Exmoor Steam Railway and its history

EXMOOR STEAM RAILWAY

Denzil shunts whilst Bella waits its next trip

Denzil Shunts the stock in the main station

History

The Exmoor Steam Railway ran at Bratton Fleming on Exmoor in North Devon and was built by the Stirland Family and opened in August 1990. It sadly closed to the public in 2001 when the family decided to concentrate on building steam engines and railways. It's home to a collection of Beyer Garratt engines. Exmoor is probably the most prolific builder of significant sized steam engines in the world. Currently 2 or 3 new steam locomotives emerge each year for gauges from 7.25 inch to 2 feet. A stream of engines departing for service or returning for overhaul takes place. Hopefully at some point the railway will reopen to the public again probably in the form of open days in 2009. Email us if you want information about dates. As the following pictures show it still remains ready for use.

Lorna Doone raises steam August 8th 2006

A resident engine No330 Lorna Doone steams up in August 2006

The Exmoor Steam railway was the main driving force behind the building of the very successful railway at Exbury Gardens in Hampshire.

Beyer Peacock still lives on !

Equipment & Trains

The railways at Exmoor are of two main gauges. The railway built to take visitors around the gardens is 12.25 inch gauge. The resident steam engine is an 0-4-2 Tender tank Locomotive Denzil Built in 1995. A number of locomotives have run here either on trial before delivery or prior to re gauging for other railways. There are bogie coaches and bogie wagons available for use on this railway. Short sections of 10.25 & 15 inch gauge track are also present for testing new locomotives.

Denzil & Lorns Doone August 2006

Lorna Doone & Denzil wait to leave August 8th 2006

However there is also a large collection of nominal two foot gauge locomotives including 4 Beyer Garratt steam locomotives of classes NGG 13 & 16 re-imported into the UK from South Africa. there is also a 2-8-2 NGG 15 class tender locomotive from South Africa. The numbers are:

Beyer Garratt at Exmoor

Beyer Garratt No 109 at Exmoor in 2000

NGG13 No. 77

NGG13 No.77

NGG15 No. 135

NGG16 Nos. 87#, 109, 115, 130

NGG No.115

NGG 130

One of these locomotives is for sale and may relocate in 2006. #No. 87 built by Cockerill works No 3267 built 1937 has been sold for use on the Welsh Highland Railway in Wales and moved to Portmadoc on 3 February 2006.

New Exmoor Built Locomotives

Merlin on test Sept 2000

New engine 296 on Test at Exmoor Sept 2000

Merlin ready for painting

A new engine (Merlin) No.296 ready for painting 1998

Amy Louise No.314 nears completion

A Meyer No.298 is one of a number of the fascinating engines that have never emerged from Exmoor

The works at Exmoor build their locomotives from scratch including the boilers to a very high standard. They have also advised and assisted many people to set up or expand public and private railways.

Double Headed at Exmoor

Double headed at Exmoor are Ashorne & Denzil with all the available rolling stock

St Christopher at Exmoor Sept 2000

A 15 inch gauge 2-6-2T ST. Christopher No 311 in early stages of construction

Two Exmoor engines King Arthur & Pendragon contrast with the scale Leek & Manifold Engine from Trago Mills at the Rudyard Lake Rly in Sep 2007

If you want a steam locomotive of this type built you can do no better than ring/Fax Trevor Stirland on 01598 710711. It must be emphasised that this is a private site and not open to the public or callers without a specific pre arranged appointment.

0-4-2T under construction

A seven an a quarter inch gauge 0-4-2T nears completion Sep 2000

A busy production scene 2006

Pendragon after re gauging and Brasken a brand new engine 5 March 2006

Side view of Lorns Doone August 8th 2006

Lorna Doone a Denzil type engine but with larger boiler & cylinders was completed August 2006

Victoria was completed in late 2007 for the sadly abortive Tintern Steam Railway. It was sold for use on a new line in Yorkshire

The next 10.25 inch gauge 2-4-2T is well underway in Autumn 2007and is likely to be the next engine completed in 2008.

Three maroon engines together at Exmoor on April 3rd 2008 - Dennis, Lorna Doone & Victoria

Dennis is now 12.25 inch gauge ( was 15 inch gauge) and back home at Exmoor after returning from its former home in Cornwall

The next engine will be arguably Exmoor's finest so far for the Exbury Gardens Railway in Hampshire in May 2008

The new 2-6-2 Tender engine Mariloo No.326 was destined for Exbury Gardens and nears completion in April 2008

It was delivered and took the Queen for a ride at Exbury on Saturday May 3rd after she had formally named it.

This website and testimonial comes unsolicited from a satisfied customer who has the privilege of experiencing operating four of these excellent locomotives at Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire. These are Excalibur, Pendragon, Merlin & King Arthur. Click here to see more information.

Tribute To Ashorne Hall

The Ashorne Hall railway closed in 2002 and by coincidence all the rolling stock was at Exmoor in October 2005 for re-gauging before moving to its new owners in the Midlands. Special trains ran on October 9th using all the available stock. The following shows a snapshot of the day. Click here for the most current information on Ashorne . Ashorne will emerge renamed as Pendragon in 2006 named after Uther Pendragon who was King Arthur's father.

Ashorne rides the turntable 9 October 2005