Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway facts for kids
Bronhilde pulling into Stony Shaw station
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| Technical | |
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| Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Other | |
| Website | http://www.bwlr.co.uk |
The Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway (often called BWLR) is a special railway located near the villages of Wormshill and Bredgar in Kent, England. It's a type of railway known as a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway, which means its tracks are closer together than standard railway tracks. This fun railway is about three-quarters of a mile long.
The BWLR started as a hobby project by a group of friends in the early 1970s. It's a fully working railway, run very carefully, with a main station, engine sheds, and workshops at Warren Wood. There's also a smaller station at the other end of the line called Stony Shaw.
You can visit the railway on the first Sunday of each month and most Wednesdays during the summer. This helps raise money to keep the old trains and vehicles in great condition. On these special open days, there are lots of other cool things to see! You might find a model railway, a Dutch street organ, a traction engine (a steam-powered road vehicle), a steam roller, an old Victorian engine, an American fire truck, and a collection of vintage tractors and cars.
If you get hungry, the Tearoom is open from Wednesday to Sunday (9:00 AM to 3:00 PM) all year round. They offer tasty teas, coffees, cakes, sandwiches, and lunches. The railway even appeared on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen TV show back in 2011!
Contents
Exploring the Stations
The Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway has two main stations:
- Warren Wood Station: This is the main hub with engine sheds and workshops.
- Stony Shaw Station: The smaller station at the other end of the line.
Meet the Locomotives
The railway has many interesting trains, including steam and diesel locomotives. Some are ready to run, while others are being fixed up.
Steam Locomotives Ready to Go
These are the steam engines that are currently working and pulling trains:
| Builder | Built in | Type | Name | Fun Facts | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunslet Engine Co. | 1922 | 0-4-0ST | No. 3 Lady Joan | This engine worked in slate quarries in north Wales until 1967. It joined the BWLR in 1996. | |
| W.G. Bagnall | 1919 | 0-4-0ST | No. 4 Armistice | Armistice was one of two engines used on a special railway for a drainage board. It was saved in 1961 and came to the BWLR in 1991. | |
| Orenstein & Koppel | 1912 | 0-4-0WT | No. 6 Eigiau | This engine used to work at the Penrhyn Quarry Railway. It arrived at the BWLR in 1995. | |
| Decauville | 1897 | 0-4-2T | No. 7 Victory | Victory worked at a sugar mill in Giru, Queensland, Australia. It joined the BWLR in 1984. | |
| Orenstein and Koppel | 1936 | 0-4-0WT | No. 8 Helga | Helga worked on building sites in Germany until 1957. It came to the UK in 1970 and joined the BWLR in 1999. | |
| John Fowler & Co. | 1912 | 0-4-2T | No. 10 Zambezi | Zambezi was built to a different track size and used to haul sugar in Mozambique. It was changed to the BWLR's track size and started working in 2010. |
Steam Locomotives Being Restored
These steam engines are currently being worked on to get them running again:
| Builder | Built in | Type | Name | Fun Facts | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Fowler & Co. | 1930 | 0-6-0WT | No. 9 Limpopo | Limpopo also worked at a sugar mill in Mozambique. It came to the BWLR in 1998 and started working in 2003. | |
| Arnold Jung | 1931 | 0-6-0WT | No. 2 Katie | Katie worked on sugar plantations in the Cameroons. It was saved in 1973 and joined the BWLR in 1980. |
Diesel Locomotives Ready to Go
These diesel engines are currently working at the railway:
| Builder | Built in | Type | Name | Fun Facts | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baguley-Drewry | 1983 | 4wDH | No. 5 Bredgar | This engine worked for the MoD at Milford Haven. It was changed to the BWLR's track size and arrived in 1995. | |
| Andrew Barclay | 1988 | 4wDM | No. 14 Milstead | Milstead used to work for the RAF at Chilmark. It arrived at the BWLR in 2014. | |
| Schöma | 1991 | 4wDH | Jenny | Jenny was used during the building of the Channel Tunnel. It arrived at the BWLR in 2016. |
Diesel Locomotives Being Restored
These diesel engines are currently being fixed up:
| Builder | Built in | Type | Name | Fun Facts | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Rail | 1953 | 4wDM | No. 12 Bicknor | Bicknor worked for a river authority until 1977. It joined the BWLR in 2010. | |
| Motor Rail | 1936 | 4wPM | No. 13 Lyne | Lyne was originally a petrol engine. It worked for a horticulture company until 2016 when it moved to the BWLR. |
Locomotives That Have Moved On
Some locomotives that were once at the BWLR have now moved to other railways:
| Builder | Built in | Type | Name | Notes | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L. Schwartzkopff | 1927 | 0-4-0WT | No. 1 Bronhilde | Bronhilde was the very first steam locomotive at the BWLR, arriving in 1979. It moved to the Richmond Light Railway in 2021. | |
| Henschel & Sohn | 1956 | 0-6-0WT | No. 105 Siam | Siam worked on a sugar plantation in Thailand. It was a wider gauge engine and moved to a railway in Latvia. | |
| Hudswell Clarke | 1965 | 0-6-0DM | 15 | This engine worked at coal mines. It was at the BWLR from 2006 to 2021. |
Cool Old Road Vehicles
The museum also has some amazing steam-powered road vehicles, called traction engines. Some of them are working and can be seen on open days.
| Builder | Built in | Name | Fun Facts | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett | 1919 | BL 9009 | This agricultural engine was used on farms until the 1950s. It joined the BWLR in 1988 and is often seen working on event days. | |
| Ruston & Hornsby | 1922 | XM 6373 | This steam roller was used for road repairs until the 1950s. It was saved in 1978 and came to the BWLR in 1988. It's also used on event days. |
Vintage Cars
The BWLR is home to a collection of old cars, including several from a company called Bean Cars.
Bean Cars Collection
| Model | Year | Notes | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model 6 Tourer | 1923 | This car was sent to Australia in 1923 and brought back to the UK in 2001. | |
| Model 2 | 1922 | This car is currently being restored. | |
| Model 2 | 1923 | This was one of the most original Bean cars saved. It left the collection in 2012. | |
| Model 3 | 1925 | This car was changed into a pick-up truck in the 1930s, then restored back to a five-seat car in 1974. It left the collection in 2012. | |
| Model 4 | 1925 | This car was used by a funeral director. It left the collection in 2012. | |
| Model 4 | 1926 | This car has its original body with four identical doors. It left the collection in 2012. | |
| Model 6 | 1927 | This car was sent new to Australia and had a special body made there. It left the collection in 2012. | |
| Omnibus | 1929 | This bus body was built on a Bean chassis. It was used as a caravan for many years before being saved and restored. It left the collection in 2012. | |
| Model 11 | 1930 | This car spent its working life in Wooler, Northumberland. It was saved in 1970 and restored. It left the collection in 2012. | |
| Pick-up Truck | 1926 | This vehicle left the collection in 2012. | |
| Van | This vehicle left the collection in 2012. |
Other Cool Cars
The BWLR also has other interesting vintage cars:
| Builder | Model | Year | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolls-Royce | Phantom I | 1928 |
More Amazing Exhibits
Besides trains and cars, the BWLR has other fascinating machines:
The Beam Engine
You can see an 1870 beam engine at the railway. It was built by Thomas Horn based on a design by James Watt. This engine was one of two used at a waterworks in Ashford, Kent. It was brought to the BWLR in 1988 and has been restored to working order.
Railway Friends Across the Sea
The BWLR has a special friendship with another railway in France called the Chemin de Fer de La Valée de l'Ouche (CFVO), located in Bligny-sur-Ouche. They are "twinned," which means they share a friendly connection.
See also
- British narrow gauge railways
