The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway is a heritage railway in Bo'ness, Scotland.[1] It is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS),[2] a registered charity, and operates a total of over 5miles of track (between Bo'ness and Manuel Junction, via Kinneil and Birkhill), virtually the entire Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway that became part of the former North British Railway on the Firth of Forth.
The Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway has four stations, those being: Bo'ness, Kinneil Halt, Birkhill and Manuel. [3]
The Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway is also the home of the Museum of Scottish Railways.[4] The Museum is located across the tracks from Bo'ness station, entry is paid separately. [5]
Operated by the Bo'ness Gauge O Group, the Model Railway operates alongside the full-size Railway between Easter and December. It is free to enter for visitors but donations are accepted. It is housed inside two Norwegian Railway coaches with the 'viewing coach' open to the public and the 'fiddle yard' coach for staff only.[6] [7] [8]
Most of the steam fleet have had major industrial careers in Scotland, but a few ex-mainline types are also in service.[9] [10]
| Type | Number & name | Status | Livery | Notes | Photograph | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neilson Reid 0-6-0T [11] [12] | No. 56377(No. 1 "Lord Roberts") | Operational | BR Black | Usually painted as Thomas the Tank Engine | ||
| Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST [13] | No. 5 | Inoperative | N/A | There are no plans to restore this locomotive to operational condition in the foreseeable future. | ||
| Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST [14] | No. 7 | Currently Inoperative | N/A | The intention was to returning the locomotive to service with a new 10 year boiler ticket in 2022. | ||
| Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST [15] | No. 68019(No. 19) | Operational | BR Black | |||
| Andrew Barclay 0-6-0T | No. 20 | Inoperative | N/A | Under overhaul | ||
| Caledonian Railway 439 Class [16] [17] | No. 55189 [18] | Operational | BR Lined Black | Returned to traffic in the middle of October 2018 after an absence of years. | ||
| LNER Class D49 [19] | No. 62712 "Morayshire" [20] | Inoperative | Under Repaint | Under overhaul. | ||
| BR Standard Class 4 [21] | No. 80105[22] | Operational | BR Lined Back | Came back into service in 2024 | ||
| LMS Stanier Class 8F [23] [24] | No. 45170 "Sir William McAlpine" | Inoperative | Under Repaint | Repatriated from Sivas in November 2010. Arrived at Bo'ness in November 2014 and currently awaiting restoration to working order, tender now being overhauled in the running shed. |
Former main-line diesel locomotives are abundant at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, and a Summer and Winter Diesel Gala are held each year.
| Class | Number & Name | Status | Livery | Notes | Photograph | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Rail Class D2/10 | D2767 [25] | Inoperative | BR Green | |||
| British Rail Class 08 | 08443/D3558[26] | Currently Inoperative | BR Green | Undergoing overhaul | ||
| British Rail Class 20 | 20020 [27] | Inoperative | BR Blue | |||
| British Rail Class 25 | 25235[28] | Inoperative. | BR Blue | Undergoing overhaul | ||
| 26038 "Tom Clift" [29] | Operational | BR Blue | ||||
| 26024[30] | Inoperative | BR Blue | ||||
| 27001[31] | Currently Inoperative | BR Blue | ||||
| 27005/D5351[32] | Inoperative | Under Repaint | Under overhaul | |||
| 37025 "Inverness TMD"[33] | Currently Inoperative | BR Large Logo | ||||
| 37214[34] | Spares Donor | BR Blue | Repainted into BR Blue in late 2024. | |||
| 37261 "Caithness"[35] | Inoperative | Debranded DRS Compass | Owned by the Scottish 37 Group | |||
| 37403 "Isle of Mull"[36] | Operational and Mainline certified | BR Large Logo | Often does Mainline Railtours. | |||
| 47643 | Currently Inoperative. Undergoing overhaul | Scotrail Executive Red-Stripe |
| Type | Power | Number & name | Current status | Livery | Notes | Photograph | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Rail Class 117 | DMUDiesel | Set L425, (51363, 59510, 51405). And 51372 for spares. [37] | Returning to service at the 2024 Winter Diesel Gala | BR Green with speed whiskers(51372 in BR Blue) | Purchased from the Cotswold Diesel Railcar Group in 2024. [38] | ||
| British Rail Class 126 | DMUDiesel | (formed of 51017, 59404, 79443, 51043)[39] | Inoperative. Undergoing overhaul | BR Green with speed whiskers | 51017, 59404 and 51043 are now virtually complete and form an operational unit. 79443 is undergoing a heavy body restoration. | ||
| British Rail Class 303 | EMUElectric | 303032 (formed of 75597, 61503, 75602)[40] [41] | Undergoing restoration. | Strathclyde Orange and Black (61503 in Carmine/Cream) | 61503 from unit 023 after 032s MBSO damaged during its stay at Immingham docks. [42] |