Great Bush Railway

The Great Bush Railway is a private, 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge running round the edge of Tinkers Park, Hadlow Down, Sussex. The railway is operated by the Claude Jessett Trust Company.[1] The line is 500 meters long and has three stations, Hadlow Down, Bracherlands Junction and Tinkers Lane.

Great Bush Railway
Diesel locomotives of the Great Bush Railway
Overview
HeadquartersHadlow Down
LocaleEngland
Dates of operation1969–Present
Technical
Track gauge2 ft (610 mm)
Length500m

The railway only runs on Tinkers Park events.

History

The line was laid down by Claude Jessett as an attraction to accompany the yearly steam rallies and as a replacement for an earlier miniature railway that existed around his garden. A heavily converted Motor Rail (later named Aminal [sic.]) was acquired from a nearby brickworks. This, alongside coaches built from brick trolleys, ran for a couple of years.

A volunteer group (named FIDO, not an acronym, but named due to the age of the volunteers) established themselves on the site and ran the line. More locomotives were acquired, putting the very worn Aminal out of use. Later the coaches were retired and a bogie coach built to take their place. Over time the FIDO group left for pastures new and the line has since been run by the Claude Jessett Trust as part of the Tinkers Park site.

The line was extended gradually, with a cutting dug by hand, to allow the line to run along the edge of an adjoining field.

The line today

The line runs in a U shape around the edge of a field. From Hadlow Down station, there is a straight run alongside the "Great Bush" which gives the railway its name, before reaching the locomotive shed, workshop and various sidings. After passing alongside, the line then reaches Bracherlands junction passing loop. The line then drops into a 1in25 curve situated in a cutting. The cutting being the largest feature on the line, having been dug gradually while the old organ museum halt being the end of the line (removed and replaced by the latter Bracherlands Junction platform.) After the cutting the line has taken a 180 degree turn running alongside another hedge before crossing over an access road between event fields and ending at Tinkers Lane station.

Current Locomotives
Number Name Builder Type Date Works

number

 Notes Image
1 Aminal Motor Rail 4wDM (ex 4wPM) 1933 5361 Purchased from the Ludlay Brick and Tile Company. Heavily modified using parts from a Trojan Van
4 Mild Motor Rail 4wDM 1941 8687 Purchased from the Crowborough Brickworks
5 Alpha Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM 1937 183744[1] Purchased from the APCM Rodmell Works
10 Cape Orenstein & Koppel 4wDM 1935 5926 Purchased from Cape Universal Products, 1976. Moved to Amberley Museum. Then to Abbey Light Railway. Returned 2018.
14 Albany Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM 1941 213840[1] Purchased from the 18 in (457 mm) gauge Royal Arsenal Railway, converted to 2 ft (610 mm) gauge in 1973
22 Lama BEV 4wBE 1953 5033[1] Purchased from the Crowborough Brickworks
23 BEV 0-4-0BE 1972 M7534 ex Crowborough Brickworks, In unrestored condition
24 Titch BEV 0-4-0BE 1972 M7535[1] Purchased from the Crowborough Brickworks
25 Wolf Motor Rail 4wDM 1940 7469 Worked at Ham Marsh Gravel Pits, Faversham
28 São Domingos Orenstein & Koppel 0-6-0WT 1928 11784[1] Worked at the Douro valley coal mines, Portugal.
29 RJ Brown Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM 1955 382820 Worked at Penrhyn Quarry Railway
30 Drusilla Motor Rail 4wDM 1965 22236 Worked at Drusillas Zoo Park

Former Locomotives
Number Name Builder Type Date Works

number

 Notes
2 Sezela No. 2 Avonside 0-4-0T 1915 1720
3 Goat Lister 4wDM 1936 8022 Purchased from the Crowborough Brickworks, sold to the Surrey Light Railway, 1977
6 Sezela No. 6 Avonside 0-4-0T 1928 1923
7 Fido Motor Rail 4wPM 1931 5297 Purchased from the Surrey Light Railway, 1976; sold to Ian Jolly, 1977, Now at Old Kiln Light Railway[2]
8 Tuesday Hibberd 4wDM 1941 2586 Purchased from the Surrey Light Railway, 1976; sold to the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway, 1988
9 Smifsagit Hunslet Hudson 4wDM 1944 3109 Purchased from the Surrey Light Railway, 1976; sold to Alan Keef, 1979
11 Layer Fowler 4wDM 1936 21294 Ex Brockham Museum, later Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills
12 Hibberd 4wDM 1938 2136 Ex Horam Brickworks, later to Nick Williams, Reading
13 Peter Pan Kerr Stuart 0-4-0ST 1922 4265 Arrived September 1977, left May 1978
15 Olde Hudson Hunslet 4wDM 1940 2176 Arrived 1977, left 1979. Now at the Stevington & Turvey Light Railway
17 Bear Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM 1952 339209 Arrived 1978, left 1979
18 Owl Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM 1939 283513 Arrived 1978, left 1979
19 Hibberd 4wDM 1943 2631 Arrived 1979, left 1987
20 Wingrove & Rogers 4wBE 1951 4634 Arrived 1980 ex Crowborough Brickworks, scrapped 2006
21 Wingrove & Rogers 4wBE 1953 5035 Arrived 1980 ex Crowborough Brickworks, Scrapped 2006
26 No 4 Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM 1936 177638 Arrived 2000, left 2011
27 Number 22 Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM 1944 226302 Arrived 2000, left 2011

Current Rolling Stock
Number Name Builder Type Date Notes Image
105 Robert Hudson Bogie Coach 1981 Built in 1981 to replace former 4w coaches built on Crowborough brickworks wagons.
106 "Trev" 4w Coach Built originally for a private line in Newbold Vernon. Was used in the 2017 season as a generator coach.
110 Great Bush Railway 4w Penrhyn Replica Coach 2018 Built in 2018 to a Penrhyn Quarry Railway Design.
111 A Vaughan Woodworks Bogie Coach 2019 Built in 2019 to a freelance design inspired by Manx Electric Railway trailer cars.
201 Du Croo & Brauns 4w flat Currently not carrying barrel unlike seen in the picture.
202 Robert Hudson 4w Skip Ex Rodmell Cement Works
203 Robert Hudson 4w Skip Ex Rodmell Cement Works
204 Robert Hudson 4w Skip Ex Rodmell Cement Works
205 Robert Hudson 4w Skip Chassis converted to a planked side wagon.
207 Robert Hudson 4w skip Chassis converted to a flat wagon
208 Robert Hudson Bogie Flat Ex MOD
209 Robert Hudson Bogie Bolsters Ex wagon bogies converted to bolster wagon pair.
210 Robert Hudson Brick Wagon Ex Crowborough Brickworks, was used as a coach before rebuilt.
211 Robert Hudson Brick Wagon Ex Crowborough Brickworks, was used as a coach before rebuilt.
301 Great Bush Railway Pump Trolley Old skip frame converted to a pump trolley.

Former Rolling Stock
Number Name Builder Type Date Notes Image
101 Robert Hudson 4w Toastrack 1969 4w Coach built on Crowborough Brickworks chassis.
102 Robert Hudson 4w Toastrack 1969 4w Coach built on Crowborough Brickworks chassis.
103 Robert Hudson 4w Toastrack 1969 4w Coach built on Crowborough Brickworks chassis.
104 4w Toastrack with roof 1969 4w Coach built on Ludlay Brickworks chassis. Body later used on old 206 bolster wagon as a temporary passenger coach.
107 East Hayling Light Railway 4-wheel third Sold to the Old Kiln Light Railway. Awaiting overhaul and conversion into a coach for disabled persons.
108 East Hayling Light Railway 4-wheel third 1996 Sold to the Old Kiln Light Railway. Awaiting overhaul.
109 East Hayling Light Railway 4-wheel third 1992 Sold to the Old Kiln Light Railway. Now under overhaul.
206 Great Bush Railway Bogie Bolsters Replaced by current 209, bolsters built from Crowborough Brickworks wagons
207 Great Bush Railway Tool Van Tool van built on ex Lydd Ranges chassis.

References
  1. Industrial Locomotives: including preserved and minor railway locomotives. 15EL. Melton Mowbray: Industrial Railway Society. 2009. ISBN 978-1-901556-53-7.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Kevin (2001). Sussex Narrow Gauge. Middleton Press. ISBN 1-901706-68-0.
  • Oughton, Ian. Great Bush Railway Locomotives.

See also


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