Appleby Frodingham Railway
| Appleby Frodingham Railway | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1912 Peckett locomotive with a train at Frodingham platform | |
| Locale | Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Scunthorpe Steelworks |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preservation history | |
The Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society 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 simply known as Scunthorpe Works. The railway operates entirely within the steelworks over the tracks normally used for moving iron, steel and materials around the works.
Train services
Occasional excursion trains were run around the works site (such as in 1986) using the works' own locomotives. Then in 1990, steam-hauled passenger trains were run as part of a works anniversary celebration, using a locomotive borrowed from the Rutland Railway Museum. This was popular enough for further events to be planned using locomotive and carriages borrowed from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. The society now owns (or is responsible for) several steam and diesel locomotives. On occasions the (radio controlled) locomotives, normally used for site operations, have been used on passenger trains.
Locomotives
- 'Loco 1' 0-6-0DE diesel electric Janus locomotive. Built by the Yorkshire Engine Company (works number 2877) in 1963.
- TKh49 'Hutnik' 0-6-0T steam locomotive built by Fabryka Lokomotywim "Feliksa Dzierztnskiego", Chrzanów, Poland (works number 3138) in 1954[1]
- Peckett 0-4-0ST steam locomotive built 1916 (works number 1438)[1]
- 'Arnold Machin' 0-6-0DE diesel electric locomotive built by the Yorkshire Engine Company (works number 2661) in 1958[1]
- No 22. 0-6-0ST Hunslet Austerity steam locomotive (works number 3844), built 1956.[1]
- '1382' 0-6-0DE diesel electric locomotive of the same type as 'Arnold Machin' built by the Yorkshire Engine Company (works number 2872) in 1962. This locomotive arrived from Rocks by Rail on the 11th of May 2015.
- '03901' is a British Rail Class 03 built at Swindon in 1959. Originally D2128, it was renumbered during overhaul due to a different engine and gearbox being used.
Booking
Trains run on a limited number of days during the year and it is normal to book a place (via the website or by telephone) for a specific train. Trains travel between 7 and 15 miles (11 and 24 km), all within the steelworks.
Special events
Irregular special events are organised such as 'Diesel Days' where Corus or other visiting locomotives operate a series of trains through the day. For example in 2003 one of each type of Corus locomotive (a Yorkshire Engine Co 'Janus', a Hunslet 'Anchor' and a 'High Line locomotive') together with an EWS class 08 were used on special trains, each making one round trip of around 6 3⁄4 miles (10.9 km).
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 blast furnaces.
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Appleby Frodingham Railway. |
Coordinates: 53°35′16″N 0°37′39″W / 53.58778°N 0.62750°W