The Exmoor Steam Railway is a narrow gauge steam railway and locomotive manufacturer, located at Bratton Fleming in North Devon.
gauge The railway was built by the Stirland family and first opened as a tourist attraction in August 1990. At this time the railway ran in a circuit from the main station at Exmoor Central, trains descending on a large embankment before climbing back up through a spiral tunnel. In 1996 a new station was opened at Cape of Good Hope, which changed the line to an "end-to-end" layout. At the end of the 2001 season, the decision was taken to close the railway to the public and concentrate on building new steam locomotives and associated equipment. The railway remains in full working order, and work started in the winter 2008/9 on extending the railway. By mid-2010 an additional of track had been brought into use, with a very steep ascending and descending ruling gradient of 1 in 28.
gauge During the 1990s, a number of gauge Beyer Garratt articulated locomotives from South Africa arrived on site and were displayed. One locomotive was sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 2006, whilst another has been under long-term restoration. Over the winter 2008/9 work started on constructing around of gauge railway to run the Garratts on.
Locomotives NameBuilderTypeNumberBuiltNotesAnglo Franco Belge26851955S.A.R. NG15Beyer Peacock1151939S.A.R. NGG16Hanomag771928S.A.R. NGG13, repainted in Dark Blue livery 2010Eddy Hunslet93361946Now at Exbury Gardens after re-gauging to Motor Rail88561944
Engineering works
Since the railway opened, there has been a large workshop on site, which was used to build all the locomotives and equipment used on the railway. In 2001, the decision was taken to close the railway as a tourist attraction and concentrate on the manufacture of miniature and narrow gauge railway equipment.
Exmoor Steam Railway builds several new steam locomotives a year, as well as rolling stock and also advise on the setup and expansion of miniature and narrow gauge railways. Exmoor is a member of Britain's Great Little Railways and has supplied locomotives to many other members who operate public miniature and narrow gauge railways.
Locomotives constructed
Identity Works number Type Gauge Year built Operator Status Notes ImageTryfan1892-4-2Tprivate Wilderness RailwayOriginally named Bray Valley and original loco of Exmoor Steam Railway Yeo Valley 190 1990 Exbury Gardens Withdrawn from service and dismantled Christopher191 regauged from 1991 Littlehampton Miniature Railway Originally John-Remy and a 0-6-2T. Name, wheel arrangement and gauge changed when moved from Beale Park to Littlehampton Excalibur 293 regauged from 1993 Leek and Rudyard Railway Formerly River Churnet Exmoor2942-4-2T1993Exmoor Steam Railway Spirit of Adventure 295 1993 Perrygrove Railway 7 Merlin 296 1998 Leek and Rudyard Railway Pendragon 297 regauged from 1994 Rudyard Lake Railway Originally Ashorne built for the Ashorne Hall RailwayBella2982-4-21996Barn Well Hill RailwayBuilt for the Ashorne Hall RailwayExmoor Ranger0-4-4-0UnknownUnknownmostly build never left the works used as parts for other exmoor builds Denzil 299 1995 Exmoor Steam Railway Monty 300 1996 Evesham Vale Light Railway Originally named Markeaton Lady at Markeaton Park Light Railway Sandy 301 1996 Wotton Light Railway Ruby 302 1997 (for Brocklands Adventure Park) New Zealand Originally named Dennis and was at Lappa Valley Steam Railway until 2025.Gillian304 Cricor 305 1999 UnknownHunton3060-4-2T2000Unknown Jane 307 2000 Pugneys light Railway Jools 308 1999 Beer Heights Light Railway Major rebuild by B.H.L.R completed in 2018 Originally named Samstipur Jean 309 2000 Barnards Miniature Railway Billy May 310 2000Woodseaves Miniature Railway Privately owned St. Christopher 311 2001 Bressingham Steam Museum & Gardens St Egwin 312 2003 Evesham Vale Light Railway Amy Louise 314 2003 Barnards Miniature Railway Rosemary 315 2001 Exbury Gardens Eddyn/a0-4-02001Exbury GardensFirst non steam loco made by the railway made on frames of a hunslet 24in Naomi 316 2002 Exbury Gardens The Duchess of Difflin 317 2003 Oakfeild Park Railway Pulborough 319 2004 South Downs Light Railway Dame Ann 320 2004 Wales West Light Railway Doris Hilburn3212004Barnards Miniature RailwayOriginally named AudreyBrasken3222006Unknown ANNE 323 2004 Perrygrove Railway Originally named John Hayton King Arthur 324 2005 Leek and Rudyard Railway Black Beauty 325 2009 Ree Park Safari Mariloo 326 2008 Exbury Gardens Lady Luna3272007Little Western RailwayOriginally ran at Wills Garden Railway named Jillie3282008 Lorna Doone 330 Exmoor Steam RailwayEllie3312006Lappa Valley Steam RailwayVictoria3322-4-22007Statfold Barn RailwayOperationalDidn't run for 16 years after construction Phalaenopsis 333 2008 Unknown Operational Peggy 334 2007 South Downs Light Railway Operational George 335 2010 Leek and Rudyard Railway Operational Barnarda Von Barnards 337 2010 Barnards Miniature Railway Operational One of Two O&K Style Exmoors Jeremy3382010Wayside Light RailwayOperationalOne of Two O&K Style ExmoorsMaia3392-4-22016Echills Wood RailwaysOperational3404-4-02018Operational Arun 2015 South Downs Light Railway Operational Diesel locomotive Jack3422016Delamont Miniature RailwayOperationalSapphire3412-4-02021Pugneys' Miniature RailwayOperationalLast loco to data made by exmoorCarol Ann3502-6-22024Statfold Barn RailwayOperationalNamed and entered service on Mease Valley Light Railway at Statfold Country Park during 'Steam in Miniature' event on Saturday 11 May 2024.Pengelly3512-4-22024North Cornwall Miniature RailwayOperationalTrelawny3532-4-02026North Cornwall Miniature RailwayOperationalUnveiled on 21 June 2026
References
Don.Fifer The Heywood Society Journal No.56 Spring 2005
External links Exmoor Steam Railway Rudyard Lake Steam Railway the largest Exmoor locomotive user