Crowle Peatland Railway - News

Things have moved along very quickly in the last year at the Crowle Peatland Railway a 3ft gauge railway based in North Lincolnshire, our new workshop was constructed early last year. We had a delivery of sleepers and rail delivered. Our Schoma locomotives have also been moved in to the new workshops and track laying has commenced. The Simplex is currently at the local college, and is coming on well!


Our new workshop!


Our delivery of sleepers and rail.


Simplex 40s302's frame has received a coat of paint.


The engine has faired well to say its been out on the moors for 20+ years! Cylinder bores look well.

Now the Schomas diesel hydraulics..

5220 "The Thomas Buck" Just before being put back on the rails..


Back on the rails! And we have very kindly been giving the original nameplate (Thanks to Evergreen Horticulture)

We have been focusing on 5220 "The Thomas Buck" We have been doing a lot of work on the loco including tidying up and sorting out electrics so they are working correctly. Removing the sand boxes, doors have been removed, cracked glass has been removed.

We have just finished refurbishing the starter motor as it was sluggish, so we dissembled it, cleaned it up and greased the gears, put it back on and it worked a treat!

The next work on the loco shall be removing the bonnet so that we can tidy it up ready for painting and also so that we can service the engine.. It is in need of some TLC.

Here is 5220 ticking over after installing the refurbished starter motor..

 

A mighty fine workshop.

 

Great work - please keep the updates coming!


Keith

 

What's the current length of line and/or planned length in the near future? I know of a 3' steam loco that may be looking for a hire out to a longer line than its home, on a temporary basis at least.

 

We have permission for 500m of running track, We aim to have 100m laid by this year. Regarding steam I don’t think it’s possible as we operate on a peat bog moor, and you don’t want to set fire to that stuff.. Although I am interested in what loco it is.

 

Ah, I think even at 500m that's shorter than the home line of the loco concerned. Remember, that Bord na Móna ran steam locos over peat bogs for decades, so I don't see it as a problem

 

Bord na Mona run on their land, permission to run over another's land is somewhat different, probably precludes steam.

 

Crowle & Thorne Moor (where we are based) is a SSSi site, and one of the biggest nature reserves in the country. So we have to respect the area, last thing we would want is a fire. As much as I would love to see a steam loco at the railway it would be very risky.

 

Nice to see the Crowle on nat pres at last, been following the progress on faceache for quite a while now, it is nice to see that you're using mostly kit that was just left over when operations ceased, shame that peat is not cut any more, it provided honest work for many rural parts of the country, as dirty as peat cutting is in terms of co2 release, I'm sure it's a good locally sourced 'green' alternative to the 'ethically' sourced wood chipping that places like drax burn.

 

Seeing that you have the materials inside.
Will you be making up track panels in the dry and warm conditions or will they all need moving outside before work can take place?

 

All of our locomotives worked on the moors, we never thought we’d have two big Schöma locos when we first started out with the Simplex.. it isn’t he same track bed but it’s nearby.. The only thing what won’t be original will be is coaches, but it might be a while before we get any of them.

 

That is good idea, only thing we would need is a crane as lifting them sections by hand will be near impossible. We plan to use the Slave units on the Schömas to transport rail and sleepers.

 

Peat is fundamentally unsustainable, taking thousands of years to produce - at least a tree cut down for biomass can be replaced by another relatively quickly.

 

After some further adjustments to the engine we ran the engine on 5220 "The Thomas Buck" in for a good hour today. As you can see we have made a start on putting some undercoat on.

 

Its worth making the point that the Crowle line is more typical of UK Narrow Gauge than any of the major preserved lines

 

Both Schomas have started to receive some undercoat! We have also been kindly donated what I believe to be the last surviving peat tub wagon! It some how survived the scrap man!

 

A sensible and realistic approach. I have been to peat fires and they can be long drawn out affairs.
Anyone who thinks it is a minor issue should read this:
https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/geography/research/projects/tropical-peatland/peat-fires

 

Safe to say we’ve been busy!

 

Another one! 5130 has joined the fleet! Currently a non runner..

 

You've got the set! Congratulations. What was date of arrival please?