Kirklees Light Railway

From TrainSpottingWorld, for Rail fans everywhere

The Kirklees Light Railway is a 4 mile long 15 in (381 mm) gauge minimum gauge railway at Kirklees, West Yorkshire. It runs along part of the trackbed of the branch line from Clayton West Junction, near Shepley on the Huddersfield - Penistone railway line; the KLR runs between Skelmanthorpe and Clayton West on the disused trackbed.

History

Permission to construct the railway was granted by Kirklees Council on the 27 September, 1991. The line was originally 1 mile in length running from Clayton West station to a specially constructed stop called Cuckoos Nest. It was extended to Skelmanthorpe in 1992 and again to a station at Shelley in 1996.

The journey gives fine views of Emley Moor Radio Mast and includes the longest tunnel on any 15 in (381 mm) gauge line in Britain.

Locomotives

A feature of the line is the use of modern steam designs, which could be the future for small railways due to the lower maintenance costs.

Steam locomotives

The following are one-third scale size engines:

Name Builder    Type    Date Notes
Fox Hunslet 2-6-2T 1990 Operational. Used regularly on passenger trains.
Badger 2-6-4ST 1991 Operational. Used regularly on passenger trains.
Hawk Kitson Meyer 0-4+4-0T 1997 Used only sometimes on weekend services and special events but not regularly because it uses a lot more coal than "Fox" and "Badger".
Owl 0-4+4-0T 2000 Recently has had repairs carried out and is now used on the weekend services and special events.

Diesel locomotive

  • 0-4-0DH Jay built in 1996, body shape changed in 2002. Probably the hardest working engine on the line as it is used a lot to shunt stock, it is also used occasionally on passenger trains.

Petrol locomotives

  • No 7 The Tram built in 1991. The engine was originally from an invalid car, it is in use and can be seen operating footplate rides at the railway along with the occasional passenger train.

External links

Railway museums and heritage railways in England

Railways:

Amerton • Appleby Frodingham • Avon Valley • Battlefield Line • Bideford and Instow • Bluebell • Bodmin and Wenford • Bowes • Bredgar and Wormshill • Bristol Harbour • Bure Valley • Cambrian (Society) • Cambrian (Trust) • Chasewater • Chinnor and Princes Risborough • Cholsey and Wallingford • Churnet Valley • Cleethorpes Coast • Colne Valley • Dartmoor • Dean Forest • Derwent Valley • East Kent • East Lancashire • East Somerset • Ecclesbourne Valley • Eden Valley • Elsecar • Embsay and Bolton Abbey • Epping Ongar • Foxfield • Gloucestershire Warwickshire • Great Central • Great Whipsnade • Helston • Hythe Pier • Isle of Wight • Keighley and Worth Valley • Kent and East Sussex • Kirklees Light • Lakeside and Haverthwaite • Lappa Valley • Launceston • Lavender Line • Leighton Buzzard • Llewellyn's Miniature • Lincolnshire Wolds • Lynton and Barnstaple • Mid-Hants "Watercress" Line • Mid-Norfolk • Mid-Suffolk • Middleton • Midland • Nene Valley • North Gloucestershire • North Norfolk • North Tyneside • North Yorkshire Moors • Northampton & Lamport • Northamptonshire Ironstone • Paignton and Dartmouth • Peak Rail • Perrygrove • Plym Valley • Ravenglass and Eskdale • Ribble • Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch • Rudyard Lake • Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough • Seaton Tramway • Severn Valley • Sittingbourne & Kemsley • South Devon • South Tynedale • Spa Valley • Steeple Grange • Swanage • Swindon and Cricklade • Tanfield • Telford • Volk's Electric • Weardale • Wells and Walsingham • Wensleydale • West Somerset • Wisbech and March "Bramleyline" • Yaxham

Centres and Museums:

Barrow Hill Engine Shed • Birmingham Museum • Bressingham Steam Museum • Buckinghamshire Centre • Coventry Centre • Darlington Centre and Museum • Didcot Centre • East Anglian Museum • Mangapps Museum • Moseley Trust • National Museum, York • Rutland Museum • Shildon Museum • Swindon Steam Museum • The Railway Age, Crewe • Walthamstow Pump House

Heritage Railways:

England • Scotland • Wales • Northern Ireland • Isle of Man • Channel Islands