood.

Reeds Road was built in 2003 to replace a sleeper-built platform,[2] is the south-western terminus, has a passenger waiting room, a run-round loop and a siding for storing rolling stock.

Old Kiln Halt on 22 April 2019

Old Kiln Halt is where the locomotive works and carriage sheds are located, along with further storage sidings. The platform at this station is currently not open for public use.

Oatlands was the far terminus of the line until extension to Mills Wood. It has a platform with a small waiting room with a stove. It is located behind the museum's playground and is sometimes used as the passenger boarding point during events. It was previously named "Waverley End Station".

Mills Wood station on 22 April 2019

Mills Wood is the other terminus of the line, on the north-east side of the Rural Life Centre. It has a waiting room partly built from the body of an old Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway passenger tram, a run-round loop and a branch connection to the woodyard. Passengers typically board trains here on normal running days.

Steam locomotives
NameBuilderWorks NoBuiltWhyte notationNotesPhotograph
Pamela[3]Hunslet92019060-4-0STRebuilt by Penrhyn Quarry in 1950s, resulting in unique appearance. Requires a new boiler before it can return to service.
Elouise[3]Orenstein & Koppel999819220-6-0WTSupplied new to Servicios` Florestais, Portugal. Operational.
Emmet Jim Haylock 2005 0-4-0T Currently on loan from The Moors Valley Railway. This loco was constructed using the frame of a 1937 O&K diesel loco. Operational.

Internal combustion locomotives
NameBuilderWorks NoBuiltFuelWhyte notationNotesPhotograph
AltoniaBaguley17691928Diesel0-4-0DHSupplied new to the Lilleshall Abbey Woodland Railway. Moved to the Alton Towers Park Railway in 1952. Purchased for preservation by a private owner in 2002 and moved to Surrey. Sold in 2010, and then permanently loaned to the OKLR in 2012.[4]
Motor Rail8981[3]1946Diesel4wDMMidhurst Whites. Purchased by OKLR in 1986.[5] Re-gauged from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) to 2 ft (610 mm). Under Overhaul.
Phoebe[3]Motor Rail88871944Diesel4wDMEx-War Department. Under overhaul.
Bluey Motor Rail 9655 1951 Diesel 4wDM Supplied new in 1951 to Warbreck Hill Brickworks in Blackpool. 1969 moved to Escrick Tile Works near York. 1981 moved to North Ings Farm. Entered preservation at OKLR in 1985, sold to private buyer 1986. Returned to the OKLR late 2022, making it the only loco that has been at the railway twice. [6] Under Overhaul.
Eagle[3]Motor Rail57131936Diesel4wDMSupplied to the Staveley Coal and Iron Company Campbell Brickyard. Moved to Stanton & Staveley Concrete Pipe works in Ilkeston in 1968. Purchased by Alan Keef, then sold to Brian Gent in 1980 and moved to the Wey Valley Railway. Moved to the OKLR in 1982.[5] Fitted with Dorman 2RB Engine. Awaiting overhaul.
Fido[3]Motor Rail52971931Petrol4wPMUsed at the Weydon Lane sand pits in Farnham. Awaiting restoration.
Sandrock[3]Ruston & Hornsby1776391936Diesel4wDMSupplied to the County Borough of Derby. Operational.
Red Dwarf[3]Ruston & Hornsby1818201936Diesel4wDMEx-Severn Trent Water Authority. Operational.
Susan Ruston & Hornsby 211609 1941 Diesel 4wDM New to War Department and worked at various military locations, including Eastriggs, Portsmouth and Lydd Ranges. Gained name 'Susan' whilst in military service. Sold by MoD to short lived Stoke Place Railway in Buckinghamshire and dismantled in 1989. Bought by private owner and moved to OKLR in dismantled condition in 2021 and restored to running condition by 2023. Operational.
CorbiereHibberd25281941Diesel4wDMWar Department, Ministry Of Defense, Liphook. Operational.
Moës1955Diesel4wDMBuilt for a brickworks in Rumpst, Belgium. Privately owned by Dan Quine.[7]
StinkerHudson Hunslet19441939Diesel4wDMEx-Enfield Rolling Mills.

Used in the Basingstoke Canal restoration. Awaiting restoration.

ChampionHunsletAD361971Diesel4wDHEx-Lydd Ranges in Kent. Operational.
Wey ValleyHunsletAD371971Diesel4wDHEx-Lydd Ranges in Kent. Rebuilt in 1988 by Andrew Barclay. Operational.
WeyfarerHunsletAD381971Diesel4wDHEx-Lydd Ranges in Kent. Operational.
LizWickham30311941Petrol4wPMRebuilt in 1973 by Jim Haytor[3] from an unmanned target trolley with a single cylinder Petter engine.
SueWickham29811941Petrol4wPMRebuilt by E.J. Stephens in 1977[3] from unmanned target trolley with an 850cc Reliant engine

Coaches
Origin Number Type Build date Notes Photograph
Lilleshall Light Railway 1 Open carriage 1928 Lilleshall line closed upon the outbreak of WWII. Later sold to Alton Towers in March 1953 and was there until purchased in 1996, then went to OKLR in 1999. A roof was fitted in 2015. Operational.
Lilleshall Light Railway 2 Open carriage 1928 Lilleshall line closed upon the outbreak of WWII. Later sold to Alton Towers in March 1953 and was there until purchased in 1996, then went to OKLR in 1999. Operational.
Old Kiln Light Railway 3 Open Carriage 1989 Replica of type used at Penrhyn Quarries that were used on works trains. Operational.
East Hayling Light Railway 4 4-wheel third 1996 Built at Mill Rythe Workshop on the EHLR as No. 6. It was purchased from the East Hayling Light Railway in 2008. Operational. Painted red and cream.
Old Kiln Light Railway 5 4-wheel third Unknown This coach was originally a side-tipping stone wagon, purchased by the OKLR and converted into a passenger carriage. Replica carriage of a Glyn Valley Tramway third. Operational.
East Hayling Light Railway 6 4-wheel third 1992 Built at Mill Rythe Workshop. Was built as EHLR no. 4. Purchased from the Great Bush Railway.
East Hayling Light Railway 7 4-wheel brake 1996 Built at Mill Rythe Workshop. Requires overhaul. Painted green and cream when bought but now cosmetically refurbished to crimson and cream. Purchased from the Great Bush Railway.
East Hayling Light Railway 8 4-wheel third Unknown Green and cream. Purchased from the Great Bush Railway. Requires overhaul.

Wagons
Origin Number Type Notes Photograph
East Hayling Light Railway 10 Brake Van Build date unknown. Purchased from the EHLR as a mobile ticket office, later converted into a brake van. Operational and used on most passenger services.
A. Holt C&W Works 11 Manrider Built 2023. Personnel transporter for works trains. Operational.
RNAD Dean Hill DH 417 Fish Van Build date and manufacturer unknown. Was in service at RNAD Dean Hill, hence the 'DH'. Regauged from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm). Design is similar to that of two MoD vans at the MRC.
RNAD Dean Hill DH 453 Covered goods van Build date and manufacturer unknown. Was used at RNAD Dean Hill, hence the 'DH'. Regauged from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm). Design is similar to that of two MoD vans at the MRC. One of the doors has been removed and filled in for the time being.
RNAD Dean Hill DH 132[8] Brake van Built 1943 by Chas Roberts & Co. Later used at RNAD Dean Hill, hence the 'DH'. Regauged from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm).
RNAD Dean Hill DH 323 1-plank open wagon Built at an unknown date. Ex-RNAD Dean Hill. Sides of wagon removed, common practice with RNAD wagons.
RNAD Dean Hill DH 178 Flat wagon
RAF Fauld Steel sided dropside Original body removed. Painted in a grey livery with white lettering.
RAF Chilmark C50 2 Plank End Door Original body removed. Ballast wagon.
RAF Chilmark C108 Flat Painted in 1930s Military Green
RAF Chilmark C69 Dropside
RAF Chilmark C91 Flat Painted MOD Grey

Awards

The OKLR received the "Surrey Industrial History Group Conservation" award in 1994[9][10]

References
  1. Old Kiln Light Railway
  2. "Old Kiln Light Railway". 26 April 2022.
  3. Industrial Locomotives: including preserved and minor railway locomotives. Vol. 16EL. Melton Mowbray: Industrial Railway Society. 2012. ISBN 978 1 901556 78 0.
  4. "N° 1769 "Altonia"". Old Kiln Light Railway. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  5. "Motorrails of Bedford". Old Kiln Light Railway. 13 June 2017.
  6. "Motorails of Bedford". Old Kiln Light Railway. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  7. "Narrow Gauge Railways". Dan Quine.
  8. "Full Ex Dean Hill Train".
  9. "Surrey Industrial History Group (SIHG) | Surrey Archaeological Society".
  10. "Old Kiln Light Railway". Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
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