Edge Hill Light Railway

The Edge Hill Light Railway, one of Colonel Stephens' light railways, was in Warwickshire, England. It was designed to carry ironstone from Edge Hill Quarries to Burton Dassett where a junction was made with the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway. It was never officially opened, but began operating in 1922.[1]

a dead duck of a railway from inception[1]

Edge Hill Light Railway
Overview
StatusClosed
LocaleWarwickshire
TerminiBurton Dassett
Edge Hill Quarries
StationsNone
History
Opened1920
Closed1925
Technical
Line length3.5 mi (5.6 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

In the middle of the line, there was a cable-worked inclined plane at 1 in 6 (16%). As the quarry was at the top of the incline, the incline could be worked as self-acting: the weight of full ore wagons descending was sufficient to draw the empties back up.

Within three years it was found that the iron ore deposits were uneconomic, and the line ceased operating in 1925.[1] It was not dismantled until 1946. A caretaker was employed until the late 1930s in the possibility that the line could be re-opened. In 1942, permanent way from the lower portion of the line was requisitioned for the construction of Long Marston army depot. This had the effect of isolating the line, and the remaining stock at the top of the incline, from the main line and so they survived there until 1946.[2]

Locomotives
Name Number Builder Build Date Notes
Deptford 673 (EHLR 1) LBSCR Class A1X 1872 Scrapped 1946
Shadwell 674 (EHLR 2) LBSCR Class A1 1872 Scrapped 1946
Sankey 1088 Manning Wardle 1889 Scrapped 1946

Goods Stock
Description Origin Quantity Notes
4-wheeled open wagons Various ? All scrapped 1947
Brake vans GER 2 All scrapped 1947

References
  1. "The Railway". Colonel Stephens Museum. Archived from the original on 28 December 2008.
  2. Burton, Anthony; Scott-Morgan, John (1985). Britain's Light Railways. Ashbourne: Moorland Publishing. pp. 110–111. ISBN 0-86190-146-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Further reading
  • Tonks, Eric (1948). The Edge Hill Light Railway.
  • Scott-Morgan, John (1978). The Colonel Stephens Railways: A Pictorial Survey. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0 7153 7544 X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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