Dean Forest Railway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dean Forest Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Dean Forest Railway is a 4.25 mile long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the Severn and Wye Railway. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and bought the trackbed and line from British Rail in 1985. Services were extended from Norchard to Lydney Lakeside in 1991, Lydney Junction in 1995/96, Tufts Junction in 2001 and to Whitecroft in 2003. HM Railway Inspectorate approval for the section to Parkend was granted in December 2005. Trains are operated by both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, and heritage diesel multiple units.
The Dean Forest railway has recently been given the former GWR signal box that stood slightly to the east of Codsall station in Staffordshire. Its removal was completed in July 2007, and will be placed at Whitecroft station.
Contents |
[edit] Stations
- Lydney Junction (Terminus)
- St Mary's Halt (Opened as Lydney Lakeside) Trains call on request towards Norchard/Parkend
- Lydney Town
- Middle Forge Junction - no station just ground frame where points are changed to go into Norchard High or Low Level Platforms. 450 yards from Norchard
- Norchard Low Level (Terminus)
- Norchard High Level
- Whitecroft (Not open - station under construction)
- Parkend (Terminus)
[edit] Timetable 2008
- Timetable A
Departures
-
- Parkend - 1100, 1251, 1442, 1609
- Norchard (towards Lydney Junction) - 1117, 1308, 1459, 1626
- Lydney Town (towards Lydney Junction) - 1122, 1313, 1504, 1631
- St Marys Halt (towards Lydney Jcn) - 1125, 1316, 1507, 1634
-
- Lydney Jcn - 1145, 1340, 1531, 1650 (Norchard Only)
- St Marys Halt (towards Parkend) - trains call on request, and arrive 3mins after leaving Lydney Junction
- Lydney Town - 1151, 1346, 1537, 1656 (Norchard Only)
- Norchard (towards Parkend) - 1035, 1158, 1353, 1544
Timetable B has extra trains running alongside Timetable A operated by the DMUs
Steam hauled trains running to Timetable A
-
- Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd & Sunday 30th MARCH
- Sundays 13th & 20th APRIL
- Saturday 3rd, Sunday 4th, Sunday 11th, Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th MAY
- Wednesday 4th, Sunday 8th, Wednesday 11th, Wednesday 18th, Sunday 22nd & Wednesday 25th JUNE
- Wednesday 2nd, Sunday 6th, Wednesday 9th, Wednesday 16th, Sunday 20th, Wednesday 23rd, Saturday 26th & Wednesday 30th JULY
- Saturday 2nd, Wednesday 6th, Saturday 9th, Sunday 10th, Wednesday 13th, Saturday 16th, Wednesday 20th, Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th & Wednesday 27th AUGUST
- Wednesday 3rd, Wednesday 10th, Sunday 14th, Wednesday 17th, Sunday 21st, Wednesday 24th & Sunday 28th SEPTEMBER
- Sunday 5th, Sunday 12th, Sunday 19th, Sunday 26th & Wednesday 29th OCTOBER
Mainline Diesel hauled trains running to Timetable A
-
- Saturday 29th MARCH
- Saturdays 5th & 19th JULY
- Thursday 21st AUGUST
- Saturday 13th SEPTEMBER
- Saturday 18th OCTOBER
Timetable A operated by the 108 Class DMUs
-
- Saturdays 7th, 14th & 28th JUNE
- Thursdays 24th & 31st JULY
- Thursdays 7th, 14th & 28th AUGUST
- Saturdays 6th & 20th SEPTEMBER
Timetable B operated by Steam hauled trains and DMUs
-
- Easter Sunday 23rd & Bank Holiday Monday 24th MARCH
- Bank Holiday Mondays 5th & 26th MAY
Timetable B operated by 1450 with Autocoach 178 & the Hawksworth Saloon and DMUs
-
- Sunday 27th APRIL
- Sunday 18th MAY
- Sundays 15th & 29th JUNE
- Sunday 13th JULY
- Sundays 3rd & 17th AUGUST
- Sunday 7th SEPTEMBER
Special Events
-
- Good Friday 21st - Bank Holiday Monday 24th March - Prize Easter Bunny Hunt
- Friday 4th - Monday 7th April - Day out with Thomas
- Sunday 27th April - Vintage & Heritage Day (1450 on Auto and DMU)
- Sunday 18th May - Vintage & Heritage Day (1450 on Auto and DMU)
- Friday 30th May - Sunday 1st June - Day out with Thomas
- Saturday 14th June - Diesel Gala
- Sunday 15th June - Vintage & Heritage Day (1450 on Auto and DMU)
- Saturday 21st June - Diesel Dining Evening
- Sunday 29th June - Vintage & Heritage Day (1450 on Auto and DMU)
- Saturday 12th July - Diesel Gala
- Sunday 13th July - Vintage & Heritage Day (1450 on Auto and DMU)
- Sunday 27th July - Mixed Traction Gala (Steam & Diesel Gala)
- Sunday 3rd August - Vintage & Heritage Day (1450 on Auto and DMU)
- Sunday 17th August - Vintage & Heritage Day (1450 on Auto and DMU)
- Bank Holiday Monday 25th August - Parkend Carnival
- Friday 29th - Sunday 31st August - Day out with Thomas
- Saturday 6th September - Diesel Dining Evening
- Sunday 7th September - Vintage & Heritage Day (1450 on Auto and DMU)
- Saturday 27th September - Diesel Gala
- Saturday 1st November - Hallowe'en Trains
- Saturdays 6th, 13th & 20th, Sundays 7th, 14th & 21st + Wednesday 24th December - Santa Specials
- Sunday 28th December 2008 & Thursday 1st January 2009 - Mince Pie Specials
[edit] Locomotives
- Steam locomotives
- Warrior Austerity Saddle Tank Engine. Undergoing overhaul where the frames are nearing completion - Light Blue
- Wilbert Austerity Saddle Tank Engine. Stored outside awaiting overhaul. Is named after the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, author of The Railway Series - Dark Blue
- GWR 0-4-2T 1400 Class no. 1450 (visiting for 2004/5/6/7/8 season) and in operational condition. Usually visits other railways during the year with Autocoach 178. These include the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and the West Somerset Railway - In GWR Green with GWR Lettering. Currently at the DFR.
- GWR 0-6-0PT 5700 Class no. 9681. Returned to traffic in 2005 and is now in regular use - In BR Black with early emblem. Having work carried out, after beening withdrawn in November 2007, hoped to be back in the Summer of 2008. Once complete, for the 1st time under DFR ownship, 9681 will be outshopped in BR Black with late crest, rather than the early emblem.
- GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T No 5541. Presently undergoing overhaul at Norchard Workshops following it boiler ticket expiring in 2004. Wheels are back at Norchard and its hoped she is back at the end of the 2008 season - was in BR Lined Green with late crest
- GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T No 5538 Owned by Mike Little, undregoing restoation from Barry Scrapyard condition
- Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST "Uskmouth 1". Uskmouth worked in an electricity station in Newport (South Wales) at Uskmouth. Undergoing overhaul which started in 2006 - Light Green
Plus a number of locomotives being restored/overhauled for other railways
- Diesel locomotives
- BR 0-6-0 Class 03 nos. 03128 - Stored out of use
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 no. 13308 "Charlie" - operational - BR Black with early emblem
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 no. 08473 - for spares only
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 no. 08734 - undergoing overhaul
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 no. 08769 "Gladys" - operational - on loan to the Severn Valley Railway - BR Green with early emblem
- BR 0-6-0 Class 14 no. D9555 - operational - BR Green with late crest.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 25 no. D7633. Recently returned to service following overhaul and is now awaiting a repaint - BR Green with late crest
- BR Bo-Bo Class 27 no. (D5386) 27066 - In service - BR Blue
- BR A1A-A1A Class 31 no. D5634 (31210). Undergoing restoration, and will be outshopped in BR Blue.
- BR A1A-A1A class 31 no. 31466. Arrived Wednesday 14th March 2007. In service - EWS Gold and Maroon
- BR Co-Co Class 37 no. 37263. Undergoing overhaul.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 73 no. 73002 on display - BR Blue with large logo
- BR Bo-Bo Class 73 no. 73101 'The Royal Alex' on loan to the Severn Valley Railway - Pullman colours
- BR Bo-Bo Class 73 no. E6001 (73901), recently returned from a heavy overhaul, looks superb - BR Green, yellow warning panels, BR late crest
- BR Bo-Bo Class 73 no. 73005 (E6005) - operational - on loan to the Severn Valley Railway - BR Blue
- BR Bo-Bo Class 73 no. 73006 (E6006) - operational - on loan to the Severn Valley Railway - BR Blue
- Diesel multiple units
- BR Class 108 units E50619+M56492 and M51914+M56495. All operational except M56492 - BR Green
- Electric multiple units
- BR Class 421 units 1392 and 1499 out of service due to heavy vandalism - Southwest Trains Colours
[edit] Coaches
Some are operational, others not. There are other coaches as well. Some are owned by the DFR, others have private owners.
- Special Coaches
- GWR Autocoach 178 in GWR Chocolate and Cream - Operational
- BR(W) Autocoach 238 'Charlotte' in a modified GWR/BR(W) Chocolate and Cream - Operational, bought by Mike Little from the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
- BR Mk1 RU in light Maroon 'Rosie'. Used in the 'Royal Forester' dining car train - Operational
- BR Mk1 RMB in light Maroon. Used in the 'Royal Forester' dining car train - Operational
- GWR Hawksworth Inspection Saloon 80943 in GWR Chocolate and Cream. Sometimes added to public passenger trains. Supplementary Fare payable. Can be used for Hired services - Operational
- Normal BR Mk1 Coaches
Some are operational, others not. There are others as well.
- BR Mk1 RMB W1803 in Chocolate and Cream - Operational (?) but needs an overhaul by the looks of it.
- BR Mk1 TSO W4862 in Chocolate and Cream - Operational
- BR Mk1 TSO W4890 in Maroon - Operational
- BR Mk1 TSO W4891 in Chocolate and Cream - Operational
- BR Mk1 TSO W4923 in Chocolate and Cream - Operational
- BR Mk1 BSOT W9003 in Maroon - Operational
- BR Mk1 BCK W21129 in Chocolate and Cream - Operational
- BR Mk1 BG 92387 in Maroon - Currently parked at Lydney Jcn in the DFDA siding
Plus a number of other coaches including a few at Lydney Jcn, in the DFDA siding; Norchard -Coaches cafe, in the yard, in the shed and 9681 book shop.
Coach type codes
- BCK - Brake Composite Corridor
- BSOT - Brake Standard Open (Micro-Buffet)
- RMB - Restaurant Miniature Buffet
- RU - Restaurant Unclassified
- TSO - Tourist Standard Open
- BG - Full brake gangway
