Dean Forest Railway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dean Forest Railway
9681 north of Lydney Junction station
Locale	West Gloucestershire
Commercial operations
Built by	Severn & Wye Railway
Original gauge	Tramway (prior to 1868) 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge (1868 to 1872) 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge (from 1872)
Preserved operations
Stations	5 open
Length	4+1⁄4 miles (6.8 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened	1813
1868	Converted to 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge
1872	Converted to 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Closed	1977
Preservation history
1970	The Society is formed
1971	First open day at Parkend
1978	First open day at Norchard
1983	The Duke of Gloucester visits
1986	Route purchased from BR
1991	Norchard to Lakeside opened
1995	Lakeside to Junction opened
2001	Lydney Town opened
2002	Norchard to Tufts opened
2003	Tufts to Whitecroft opened
2006	Parkend opened by HRH Princess Anne
2012	Whitecroft opened
Headquarters	Norchard

The Dean Forest Railway is a special railway line in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It's about 4+1⁄4 miles (6.8 km) long and runs between the towns of Lydney and Parkend. This railway is known as a heritage railway, which means it uses old trains and tracks to give people a taste of what train travel was like in the past.

This railway line was once part of the bigger Severn and Wye Railway, which connected Lydney to Cinderford. A group of railway fans started running steam trains here in 1971. They bought the railway line from British Rail in 1986. Over time, they managed to open up the line all the way to Lydney Junction by 1995 and Parkend by 2005. Today, you can ride on trains pulled by old steam engines, classic diesel engines, and even old-fashioned diesel multiple units (trains with their own engines).

The Dean Forest Railway has even received an old station building from Griffithstown. It was moved in June 2016 and will be set up at the new Speech House Road stop. If you're traveling by train, you can even buy a special ticket from CrossCountry that includes your journey to Lydney and a ride on the Dean Forest Railway!

The railway has exciting plans for the future. They want to make the line 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) longer, reaching into the heart of the Royal Forest at Speech House Road. This would make the railway nearly 6+3⁄4 miles (10.9 km) long in total. There are also plans to extend the railway all the way to Cinderford. This big project could get a lot of help from the government.

Exploring the Dean Forest Railway Stations

The Dean Forest Railway has several interesting stops along its line.

• Lydney Junction: This is one end of the railway line.
• St Mary's Halt: This stop is now closed, but you can still see it.
• Lydney Town: Another station along the route.
• Middle Forge Junction: Here, the line splits into two different levels. There isn't a station here.
  • Norchard Low Level: This is the main headquarters of the railway. It has a railway museum and a shop where you can buy souvenirs.
• Norchard High Level: You can get here from the Low Level station using a ramp and steps.
• Tufts Junction: This is an old junction where other railway lines used to connect. There's no station here now.
• Whitecroft: A station on the line.
• Parkend: This is the other end of the railway line.

Future Plans for New Stations

The railway hopes to add more stations in the future, including:

• Coleford Junction Halt
• Bicslade Wharf
• Speech House Road
• Cinderford

Locomotives: The Engines of the Railway

The Dean Forest Railway is home to many different types of locomotives, both steam and diesel. These powerful machines are what make the trains move!

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  1450 passes through Oakenwood, just north of Whitecroft.

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  9681 hauling goods into Parkend.

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  1450 masquerading as 1401 as part of DFR's Titfield Thunderbolt Weekend.

Steam Locomotives

Steam locomotives are classic trains that use boiling water to create steam, which then powers the engine. They are a big part of the railway's charm.

Number & Name	Type	Current Status	Colour	Image
No. 5541	GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T	Running, built in 1928.	BR lined Green
NCB No. 3880/WD 152 "Rennes"	Austerity 0-6-0ST	Running, built in 1944.	LMR Blue
No. 9681	BR(W) 0-6-0PT GWR 5700 Class	Being fixed up, built in 1949.	BR Black
No. 2147 "Uskmouth 1"	Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST	Being restored, built in 1952. This was the DFR's first engine!	Light Green
No. 3806 "Wilbert"	Austerity 0-6-0ST	Waiting for boiler repairs, built in 1953. Named after Rev. W. Awdry, who wrote the Thomas the Tank Engine books.	Dark Blue with Red Lining

Diesel Locomotives and Units

Diesel locomotives use diesel engines, similar to those in trucks, to power the train. The railway also has diesel multiple units, which are passenger trains that have their own engines.

Number & Name	Type	Current Status	Colour	Image
No. 5622 "Don Corbett"	Hunslet 0-4-0 Diesel Shunter	Running	Departmental Yellow
No. 08769 (D3937) "Gladys"	BR 0-6-0DE Class 08	Running.	BR Green
No. D9521	BR 0-6-0 Class 14	Running	BR Blue
No. E50619	BR Class 108 DMBS	Being fixed up	BR Green
No. M51914	BR Class 108 DMBS	Running	BR Green

Locomotives That Used to Be Here

Some locomotives that once called the Dean Forest Railway home have now moved to other railways or are no longer in service.

Number & Name	Type	Current Status	Colour	Image
No. 1450	GWR 0-4-2T 1400 Class	Running at the Severn Valley Railway.	GWR green
No. 9642	BR(W) 0-6-0PT 5700 Class	Being fixed up. Now at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.	BR Black
No. 4953 "Pitchford Hall"	GWR 4900 Class	Running. Now at the Epping Ongar Railway.	BR Lined Black

Visiting Locomotives

Sometimes, other railways lend their locomotives to the Dean Forest Railway for special events like galas.

Number & Name	Type	Current Status	Colour	Image
Rocket (replica)	Stephenson's Rocket	Running. This is a copy of the famous early steam engine.	Yellow
No. 30587	LSWR 0298 Class	Running. Visited for special anniversaries.	BR Black
WD 132 Sapper	Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST	Running. Visited several times.	WD Green
Jessie	Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST	Running. Has visited as Thomas the Tank Engine for special events!	Black with Wasp Stripes
City of Truro 3440 (3717)	GWR 3700 Class, or City Class, 4-4-0	Not running. Visited for important openings and anniversaries.	GWR Green

Coaches: Where Passengers Ride

The Dean Forest Railway uses different types of coaches to carry passengers. Many of these are old British Railways Mark 1 and Mark 2 carriages. The railway society recently bought two Mark 2 coaches so that the older Mark 1s can be fixed up.

Great Western Railway Coaches

These coaches are from the old Great Western Railway, a famous railway company in Britain.

Design	Type	Number	Status	Colour	Notes	Image
Collett Standard	TK	5813	On display	Chocolate and Cream	Used as a sales coach to help raise money for engine No. 9681.
Hawksworth	Inspection Saloon	W80943	Running	Chocolate and Cream	Built in 1948, this coach was used for inspecting the railway line.

British Railways Coaches

These coaches were built by British Railways, which ran trains across the UK for many years.

Coach Type Codes

Here are some common codes you might see for railway coaches:

• BCK – Brake Composite Corridor (has seats and a guard's area)
• BSK – Brake Standard Corridor (has standard seats and a guard's area)
• BSOT – Brake Standard Open (Micro-Buffet) (open seating with a small snack bar)
• RMB – Restaurant Miniature Buffet (a coach with a small restaurant)
• SK – Standard Corridor (standard seating with a side corridor)
• TK – Standard Corridor (another type of standard seating with a side corridor)
• TSO – Tourist Standard Open (open seating, often used for tourists)
• BG – Brake Gangwayed (a luggage van with a guard's area)

Wagons: For Carrying Goods

The Dean Forest Railway has many different types of wagons. Some are on display, showing what trains used to carry, while others are used for railway work. You can often spot them in the sidings (side tracks) along the line. Sometimes, the railway even offers special "ride on freight" trains where passengers can sit in the brakevans!

Brakevans

Brakevans are special wagons where the guard sits. They have brakes that the guard can use to help slow down or stop the train.

Design	Type	Number	Status	Colour	Image
SR 25 Ton	Queen Mary Brake	56303	Running	BR Brown
LMS 20 Ton	Standard Brake	732400	Running	BR Brown
BR 20 Ton	Shark Brake	DB993901	Running	BR Grey
GWR 20 Ton	Toad Brake	W68480	Running	BR Grey

Images for kids

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  Fowler 0-4-0DM Diesel Shunter 4210127

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  Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2221

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  Hibberd 0-4-0DM Shunter No. 3947 "Planet"

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  BR Class 08 No. 08238 "Charlie"

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  BR Class 14 No. D9555

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  BR Class 31 No. 31210

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  BR Class 31 No. 31466

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  BR Class 108 DTCL No. M56492

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  BR Class 108 TSL No. M59387

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  GWR 1400 Class No. 1450 with an autocoach

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  GWR 0-6-0ST No. 813

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  GWR 4575 Class No. 5521

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  GWR 5101 Class No. 4150

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  Taff Vale Railway O1 class No. 28

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  GWR 7800 Class 7812 'Erlestoke Manor'

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  BR Class 08 No. 08473 being scrapped

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  BR Class 08 No. 08734

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  BR Class 25 No. D7633

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  BR Class 37 No. 37308

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  BR Class 73 No. 73001

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  BR Class 73 No. 73002

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  BR Class 421 No. 1499

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  LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T No. 41312

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  LSWR T9 Class No. 30120

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  Metropolitan Railway E Class No. 1

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  Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST 75008 Swiftsure

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  Midland Railway 1377 Class 41708 (1704)

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  GWR 1366 Class 1369

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  GWR 1400 Class 1466

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  LMS Fowler Class 3F 47383

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  GWR 7800 Class 7802 'Bradley Manor'

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  GWR 2251 Class 3205

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  GWR 5101 Class 5199

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  BR Class 03 No. D2069

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  BR Class 14 D9537

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  BR Class 17 D8568

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  BR Class 20 D8188/20059

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  BR Class 26 D5343

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  BR Class 33 33063/ D6583 R.J. Mitchell

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  BR Class 42 D832 Onslaught

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  BR Derby Lightweight 79900 'Iris'

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  BR Class 150 150244

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  BR Class 201 DEMU unit 1001