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Beeches Light Railway

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Coordinates: 51°55′25″N 1°18′32″W / 51.92374°N 1.308797°W / 51.92374; -1.308797
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The Beeches Light Railway at Ringkingpong Station
Map of Beeches Light Railway

The Beeches Light Railway was a private narrow gauge railway in Steeple Aston, Oxfordshire, England, in the garden of the late Adrian Shooter, the former director of Chiltern Railways. The line contained one station, Rinkingpong Road (Bengali: রিনকিংপং রোড) at an elevation of 351 feet (107 m) above sea level.[1]

History[edit]

Adrian Shooter (driver, right) with Jeremy Davey (fireman, left) onboard locomotive No.19 at Beeches in 2019.

In 2019, Shooter announced that the Beeches Light Railway would close at the end of the year. It was planned to move the railway to a new, larger location, reopening in spring 2020.[2][3][4][5] As of December 2022 the railway remained in situ, but was dismantled in the months following, after Adrian Shooter's death. The house, including the station building and sheds were put up for sale in 2023.[6]

Track[edit]

The nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) railway track with a gauge of 2 ft (610 mm) was built between 2002 and 2004.[7] It resembled a figure of eight, with a loop around the back garden and another around the front, where it crossed the main drive. An Indian-style railway station and sheds were behind the house. The theme of an Indian railway was present throughout, including the name of the station ("Ringkingpong Road Station"), fare evasion signs citing Indian rupees, and some interior decorations as well. Although the railway was private, and not subject to rail regulations, it was run professionally by Shooter and experienced volunteers with railway rulebooks and regulations, and the steam engine had to be certified each year.[8]

Rolling stock[edit]

Steam locomotive[edit]

Steam locomotive 778

The railway's primary motive power, a Class 'B' steam locomotive 778,[9][10] was built by Sharp Stewart in 1888, works number 3518. 778 was built for India's Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.[11] where it ran until either 1960 or 1962, when it was sold to Elliot Donnelley, a railway enthusiast in the US,[12] who was the major shareholder in RR Donnelley Co, a large printer and publisher in Chicago. After Donnelley died in 1975 the locomotive passed to the Hesston Steam Museum,[7] where it stayed until it was bought by Adrian Shooter in 2002 and restored to working order.

Carriages[edit]

Two modern replicas of the carriages used on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway were occasionally used to transport invited guests.[7][8][13][14][15] These carriages were commissioned from Boston Lodge works, to accompany the locomotive.[16][17][18]

Draisine[edit]

Adrian Shooter's draisine of the type 'Ford Model T' on the Beeches Light Railway

Shooter owned also a replica Ford Model-T motorcar that he ran on the tracks. It is based on a modified car used by the USA railway to inspect tracks[8] on the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad. The replica was commissioned from the Statfold Barn Railway.[19] It includes a jacking system that will lift the wheels free of the rails and allow it to be rotated on its axis in order to go the other way round.[20]

Additional rolling stock[edit]

Stored in the railway shed there was some rolling stock from the London Mail Rail, an underground goods railway line, which was used to transport letters and parcels between sorting depots before it was mothballed.[8]

Visiting locomotives[edit]

On 1 July 2018 the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society celebrated its twentieth anniversary at the line. Two visiting locomotives were in steam: W. G. Bagnall 0-4-0ST Woto, and Baguley 0-4-0T Rishra (formerly of a Kolkata (Calcutta) water works in India).[21]

List of former rolling stock[edit]

Number Type Names Built Builder Notes
19 B B Class DHR 778 1889 Sharp, Stewart and Company Works #3518; DHR No.19. Rebuilt at Tindharia Works (1908). Overhauled (1956). Withdrawn (30 September 1960). Purchased by Elliot Donnelley (1962) for Ampersand, Reset and South Eastern Railroad, Lake Forest, Illinois, US. Relocated to Hesston Steam Museum, US (1967; 1982‒). Damaged by fire (26 May 1985), restored (1985), retired (1988). Purchased by Adrian Shooter (2002). Arrived at Tyseley Locomotive Works (19 January 2003‒). Rebuilt with tender and railway air brakes (2003). Beeches Light Railway, England (2004‒2023). Purchased by Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust (21 June 2023). Relocated to Statfold Barn Railway, England (2023‒). Planned overhaul (2024).[22]
73 Carriage (Replica) 2004 Boston Lodge Beeches Light Railway, England; 4 windows, door, 5 windows[23] Purchased by Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust (21 June 2023). Relocated to Statfold Barn Railway (2023‒).[24]
154 Carriage (Replica) 2004 Boston Lodge Beeches Light Railway, England; 1 window, door, 6 windows, door, 1 window; end window[25] Purchased by Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust (21 June 2023). Relocated to Statfold Barn Railway (2023‒).[26]
Parlor Car (Replica) Carrabasset 2004 Boston Lodge Delivered 2005. Modelled on Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Parlor Car #9 Rangeley. Sold to Statfold Barn Railway (2022‒)
Diesel-Hydraulic Col. Frederick Wylie 1994 Hunslet Engine Company Works #9349. Originally Stacy. Rebuilt by Alan Keef Ltd (2004). Sold to Ffestiniog Railway (2023‒), renamed Mol yr Hudd[27][28][29]
37 Mail Rail 1930 English Electric Works #760. Originally Post Office red, repainted green.[28][30]
44 Mail Rail 1930 English Electric Works #812. Motor bogies only[28]
Diesel locomotive Major Gerald Scott 1957 Motor Rail Works #21619. Painted same green as Mail Rail No. 37[28] Formerly at Solway Moss peat works. Subsequently at Bressingham Steam and Gardens (2023‒)[31][32]
Diesel locomotive 1930 Robert Hudson Works #38384[28]
Scindia State Railway (Replica) Replica carriage with observation deck.[33] Little Braxted Bakery railway (2023‒). Refitted for Pullman dining (2024‒).[34]
RNAD Van (Generator) Cravens 1942 Painted in Darjeeling blue. Generator van for Carrabassett kitchen + carriages. Purchased by Statfold Barn Railway (2023‒).[35][36]
Ford Model T rail car 2008 Statfold Barn Railway Works #9901 (Hunslet)[28][37]
Brake van Robert Hudson Gray, with "BLS" in white text.[38]
Flat wagon Cravens Painted black[39]
4-Plank wagon Cravens Darjeeling red.[40]
RNAD Van Cravens Darjeeling red.[41]
RNAD Van V2 Cravens Darjeeling red.[42]
Flat wagon FL2 Cravens Darjeeling red.[43]

Closure[edit]

As of March 2023, after Adrian Shooter's death, the 1 mile (1.6 km) of track, plus rolling stock from the railway were auctioned for sale in June 2023.[44] The winning bid for 778 was by The Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust, who managed to buy both 778 and the two replica coaches, which are now based at Statfold Country Park.[45]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Plumb, Geoff (24 June 2011). রিনকিংপং রোড [Rinkingpong Road] (JPG). Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  2. ^ Holden, Michael (12 February 2019). "Private steam railway set for closure". RailAdvent.
  3. ^ Devereux, Nigel (6 March 2019). "Beeches Light Railway moving to new site". The Railway Magazine.
  4. ^ Davis, Samuel; Heritage Collection (30 July 2019). Conclusion (PDF). Heritage Assessment The Beeches, Steeple Aston (Report). Cherwell District. pp. 18, 26. The railway that runs around this field and the garden is unusual, but it was built in the 21st century and so has no heritage interest. … The Beeches consists of a house built c.1908, a number of outbuildings, a field to the west of the site and a miniature railway built between 2002 and 2004. The proposal is for the construction of eight residential properties. Two replacing the outbuildings to the north-east of the site and six within the field to the west.
  5. ^ Malcolm Payne Group (26 July 2019). Indicative Layout (PDF) (plan). The Beeches, Steeple Aston. Cherwell District. Existing buildings/structures to be removed
  6. ^ Savills. The Beeches (brochure) (Report). Guide Price £2,250,000 … two generous steel frame corrugated metal sheds with full height double doors to one end, one with a full inspection pit … A railway station (replica of one on the Darjeeling/Himalayan railway line), … with four sets of double doors to the platform/terrace and paddock … brochure prepared July 2023
  7. ^ a b c Sinha, Kounteya (18 September 2014). "Love for Darjeeling toy train makes Briton buys off world's oldest surviving locomotive". Times of India. Retrieved 13 January 2016. model number 778 … run it in his personal garden … tracks over 1.5 km is in the form of a loop … Ambassador car that runs by the train when it chugs through his garden to give it a real feel of Darjeeling. … station that looks exactly like the original Sukna station
  8. ^ a b c d Ian Mansfield: The Beeches Light Railway – a private steam railway. Uploaded on 10 July 2011. Retrieved on 19 February 2016.
  9. ^ "One of the original "B Class" Sharp Stewart Steam Locomotive Comes Home". Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  10. ^ Yang, Alice (11 November 2011). "Interview: Adrian Shooter". Felix Online. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  11. ^ Industrial Locomotives: including preserved and minor railway locomotives. Vol. 16EL. Melton Mowbray: Industrial Railway Society. 2012. p. 172. ISBN 978 1 901556 78 0.
  12. ^ The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society: DHR B class Number 19 celebrates its 120th Birthday.
  13. ^ Hearn, Dan (28 May 2010). "Rail boss with a special train set". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 10 December 2015. three-acre estate at Steeple Aston, near Bicester.
  14. ^ Debroy, Bibek (1 January 2016). "Locomotive number 778". Business Standard. India. owns Beeches Light Railway. Indeed, it operates out of his residence in Steeple Aston, Oxfordshire.
  15. ^ Sharma, Anuradha (14 August 2014). "An Indian Relic in Oxfordshire". Forbes India. Retrieved 13 January 2015. Shooter bought an "arts and crafts" style house in Steeple Aston village, shipped in a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) steam locomotive and set up his own private railway—the Beeches Light Railway—in his three-acre garden.
  16. ^ Dimmick, R (4 May 2012). New Build - Darjeeling Himalaya Railway Carriages (PDF). Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways. pp. 9, 11. Archived from the original (brochure) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2015. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  17. ^ Sinha, Kounteya (19 September 2014). "Oldest toy train chugs through British garden". Times of India. Retrieved 13 January 2016. two replicas of DHR carriages were constructed at the Boston Lodge Works of the Ffestiniog Railway. These and the locomotive run in Adrian Shooter's private garden railway.
  18. ^ Sinha, Kounteya (20 September 2014). "A Darjeeling joyride in a British garden". Times of India. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  19. ^ "July fun for all the family on the rails!". rail.co.uk. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2016. Model T railcar … based on a Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railway (Maine, USA) Superintendent's Inspection Car. … built for Adrian Shooter at the Statfold Barn Railway in 2008 and resides at Adrian's private Beeches Light Railway
  20. ^ Chris Allen: Beeches Light Railway - interesting vehicle. The Geograph No 4111684.
  21. ^ Hewitt, Sam (15 August 2018). "Darjeeling society marks its 20th anniversary at Beeches". News. Railway Magazine. Mortons Media. Retrieved 20 June 2024. Bagnall 0-4-0ST Woto worked a train of replicated DHR goods stock, while Baguley 0-4-0T Rishra steamed back and forth along the station loop line; a wheel profile incompatibility with the station turnouts preventing running on the main line circuit.
  22. ^ "Lot 161: The 19B Darjeeling 'B' Class locomotive. 1889". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. Sharp Stewart & Co, Glasgow engine number 3518 of 1889 … original roof. The locomotive has 8 replica plates attached to it, the original plates are to be sold as separate lots after the sale of the 19B. The plates also show the Hindi equivalent. … Hammer: £250,000
  23. ^ Marks, Roger (21 July 2007). "Beeches Light Railway 73". Retrieved 25 June 2022 – via Flickr. Beeches Light Railway coach 73. Based on an existing Darjeeling Himalayan Railway coach, it was built by the Festiniog Railway's Boston Lodge Works in 2004.
  24. ^ "Lot 163: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway replica passenger guard's coach No. 73". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. built by the Ffestiniog Railway at their Boston Lodge Works for the Beeches Light Railway in 2004. Fitted with dual brakes, Vacuum and twin-pipe air brakes. 24ft. Hammer: £15,000
  25. ^ Marks, Roger (9 July 2011). "Beeches Light Railway 154". Retrieved 25 June 2022. Based on an existing Darjeeling Himalayan Railway coach, it was built by the Festiniog Railway's Boston Lodge Works in 2004.
  26. ^ "Lot 162: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway replica passenger coach No. 154". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. built by the Ffestiniog Railway their Boston Lodge Works for the Beeches Light Railway in 2004. Fitted with dual brakes, Vacuum and twin-pipe air brakes. 24ft. Hammer: £20,000
  27. ^ "Moel yr Hydd". Festipedia. Ffestiniog Railway. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  28. ^ a b c d e f Murray, Andrew (25 August 2018). "The Beeches Light Railway". Fixture Reports. Branch Line Society website. The Branch Line Society. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  29. ^ "Hunslet Diesel Locomotive 9349 of 1994 originally built as tunnelling contractors locomotive". H J Pugh. cab being modified for the Beeches Light Railway. Originally used for construction of the Jubilee underground line. It weighs approx 12 ton and is rated at 85 hp, it is fitted with twin pipe air brakes. 15ft … has to stay onsite until all the other trains are cleared as this is being used for shunting Hammer: £14,000
  30. ^ "London Post Office Railway Car Number 760 (latterly renumbered 37) built by English Electric in 1930". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. Hammer: £1,600
  31. ^ "Major Gerald Scott {{|}} Simplex 21619/1957 4wDM". Gezza's Gallery. Bressingham. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024 – via Flickr.
  32. ^ "Lot 167: Simplex diesel locomotive 21619 of 1957, re-gauged and fitted with a replacement Perkins diesel engine by Alan Keef Ltd". Retrieved 20 June 2024. Hammer: £15,000
  33. ^ "Lot 164: replica carriage of the Scindia State Railway in India". It was reputedly used by the Maharaja of Gwalior on a visit. fitted with a drop-down zinc wash basin. On 2 Hudson bogies fitted with twin-pipe air brakes. 19ft. Hammer: £5,000
  34. ^ "Our first trip on the Pullman style carriage…". Witham: The Braxted Bakery – via Facebook. 29 June [2024] … Brunch at 10.30 am … Lunch at 1.30pm
  35. ^ "Lot 175: Now being sold with lot 176". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  36. ^ "Lot 176: Swan generating set with Perkins engine and automatic change over panel. 30KVA". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. The lot includes a Clarke air compressor. All fitted inside a 4 Wheel ex-RNAD Box Van built Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited fitted with twin-pipe air brakes. 11ft
  37. ^ "Lot 168: Model T petrol car modified to run on 2ft gauge railway". Retrieved 20 June 2024. Fitted with a turntable allowing the car to be lifted from the rails turned and then lowered to face in the opposite direction. Still with its original engine. The Ford Model T was converted by Neil Tuckett of Tuckett Brothers Model T specialists. This vehicle was modelled on an inspection car from the Maine (USA) Narrow gauge railway. Hammer: £25,000
  38. ^ "Lot 169: A brake van built on a Robert Hudson Wagon chassis fitted with twin-pipe air brakes". 8ft 6" Hammer: £1,100
  39. ^ "Lot 170: 4 Wheel flat wagon built by Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited fitted with twin-pipe air brakes". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. Hammer: £500
  40. ^ "Lot 171: 4 Wheel 3 plank open wagon built by Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. 11ft. Hammer: £400
  41. ^ "Lot 172: 4 Wheel ex-RNAD Box Van built Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. 11ft. Hammer: £1,000
  42. ^ "Lot 173: 4 Wheel ex-RNAD Box Van built Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. 11ft. Hammer: £1,100
  43. ^ "Lot 174: 4 Wheel flat wagon built by Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited". H J Pugh. Retrieved 20 June 2024. 11ft. Hammer: £700
  44. ^ "The Beeches Light Railway Dispersal Sale of the Late Well Renowned Adrian Shooter's Private Collection of Darjeeling Steam Locomotive, Locomotive Literature and Railway Memorabilia". Upcoming auctions. Ledbury: H. J. Hugh. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  45. ^ "Home". Darjeeling Tank. Retrieved 8 October 2023.

51°55′25″N 1°18′32″W / 51.92374°N 1.308797°W / 51.92374; -1.308797

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