Coalyard Miniature Railway
The Coalyard Miniature Railway is a miniature passenger carrying railway operating within the Kidderminster Town station site. It takes its name from the coal yard which operated alongside the station until 2004.
It is operated by the Coalyard Miniature Railway Model Engineering Society on most weekends when the SVR is running trains. There is a small charge.
It supports the work of the Junior Club, providing activities and training in railway operation.[1]
On 20 January 2019 it was the only passenger carrying railway open in Kidderminster as the SVR was closed for its winter period and West Midlands Railway were not running through Kidderminster due to late running engineering work.[2]
In 2022 the Coalyard railway planted 15 trees in its embankment to help offset its carbon emissions.[2]
Contents
The route
The Railway is around 500 yards long and runs from the station itself, alongside the station platforms and past the water column, to a platform at 'Tutherend' adjacent to the SVR car park.[3][4] There is an intermediate halt: ‘Sparks Halt.’[5]
History
The railway was first built in 1988 as around 100 metres of dual gauge track comprising 3½" gauge rails laid within 5" gauge rails, to permit operation of both a 5" King class Locomotive and a 3½" Hall class locomotive.[4] The track was constructed with continuously welded rail.[5]
In 1990 a new heavy aluminium grade 7¼" gauge track was laid and then gradually extended until it reached the far end of the SVR car park.[4] The line originally used wooden sleepers, but later relaid with plastic sleepers.[5]
The original line was then removed, making space for a new footpath from the SVR car park to Kidderminster Town station.[4]
The railway was partly relaid to dual 7¼" & 5" gauge in 1996, reverting back to single 7¼" gauge a couple of years later.
Rolling stock
Locomotives comprise steam, petrol or battery powered locomotives. Coaching stock is a mixture of sit astride and sit in coaches. There is a rake of wagons.[4] Stock is approximately 1:8 scale proportions.[5]
Gallery
Diesel Gala, 2016
Diesel Gala, 2016
See also
References
- ↑ Branch Lines, November 2022 (Retrieved 19 November 2022)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Coalyard Miniature Railway Facebook page
- ↑ Scott, Peter, Minor Railways (34th edition), Published privately April 2022, ISBN: 978 1 902368 52 8
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Miniature Railway World website (Retrieved 19 November 2022)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Coalyard Miniature Railway on Wikipedia (Retrieved 19 November 2022)