Knebworth Park and Winter Green Railway explained

51.972°N -0.212°W

Railroad Name:Knebworth and Winter Green Railway
Start Year:1971
End Year:1990
Hq City:Stevenage
Locale:England
Successor Line:abandoned

The Knebworth and Winter Green Railway was a narrow gauge railway built in the grounds of Knebworth House in 1972 as a tourist attraction.

The railway was built by Pleasurerail Ltd. a company set up to build and operate private tourist railways which included the Great Whipsnade Railway and also the line at Blenheim Palace. In 1971, they started construction on a railway in the grounds of Knebworth House near Stevenage.[1] The initial line was an end-to-end layout running from the house to the adventure playground. In 1980, the track was extended to form a mile-long continuous loop.

During its existence, the line hosted a number of steam and diesel locomotives. The line continued to run until 1990 when it was lifted and the remaining stock transferred to other lines

Locomotives

These are the locomotives that stayed at Knebworth for extended periods. Not all ran there at the same time and the exact dates when they were present are not always known.

NameBuilderWorks No.BuiltTypeOperating periodNotes
TriassicPeckett12701911on site 1979Now at the Bala Lake Railway
Sezela No. 4Avonside17381915Arrived in 1972Now at the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway
No. 1Hunslet14291922Arrived in 1972Now named Lady Joan and at the Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway
LillaHunslet5541891Arrived in 1972Now on the Ffestiniog Railway.
Sezela No. 2Hunslet17201915Now in the private collection of Nick Williams.
Sao Domingos [2] Orenstein & Koppel117841925on site 1979Static display only at Knebworth. Moved to South Tynedale Railway in 1980. Now restored to working order at the Great Bush Railway
PedemouraOrenstein & KoppelNow at the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway after spending many years at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway
[3] Motor Rail87171941On site 1987Dismantled and converted into a brake van
No. 6 Horatio Ruston & Hornsby2179671942On site 1987Moved first to the Stoke Place Railway in Buckinghamshire, then to the Devon Railway Centre.
Motor Rail89951946On site 1987Dismantled and converted into a brake van
No. 2 Motor Rail215131955On site 1987
Sir Tom [4] Motor Rail40S2731966On site 1987Moved first to the Stoke Place Railway in Buckinghamshire, then to the Devon Railway Centre.

References

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Harris, Michael . On the British Narrow Gauge . Amberley Publishing Limited . 15 November 2019.
  2. Web site: South Tynedale Railway stocklist . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070805220532/http://www.strps.org.uk/str/stocklist/stocklist-index.htm . 5 August 2007 .
  3. Book: Bryant, R.S.. Industrial Locomotives, including preserved and minor railway locomotives. Industrial Railway Society . 1987 . 0-901096-55-5 .
  4. Web site: Motor Rail 40S273 . 4 May 2007 .