Fawley Hill Railway

A 1913 Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 ST steam locomotive on the Fawley Hill Railway. It was delivered to Sir Robert McAlpine and used on a series of major projects including Wembley Stadium.

Fawley Hill Railway is a privately owned heritage railway on the Fawley Hill estate of the late Sir William McAlpine at Fawley in Buckinghamshire, England.

An acknowledged railway enthusiast as well as a director of the construction company Sir Robert McAlpine, McAlpine returned to Hayes depot during the Beeching Axe to find that the company's Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST No.31 was for sale for £100. He purchased the locomotive, and moved it to Fawley Hill.[1] This marked the start in 1965 of the 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Fawley Hill Railway, a private railway which now runs to over a mile long, combining the steepest gradient at 1:13 on a British railway, and includes:[2][3]

In addition, the estate surrounding the railway line is adorned with several prominent architectural features which McAlpine acquired – although these were received mostly as donations; these include the original Wembley Stadium Twin Towers flagpoles, some early cast-iron bridge parapets, and several arched structures from prominent London locations.

Apart from the resident steam engine, No.31 (away for boiler overhaul in 2024/5), an ex-British Rail Class 03 diesel-mechanical shunter (D2120) is operational on the line together with two Hibberd 0-4-0 Planet diesel-mechanical industrial locomotives.

Fawley Hill Railway holds open days on a limited number of weekends during the summer months. These are known as Invitation Days and are strictly ticket-only events for which prospective visitors apply through the Fawley Museum web-site. Tickets are not available on the day.

Fawley Hill Railway also hosts mid-week visits to various groups; again with applications made through the Fawley Museum web-site.

The railway, together with Sir William McAlpine's extensive private railway museum, is operated and maintained on behalf of Fawley Hill by volunteers from Fawley Museum Society.

References

  1. ^ "Fawley". Hampton Court MRS. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013.
  2. ^ "Fawley Museum Railway". Archived from the original on 25 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Bramhope Tunnel". The Architecture the Railways Built. Season 3. Episode 4. 4 October 2021. Yesterday.

51°34′1.7″N 0°54′40.1″W / 51.567139°N 0.911139°W / 51.567139; -0.911139