Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
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The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway is a minimum gauge railway and the third railway of any gauge to run along the side of Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire. The railway runs for a mile and a half on the track bed of an old standard gauge North Staffordshire Railway line. After the NSR line closed down, a small narrow gauge train ran on the site for two years. The current line started in 1985 and is 10.25 inch gauge, and operates to a timetable. Trains are about half the size a normal narrow gauge railway and are usually steam hauled. Trains run on Sundays and Bank Holidays from March to the end of October and Saturdays from the start of May to the end of September.
[edit] Locomotives
It has five steam engines named after historical characters:
- King Arthur 0-6-2T built 2005 No.8
- Pendragon 2-4-2T built 1994 No.9 (previously named Ashorne from Ashorne Hall Railway)
- Excalibur 2-4-2T built 1993 No.6 (previously named River Churnet prior to rebuild in 2003)
- Merlin 2-4-2T built 1998 No.7
- Waverley 4-4-2 built 1950
The first four of these locomotives were built by the Exmoor Steam Railway
There is also :
- A 4 Wheel Petrol Loco No.2 Modred
- A 4W+4W bogie diesel loco. No.5 Rudyard Lady
These are normally only used for maintenance although even for these duties the railway is now using its steam engines year round in preference to internal combustion engines as they are proving more economical and reliable.
Visting steam engines often attend the annual steam gala held each September.
A fleet of 11 carriages and a wide variety of goods wagons are also used.
[edit] Facilities
The railway offers learn to drive a steam train courses, of either a half or full day. These are highly regarded and popular presents. Special events such as Halloween are aimed at Children and are run throughout the year.
Santa trains run on Sundays in December and must be booked in advance.
[edit] External links
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