Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust |
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A level crossing on the railway
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| Commercial operations | |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Length | 1+1⁄2 mi (2.4 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust is a special railway that keeps old trains running! It's located at Hunsbury Hill, near Northampton, and has a track about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. This railway is mostly used for carrying goods, just like old industrial railways used to. It has lots of sharp turns and steep hills, which makes it exciting! You can even take a ride in a converted brake van, which is a special carriage used by railway staff.
Contents
Bringing the Railway Back to Life
Over the past few years, a lot of work has been done to fix up the railway. About a quarter of a mile (0.4 km) of the track has been rebuilt. This means the ground was leveled, and new, stronger rails and concrete sleepers (the blocks that hold the rails in place) were put down.
Two old locomotives (train engines) and a brake van have also been repaired. This allows the railway to carry passengers, so you can enjoy a ride! The railway has even received special permission from the HMRI (Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate) to run trains on the newly rebuilt section of the track.
Locomotives: The Engines of the Railway
The Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust has many different types of locomotives. Some are powered by steam, and others by diesel.
Steam Engines
- "Belvedere" is a Sentinel geared vertical boiler tank engine (No. 9365). It was built in 1946 and is currently on display.
- "Musketeer" is another Sentinel geared vertical boiler tank engine (No. 6369). It was also built in 1946 and is on display.
- A Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST engine (No. 2130) was built in 1951. It's currently working and was repaired in 2016. It moved to this railway in 2020.
Diesel Engines
- A Planet 4wDH engine (No. 3967) is working and ready to go.
- A Hunslet Engine Company 0-4-0DM (No. 2087) built in 1940 is being repaired.
- A Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0 engine (No. D697) built in 1950 is also being repaired.
- A Ruston & Hornsby 88DS 4wDM (No. 242858) built in 1946 is waiting for its turn to be fixed up.
- A Fowler 0-4-0DH engine (No. 4220001) named "Charles Wake" was built in 1959 and is working.
- A Fowler 0-4-0DE engine (No. 4200016) called "Flying Falcon" was built in 1962 and is currently being checked over and repaired.
- Another Fowler 0-4-0DH engine (No. 4220022) built in 1947 is being repaired.
- A BR Class 02 Diesel Hydraulic engine (No. D2867) was built between 1960 and 1961. It arrived in June 2023, was repaired and repainted, and is now working.
Past Locomotives
Some locomotives that used to be at the railway have moved to other places:
- "Waleswood" was a Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST engine (No. 750) built in 1906. It was fully repaired at this railway but left in 2019 to go to the Chasewater Railway.
- A Ruston & Hornsby 88DS 4wDM engine (No. 394014) built in 1956 left the railway in January 2023.
Rolling Stock: The Carriages and Wagons
The railway also has different types of rolling stock, which are the vehicles pulled by the locomotives.
- B950061 is a 20-ton LMS (London, Midland and Scottish Railway) brake van built in 1950. It's working and can carry passengers.
- B490310 is a 12-ton LNER (London and North Eastern Railway) open wagon built in 1952.
- M407942 is a 12-ton LMS open wagon built in 1937.
- 321734 is an old Ruston "88" underframe, which is the base of a wagon, named 'Mabel'.
- No. 330 is a Nordberg track machine, used for maintaining the railway tracks.
- A Joseph Booth steam crane is a large crane powered by steam.
- S56134 is a SR (Southern Railway) pillbox brake van.
- BR86803 is a BR GUV Mk1 wagon that has been changed to be used with the crane.
Multiple Units: Passenger Trains
These are trains made up of several carriages that can run on their own, often used for passengers.
Electric Units
- BR Class 411 4CEP TSO units (Nos. 70284, 70296, and 70510) are electric passenger trains.
- BR Class 415 4EPB unit 5176 was the last one of its kind that hadn't been updated. It was built in 1954 and has been changed to a 3EPB unit.
- BR Class 422 4BIG TRSB 69304 unit 2260 is another electric passenger train.
- BR Class 4DD DMBC (No. 13004) was built in 1949 and used to be part of unit 4002. It was painted in BR Green. This unit left the railway in May 2023.
