Rutland Railway Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rocks by Rail: The Living Ironstone Museum

Andrew Barclay "Sir Thomas Royden" with a train of mineral wagons.
Location	Cottesmore, Oakham, Rutland
Type	Railway museum

Hawthorn Leslie "Singapore" hauling a train of mineral wagons

The Rutland Railway Museum, now called Rocks by Rail: The Living Ironstone Museum, is a special heritage railway. It uses part of an old Midland Railway line that once carried minerals. You can find it north-east of Oakham, in Rutland, England.

What is Rocks by Rail?

This museum is an outdoor place where you can see how iron ore was dug up and moved. It shows a full ironstone tramway system, from the quarry where the ore was mined to the train tracks where it was loaded onto bigger trains. The museum wants to save and run old industrial trains and wagons that were used in local quarries. They also keep other items related to quarry railways.

Stepping Back in Time: A 1950s Quarry System

The museum looks like a typical quarry system from the 1950s or early 1960s. Back then, both steam and diesel trains were used in the industry. The railway line here connected to the main train line between Melton Mowbray and Oakham at Ashwell Signal Box. This spot was known as Cottesmore Iron Ore Mines Sidings. It was a busy place where three different private quarry railway systems met.

Cool Machines and Exhibits to See

At the museum, you can see some amazing old machines. There's a concrete tipping dock that was used to unload ore from Cottesmore quarries. The building where trains were kept from Woolsthorpe Quarries has also been saved. You can also find large quarry machines like:

• a 22RB Ruston-Bucyrus face shovel (used for digging)
• a 22RB Ruston-Bucyrus dragline excavator (another type of digging machine)
• a Euclid dump truck (used to carry heavy loads)

You can even see the driver's cab from the giant Ransomes & Rapier dragline excavator called Sundew. There's also a cab from another big machine, the 110RB Ruston-Bucyrus dragline, which came from the Barrington Cement Works.

The Simon Layfield Exhibition Centre

The museum also has the Simon Layfield Exhibition Centre. This building has three tracks filled with old trains and wagons. It also has displays that tell you more about the local quarry railways from the past.

Meet "SINGAPORE": A War Hero Locomotive

One special train at the museum is the Hawthorn Leslie locomotive named "SINGAPORE." It was built in 1936. This train was sent to the Royal Navy Dockyard in Singapore. During World War II, it was captured by the Japanese in February 1942. You can still see bullet and shrapnel marks on it from air raids by Japanese planes. "SINGAPORE" is an honorary member of the FEPOW group and is a registered War Memorial.

Enjoy a Ride and Explore the Grounds

The museum offers rides for visitors on a track that is about 0.75 miles long. The whole museum area covers almost 9 acres. You get to ride in restored brake vans, which are like the cabooses that were used on old freight trains in this area. The museum is always happy to receive donations of old items or information that can help them learn more about these railways.

Locomotives at the Museum

The museum has many different types of locomotives, both steam and diesel. Some are working, some are on display, and others are waiting to be fixed up.

Steam Locomotives: Powerful Giants of the Past

Andrew Barclay "Belvoir"

Here are some of the steam locomotives you might see:

• Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST "SINGAPORE" (built 1936): This famous locomotive is on display. Funds are being raised to get it working again. It served in Singapore and Chatham Dockyards.
• Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST (built 1927): This one is currently working!
• Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST "SIR THOMAS ROYDEN" (built 1940): On display.
• Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST "BELVOIR" (built 1954): On display. It came from Woolsthorpe quarries.
• Avonside 0-6-0ST "STAMFORD" (built 1927): On display, waiting for restoration.
• Peckett & Sons 0-4-0ST "UPPINGHAM" (built 1912): On display, waiting for restoration.
• W.G. Bagnall 0-6-0ST "CRANFORD No. 2" (built 1942): On display.
• Yorkshire Engine Company 0-6-0ST (built 1952): On display.
• Peckett & Sons 0-4-0ST "ELIZABETH" (built 1928): This one is being fully fixed up.
• Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST "RHOS" (built 1918): Taken apart, waiting for restoration.

Diesel Locomotives: Modern Powerhouses

Sentinel "Jean" with a hopper wagon train

Thomas Hill "Mr D"

Here are some of the diesel locomotives:

• Yorkshire Engine Company Janus class 0-6-0DE "DE5" (built 1962): On display.
• Yorkshire Engine Company 0-6-0DE 1382 (built 1962): This one is working!
• Rolls-Royce Ltd 0-4-0DH "BETTY" (built 1964): This one is working!
• Rolls-Royce Ltd 0-4-0DH "JEAN" (built 1965): This one is working!
• Rolls-Royce Ltd 0-4-0DH "GRAHAM" (built 1965): Being restored.
• John Fowler & Co. 0-4-0DH "KETTON No. 1" (built 1960): Being restored.
• Ruston Class 165DE 0-4-0DH "ELIZABETH" (built 1958): On display.
• Thomas Hill 4wDH "Mr D" (built 1967): On display.
• Thomas Hill 4wDH No. 8 (built 1967): On display.
• Ruston Class 48DS 4wDM (built 1941): Being overhauled.
• Ruston Class 88DS 4wDM (built 1950): On display.
• Ruston Class LPSE 0-4-0DE "ERIC TONKS" (built 1969): This one is working!

Wagons: Carrying the Load

The museum has many different types of wagons that were used in quarries. They often use these for demonstrations on special open days.

Iron Ore Tippler Wagons

The Ruston Bucyrus 22RB face shovel does some quarry demonstrations with the Iron Ore Tippler rake.

These wagons were designed to tip their contents out, making unloading easy. Many of them are used for demonstrations.

• British Steel Corporation Iron Ore Tippler Wagon 25197 (purchased from BR).
• BR Iron Ore Tippler Wagons: B383560 (1954), B384428 (1955), B384768 (1955), B385005 (1955), B385997 (1958), B387245 (1960), B387643 (1960), B388815 (1961).

Hopper Wagons: Bottom-Unloading Carriages

The Hopper Wagon Train

Hopper wagons have sloped sides and doors at the bottom to unload materials quickly. Many of these are also used for demonstrations.

• Appleby-Frodingham 21 ton peak-ended Iron Ore Hopper Wagon P210000 (1938).
• Sheepbridge Iron and Steel Co. Hopper Wagon 101011 (1926): This is the last one of its kind!
• BR Iron Ore Hopper Wagon B436275 (1950): Also the last one of its kind!
• LMS Iron Ore Hopper Wagons: M690379 (1935), M691079 (1938), M691193 (1938), M691404 (1938), M691535 (1938), M691576 (1938), M691793 (1939), M691804 (1936).
• Private Owner Steel Mineral Hopper Wagon P15675 (1915).

Ironstone Dump Car Wagons: Rare Survivors

These special wagons were used to dump ironstone. The ones at the museum are the very last examples of their kind.

• No. 144 (built 1940).
• No.125 (built 1940).
• No.148 (built 1940).
• No. 141 (built 1940).
• No.97 (built 1939).
• No.76 (built 1939).

Chalk Tippler Wagons

These wagons were used for chalk.

• Four Ex-Barrington Cement works tipplers.

Brake Vans: For Safety and Control

Brake vans were used on both passenger and goods trains to help with braking and for the guard to ride in.

• LMS 12 ft Goods Brake Van M286341 (built 1926).
• LMS 16 ft Goods Brake Van 731874 (built 1944).
• WD 16 ft Brake Van 49006 (built 1941).
• BR Shark Ballast Plough Brake Van DB993734 (built 1953).