Ashorne Hall Railway and its history

ASHORNE HALL RAILWAY

Steam locomotive Ashorne in May 2005

Ashorne on the day of the sale viewing

History

The railway at Ashorne Hall in Warwickshire was sadly short lived. It was built by Graham Whitehead over a period of six months in the mid 1990's to complement the attractions at the Hall. It closed in 2003 with his death and sadly never reopened. A sale of the equipment took place in May 2005 and the track was lifted over a period of only a week in June 2005.

The railway was intended as a complementary attraction to the collection or organs and concert room at the Hall. This gave it the title of the Nickelodeon Line. the railway was well equipped with high quality rolling stock and was very well laid out so that its half a mile of track of 12.25 inch gauge track was set out in only 6 acres of grounds. A trip traversed almost all the track twice so that a one mile journey was provided. A number a special event days saw visiting engines such as Sherpa from the Fairbourne and Barmouth Railway and Exmoor from it's private railway.

Equipment & Trains

The final train at Ashorne Hall 14 May 2005

Toastrack coach at Ashorne Hall

A toast rack coach outside the storage shed

The railway started with a single 2-4-2 tank engine built by the Exmoor Steam Railway of Bratton Fleming in North Devon and which carried the name Ashorne. They also provided 3 carriage chassis on which local craftsman Paul Stamp built three superb bodies. These a\re arguably the best carriages ever built for this size of railway. Later a further two toast rack style coaches were added

One of the superb 10 seater coaches

A Petrol locomotive was built at Ashorne by combining a 2-4-2 chassis from Exmoor with a Coventry climax petrol engine. The result was an unusual locomotive a character and it carried the name Bella and an unusual brown livery.

Bella and a toastrack Carrige at Ashorne Hall

Bella and toast rack coach outside the shed at Ashorne Hall

The railway boasted two superb stations complete with waiting rooms and coal fires. A tunnel provided interest half way along the journey. The middle station also had a footbridge and water tower and was only accessed by the train on its return journey. A three road engine and carriage shed provided covered storage for all the rolling stock although it was apparently often not used with the stock left outside awaiting the next set of visitors.

DISPERSAL

When it became clear that the new owners of the Hall would not want a steam railway in the garden the equipment was put up for tender sale. The disposition was the split the railway in three directions. About half the track and two wagons went to start a new railway near Rugby. The petrol locomotive Bella and all the carriages went to a private 10.25 inch gauge railway in the Midlands.

The Steam Locomotive Ashorne and the remaining track went to the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway near Leek in Staffordshire. The locomotive was renamed Pendragon and re-gauged in winter 2005-6 at the Exmoor Steam Railway and has been in regular use since March 2006 at the Rudyard Lake Railway. The track was used to relay part of the main line at Rudyard in 2007 and the points were re-gauged and re laid at Rudyard in February 2008. Click here for details of the latest position.

The abandoned stations and tunnel remained in 2005 as a silent witness that a railway one ran on this site. To see Chris Burgess's excellent site on the lifting and final pictures click Ashorne Hall

As for a brief period all the rolling stock was at the Exmoor Steam Railway in Devon in Autumn 2005 and a special 'Ashorne Hall' day was organised by the new owners and the Exmoor Steam Railway . Click this link for more details.