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.

Reeds Road is a terminus located close to the entrance to the Rural Life Living Museum's entrance on Reeds Road and features a platform with small wooden shelter, run-round loop and a pair of sidings used for wagon storage.

Old Kiln Halt on 22 April 2019

Old Kiln Halt has a short platform and passenger shelter and is near the old schoolroom at the centre. The locomotive works and carriage sheds are here, along with further storage sidings.

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 connection to the woodyard operated by the Rustic Timber Group. Passengers typically board trains here on normal running days.

Steam locomotives
NameBuilderWorks NoBuiltWhyte notationNotesPhotograph
Pamela[3]Hunslet92019060-4-0STBuilt for Penrhyn Quarry, North Wales. Requires a new boiler before it can return to service. Most of the body above the frames is from a Hudswell Clarke when Pamela was worn out and rebuilt by Penrhyn Quarry when the expenses of new parts were found to be very costly.
Elouise[3]Orenstein & Koppel999819220-6-0WTSupplied new to Servicios` Florestais, Portugal. Undergoing an overhaul.
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 4wDM 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.
Motor Rail 9655 1951 Diesel 4wDM Supplied new to Warbreck Hill Brickworks in Blackpool. Later moved to Escrick Tile Works. Initially preserved at the OKLR in 1985, sold to Stevington and Turvey Light Railway in 1986. Returned to the OKLR late 2022. [6] Under Overhaul.
Eagle[3]Motor Rail57131936Diesel4wDMSupplied to the Staveley Coal and Iron Company's 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 miltary 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.
Norden[3]Ruston & Hornsby3921171956Diesel4wDMContractor locomotive for Hadley Wood tunnelling scheme for British Rail. Worked on the Fayle's Tramway at Norden in Dorset. Currently on loan to Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum. Operational.
Corbiere[3]Hibberd25281941Diesel4wDMWar Department, Ministry Of Defense, Liphook. Was fitted with a cab and 'Corbiere' nameplates, both now removed to return it to its original condition. Operational.
Moësn/a1955Diesel4wDMBuilt for a brickworks in Rumpst, Belgium. Privately owned by Dan Quine.[7] Returned from restoration to working order in 2017.
Stinker[3]Hudson 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 a 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. Now under overhaul and renovation. Painted green but will be painted to crimson and cream when overhauled. 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. Design is similar to No. 4's. Painted green and cream when bought but now cosmetically refurbished to crimson and cream. Purchased from the Great Bush Railway. Has equipment fitted to allow it to potentially operate as a brake coach.
East Hayling Light Railway 8 4-wheel third Unknown Green and cream. Under a tarpaulin. Purchased from the Great Bush Railway. To undergo conversion to a coach for disabled persons' access. 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.
MoD DH 417 Covered goods van Build date and manufacturer unknown. Was in service at RNAD Dean Hill, hence the 'DH', then purchased by the OKLR. A short portion of the back of the van has been painted white and "FISH" has been painted on the side - fish vans were commonly painted white. Regauged from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm). Design is similar to that of two MoD vans at the MRC. Recently moved to Reeds Road station.
MoD DH 453 Covered goods van Build date and manufacturer unknown. Was used at RNAD Dean Hill, hence the 'DH', later sold to the OKLR. In a better condition than DH417. 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 DH 132[8] Brake van Built 1943 by Chas Roberts & Co. Later used at RNAD Dean Hill, hence the 'DH', then sold to the OKLR. In good condition but needs attention to the floor. Regauged from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm).
RNAD 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 DH 522 4-plank open wagon Built at an unknown date. Ex-RNAD Dean Hill. Sides of wagon removed, common practice with RNAD wagons.
MoD Loco Coal Wagon Painted in a grey livery with white lettering.
MoD C50 2-plank open wagon Recently repainted in a grey livery and lettered 'P/Way Dept Old Kiln Halt'. Fitted with a brake.

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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