The Appleby Frodingham Railway - Scunthorpe is based at Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. The society owns locomotives and rolling stock but not the railway it runs on. The name comes from the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company, now known as British Steel Limited Scunthorpe after the companies buyout by Greybull Capital in 2016, and after going into compulsory liquidation in 2019, Jingye Group. The railway operates entirely within the Steelworks limits over tracks normally used for moving molten iron, steel and raw materials. Trains travel between 7miles15miles, all within the steelworks.
Occasional excursion trains were run around the Scunthorpe Steel Works site (such as in 1986) using the works' own locomotives.
In 1990, British Steel PLC were celebrating their 100 years of steelmaking at their plant in Scunthorpe. The works asked every department the works were asked to join in with the celebrations. Keith Norris, who was rail traffic manager at the time, spoke with the works loco drivers and it was decided the Rail Traffic Department would borrow a steam engine and a coach to take a group of invited dignitaries around the site.
After the first tour, over 100 trips were run for school children and members of the public during the 1990 celebrations. With the last trip in 1990 running in the September, but requests for tours around the work kept coming in.
At the end of 1990, some of the works drivers met with British Steel PLC management and asked if they could run the tours again for the following year. And with this, and management is full agreement, the idea of a railway preservation group was born.
"Belerphon", borrowed from the Vintage Carriage Trust at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. British Rail donated 2 ex-Class 108 DMU Carriages to be used on Rail Tours. RailTours were run throughout the year and donations collected were put towards the maintenance of the coaches and rolling stock.
1992 saw the arrival of "Arnold Machin", an 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunter from (named at the time) East Coast Slag co. which was overhauled and returned to working order, whilst steam traction was provided by "Sir Berkley". This locomotive again on loan from the Vintage Carriages Trust. Towards the end of 1992, a member saw an advert in the Railway Press for a Polish steam locomotive being sold by a Polish Steelworks. With these locos being ideal for operations around the work, 2 members decided to visit the plant in Poland and "Hutnik" was purchased and brought back to Scunthorpe.
In 1993, "Hutnik" (Polish for Iron worker) took charge of her first train, becoming the staple motive power for the next 12 years.
In 1995, after a members' purchase, a Pecket 0-4-0 saddle tank was brought to Scunthorpe, and after receiving a full overhaul, joined "Hutnick" hauling passengers.
Since then, the society has been home to many privately owned locomotives and rolling stock, including a Bagnal 0-4-0 Diesel-hydraulic bought by a members consortium and a steam locomotive owned by a group of volunteers at the Derwent Valley Light Railway.
On occasions, internal steelworks (radio controlled) Locomotives have also been used on passenger trains to the delight of visitors, and with many thanks to British Steel.
| Number | Class | Name | Current Livery | Year built | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No.1 (Works Number: 2877) | Yorkshire Engine Company Janus | align=left | - | Appleby Frodingham Steel Company (Apple Green) | 1963 | Operational | |
| Works Number: 3138 | steam locomotive built by Fabryka Lokomotyw im. Feliksa Dzierzynskiego, Chrzanów, Poland | Hutnik | AFRPS Maroon | 1954 | Stored / Awaiting cosmetic restoration | ||
| No.1 (Works Number: 1438) | Peckett steam locomotive | (Nechells No.1) | Nechells Power Station Green | 1916 | Under Restoration | ||
| Works Number: 2661 | diesel electric Half Janus locomotive built by the Yorkshire Engine Company | Arnold Machin | Eccles Slag Company, Scunthorpe (Grey) | 1958 | Under restoration | ||
| Works Number: 8368 | diesel hydraulic W. G. Bagnall locomotive built by RSH in 1962 | Horsa | CEGB Goldington (Bedford) | 1962 | Under restoration | ||
| No.22 (Works Number: 3844) | Hunslet Austerity steam locomotive | align=left | - | United Steel Company Maroon | 1956 | Under Repair (08/23) - Currently on Hire. | |
| No.3 (Works Number: 1919) | Avonside Engine Company steam locomotive | Cranford (Avonside No.3) | Staveley Coal and Iron Company (Unlined Green) | 1924 | Operational - Currently on Hire | ||
| No.8 (Works Number: 2369) | 16" Andrew Barclay steam locomotive | align=left | - | NCB East Ayr Area | 1955 | Under overhaul | |
| Class 144 017 | BR Class 144 'Pacer' 3-Car DMU (DMS 55817 - MS 55853 - DMSL 55840) | align=left | - | Northern Rail unbranded | 1986 | Operational |
| BR Class 108 DTCL | 56207 | Carmine & Cream | AFR-S | Awaiting Restoration | |
| BR Class 108 TBSL | 59245 | Carmine & Cream | AFR-S | Awaiting Restoration | |
| Operating Department Instruction Saloon | 395280 (M30106M) | Loadhaul Orange and Black | AFR-S | Under Restoration | |
| BR 20T Shark Ballast Plough Brake Van | DB993829 (6094) | Departmental Grey | AFR-S | Under Restoration | |
| BR Standard 20T Brake Van | 7606 | BR Maroon | AFR-S | Operational | |
| BR Standard 20T Brake Van | B955010 | Rail Express Services Red | Privately Owned | Stored (No restoration currently planned) | |
| BR Standard 20T Brake Van | B955160 | BR Railfreight | AFR-S | Operational | |
| BR Standard 20T Brake Van (Chassis Only) | DB953867 (4702) | - | AFR-S | Used for Storage | |
| LMS 20t Goods Brake Van | 295516 | LMS Light Grey | Privately Owned | Operational | |
| MK1 Tourist Second Open Coach(Converted to a Lounge Car) | E4668 | BR / GWR Chocolate & Cream | AFR-S | Stationary | |
| GWR Toad 20T Goods Brake Van | BW68494 | - | Privately Owned | Under Restoration | |
| ex-Internal LUMB Mill Roller Wagon | - | Internal Grey | AFR-S / BSC | Restored / On Display | |
| "MELD" ex-Internal Iron Ore Hopper Wagon | 197 | - | AFR-S | Stored / On Display | |
| ex-Orgreave UCC Tar Tank Wagon | 33 | Orgreave Grey | AFR-S | Stored / On Display | |
| BR 26t Steel Mineral Wagon | B388553 | Plain Grey | AFR-S | Used for Storage / On Display | |
| ex-Internal 4w Bolster Wagon | 4023 | - | AFR-S | Stored / On-Display | |
| ex-BR Frodingham / Internal Plate Layers Van (converted 12t Fish Van) | 975329 (Internal: 6005) | BR Frodingham Red | AFR-S / BSC | Used for Storage | |
| ex-Internal Short Plate Wagon | 4311 | - | AFR-S | Used for Storage |
Irregular special events are organised such as 'Diesel Days' where Corus and other visiting locomotives operated a series of trains through the day. For example, in 2003 one of each type of internal steelworks locomotive: a Yorkshire Engine Company Janus, a Hunslet Anchor Locomotive and a 'High Line locomotive', together with an EWS Class 08 were used on the Gala trains, each making one round trip of around NaNmiles using the societies Brake Vans and Class 108 DMU Carriages.
It is not unusual for the passenger trains to be stopped to allow steelworks trains to pass. It is sometimes possible to see trains carrying molten iron from the "Queens" - Blast Furnaces.