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Steam & Diesel Locomotives of Rudyard Lake Steam Railway

Rudyard Lake Railway Locomotives

Steam Locomotives

Our original 2 steam locomotives were of the same 2-4-2 type and came from the same builder. However Merlin which was built 5 years after Excalibur is physically bigger. This means that it holds more coal and water and that two people can sit in the cab more easily. These two have been joined in 2005 by a sister steam engine 2-4-2T No.9 now called Pendragon and a new much larger 0-6-2T No.8 King Arthur.

The boiler pressure of the 2-4-2 tank engines is 150 pounds per square inch and the cylinders are 4 inch diameter with a 5 inch stoke. They have roller bearings on all the axles and weigh about 2 tons each. They have power to spare in pulling any train we wish and are very reliable and economical in use. It costs less per day to run one of the steam engines than the petrol engine.

No. 6 Excalibur (River Churnet) 2-4-2T Works No. 294 built in 1993 by Exmoor Steam Railway

This locomotive was built in 1993 and painted in green livery with the name River Churnet. It has was rebuilt in 2003 and renamed Excalibur and is repainted in a lined blackberry black livery. In service in 2010

Excalibur at Exmoor after rebuilding 2003

No.7 Merlin 2-4-2T works No.296 built 1998 by the Exmoor Steam Railway

Merlin is seen at Exmoor in 1998 before painting

Merlin is painted dark blue and was overhauled and had its boiler re-tubed in 2005 at Rudyard. It passed its steam test on 2nd Feb 2006 and is back in use. In service in 2010 after work to its boiler to replace the fire level stay nuts.

All the 2-4-2T steam locomotives have also been 12.25 inch gauge before coming to Rudyard and ran on the railway where they were built. This was the Exmoor Steam Railway at Bratton Fleming near Barnstaple in North Devon.

No.8 King Arthur is an 0-6-2T Works No 324 built 07/05

No.8 King Arthur in 2006

King Arthur is believed to be the most powerful conventional steam engine on this gauge of railway. It has cylinders 5.625 X 7.5 inches and a boiler pressure of 150PSI. It has been designed by the Exmoor Steam Railway specifically to pull the heaviest possible trains on the railway. It is a great success and is both economical and powerful.

It is very similar to a 15 inch gauge engine that runs at Longleat. At 41 inches wide and 5 feet high it is at the limit of the loading gauge for this size of railway. It is in service in 2011/12

No.9 2-4-2T Pendragon Works No. 297 built 1994 by the Exmoor Steam Railway

This is a sister engine to Merlin in most respects but being slightly shorter and painted maroon. It ran at Ashorne Hall in Warwickshire until that railway closed. It was changed to 10.25 inch gauge over winter 2005/6 and renamed. It entered service at Rudyard in March 2006 as Pendragon named after King Arthur's father Uther Pendragon. It had returned to the Exmoor Steam Railway for conversion on October 8th 2005. Trial runs at Exmoor were successfully carried out on October 9th and complete trains from the Ashorne Hall railway were run for probably the final time. It finally returned to Rudyard on 5th March 2006 and is now in service. It runs the opposite way round to all the other locomotives. It is in service in 2012.

No.9 Ashorne now Pendragon at Exmoor in March 2006

Atlantic Locomotive Waverley No.196

This locomotive is now normally resident on the railway. It was built in 1950 by David Curwen and has run at Weymouth, Loughborough and on Mull. Now owned by a small group of enthusiasts it is used from time to time on lighter trains or the double head heavier trains. It went to Bowness in Scotland in early 2004 for attention to its boiler and tender and returned on August 27th 2005.

Waverley photographed on Mull

The boiler had its boiler tubes replaced and was then given a 10 year hydraulic test. The profile of the tender wheels was also improved and an air brake system added. It is now dual fitted with air and vacuum brakes. This engine is in service in 2012 after extensive work to the valve gear.

Talyllyn Sub Divsion

A short length of dual gauge track has been laid at Rudyard so that our 7.25 inch gauge locomotives and equipment can run.

There are 2 steam engines and 3 carriages available based on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. These trains will only run on special event days. The engines are

No.2 Dolgoch

No.4 Edward Thomas

A visit to the real thing where the worlds first heritage railway was set up in 1950 is thoroughly recommended.

Diesel & Petrol Locomotives

No. 2 Mordred

This is a 4W petrol locomotive built in 1969 by Mr. Terry Stanhope. This engine has also been 2 foot and 15 inch gauge. It is mainly used for works trains. It has a Morris minor petrol engine which runs very well. It was rebuilt in 2003 and fitted with air brakes. The cab was lowered and it was repainted bright red. Removed from the railway 1/1/2006 for engine overhaul by Dave Cruickshank of Middlewhich and has been repainted in green. It returned on July 23rd 2006 and is in use.

Sir Ernie

This is a 2-2-2 battery electric 'device' fashioned from an electric wheelchair and can haul a wagon or transport a person the length of the line.

No. 5 Lady of the Lake

This is a 4W +4W diesel locomotive built in 1989 by a local contractor Mr. L. Smith of Leek. It has a Lister three cylinder diesel engine. It is probably the largest diesel locomotive in existence on this size of railway. It was overhauled and repainted in Summer 2007 and emerged in yellow livery in 2008.

Planned Developments

A new steam locomotive is on the horizon as well as developments to improve the efficiency of the existing fleet,

Visitors

Peggy from the South Downs Railway visited in October 2009 for the annual steam Gala along with its sister Pulborough. There have been a number of visitors over the years in particular Bray Valley and E. R. Calthrope who have both visited twice for the annual steam gala. A full list of visitors is on the Gala page. Victoria from The Isle of Mull came for the 2010 steam gala and has remained with us and is used from time to time.

Timetable

Trains run on Sundays 11.00am to 4pm( 3pm in winter) Saturdays from April to end of October and daily in School holidays

Recent Images Visting engines Peggy & Pulborough

Telephone - Office 01995 672280 Rudyard Station 01538 306704

www.rlsr.org

NEW 2-6-2T Victoria

This locomotive is now at Rudyard for an extended stay after the closure of its home railway on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Its a powerful locomotive and a good complement to King Arthur.

Its hope that a new railway at Balloch on Loch Lomond will become its new home