Statfold Barn Railway on arvau

Wikipedia / Statfold Barn Railway

The Statfold Barn Railway is a narrow gauge railway based near Tamworth, Staffordshire and partially in Warwickshire, England. Founded by engineering entrepreneur Graham Lee and his wife Carol at their farm-based home, they originally designed what is still termed the garden railway, in which Graham could run his trains and Carol could design an extensive English country garden around a lake.

Graham Lee chaired the family-owned LH Group, with its main focus on railway engineering services. After LH Group acquired what remained of the Hunslet Engine Company in 2005, Graham pursued the opportunity to acquire the last steam locomotive built by Hunslet. Commissioned in 1971, it had been ordered by Leeds-based Robert Hudson & Co Ltd, who supplied and installed a complete railway system for the Trangkil sugar mill estate in Indonesia. As he pursued the Hunslet, Graham noticed a number of other interesting but defunct steam locomotives of European origin in Indonesia, and set about recovering these as well.

After Wabtec acquired LH Group in 2012, Graham retained the rights to produce steam locomotives under the Hunslet name. He had produced the first new steam powered Hunslet in 2006, and also restored several locomotives in the collection. In 2017, Graham and Carol Lee gave the collection of over 100 locomotives and associated vehicles, equipment and ephemera to the newly formed Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust, to ensure the collection was retained and maintained at its current site.

Today the railway has an extensive workshop where locomotives are built and restored. The railway is open to the public.

History

Having acquired Statfold Farm near Tamworth, Staffordshire as their family home, engineer Graham Lee – who had worked his way up through family owned LH Group, and eventually became chairman – persuaded his wife Carol to build a narrow gauge railway around their garden and lake.

Happy with the garden railway, it was not until LH Group acquired what remained of the Hunslet Engine Company in 2005, that Graham pursued the opportunity to acquire the last steam locomotive built by Hunslet (and the last steam locomotive to be built in the UK for industrial use). Commissioned in 1971 to an original Kerr Stuart design, it had been ordered by Leeds-based Robert Hudson & Co, who supplied and installed a complete railway system for the Trangkil sugar mill estate in Indonesia. Negotiations were conducted via Hunslet's agent in Jakarta, and after visiting the site during negotiations and to supervise the loading of Trangkil No.4, Graham noticed a number of other interesting but defunct steam locomotives of European origin in Indonesia, and set about recovering these as well. Pakis Baru and Sragi sugar mills had interesting locomotive fleets and two examples from German manufacturers were acquired from each.

As Indonesia's state environmental laws do not allow the export of scrap-metal, Trangkil No.4 together with five other locomotives Graham proposed to export back to the UK had to be shown in steam and moving. Whilst Trangkil No.4 was still 2ft gauge, the other five locomotives were built to the more common European 2ft 6inches gauge. Graham hence built with friends what is now term the mainline – in dual 2ft and gauge – which runs around the outside in a basic oval shape of the original garden railway. Thus was formed the Statfold Barn Railway, and its core collection.

After Wabtec acquired LH Group in 2012, Graham retained the rights to produce steam locomotives under the Hunslet name. He had produced the first new steam powered Hunslet in 2006, and used the same facilities to restore items in the collection. In March 2010 some 51 locomotives were based on the Statfold Barn Railway, either operable or waiting for restoration or rebuild.

In 2017, Graham and Carol Lee gave the collection of over 100 locomotives and associated vehicles, equipment and ephemera to the newly formed Statfold Narrow Gauge Trust, to ensure the collection was retained and maintained at its current site. In 2025 Lee was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the King's Birthday Honours List, in recognition of his work within the railway industry and his charitable works over several decades.

Today the railway has its own workshop where locomotives are restored and maintained. The 'Field Railway' is a gauge line approximately long with a "balloon loop" at one end with a station at the other end, originally with mixed gauge. There is a passing loop halfway along the line which has a single platform 'Oak Tree Halt' and a siding heading off to storage facilities in the 'Grain Store' roundhouse. There is also a separate (but connected) loop line 'Garden Railway' of gauge round an ornamental lake. Alongside the core 2ft and 2ft 6inch collection, the museum also displays locomotives of other gauges including , and , and other vehicles.

In July 2023 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) locomotive 778 was relocated to the Statfold Barn Railway. It is the only DHR locomotive outside of India, and has the oldest currently working steam boiler in the world.

For the 2017 season, a narrow gauge tram track was laid in concrete parallel to the level section of the Field Railway incorporating an mixed gauge rail line. The running shed had a triple gauge line leading down into the standard gauge storage sidings and then across the Field Railway where a short stub led into a field.

March 2023 saw the opening of a new miniature railway, the gauge 'Mease Valley Light Railway'.

Statfold Engineering Ltd is a separate company operating on the same site operated by Graham Lee's grandson, Nick Noon. Established in 2017, it undertakes work for outside customers, mainly in the railway industry.

Rolling stock

Steam locomotives

Identity	Works number	Type	Gauge	Builder	Year built	Previous operator	Status	Notes	Image
Hodbarrow	299	Hunslet	1882	Exhibit
Glenfield No.1	880	Andrew Barclay	1902	Glenfield & Kennedy Ltd, Kilmarnock	Exhibit	Cosmetically restored, on display outside the entrance
Minas de Aller No. 2	439	Corpet-Louvet	1884	Brown-pattern indirect drive to lower connecting rod via lever and fulcrum; Joy's valve gear. Coal mines, Aller, Asturias, Spain.	Operational	Restored to working order in 2012.
Portugesa	748	Black, Hawthorn & Co	1883	Oldest 'Leeds Mainstream'- pattern narrow gauge locomotive in Britain built outside Leeds. Minas Y Ferrocarriles de Utrillas, Teruel, Spain	Undergoing restoration
King of the Scarlets	492	Hunslet	1889	Dinorwic Quarry	Exhibit	In original open-cab form. Now substantively a mainstream Alice class but contains much material from 1903-built Maid Marian. In Canada 1965–2012.
DHR 778	3518	Sharp, Stewart	1889	Darjeeling Himalayan Railway	Undergoing 10 Year overhaul & New Boiler is being constructed	DHR B Class. Purchased by The Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust 2023 from former Beeches Light Railway.
Sragi No. 1	4045	Krauss	1899	Sragi Sugar Mill, Pekalongan, Central Java	Operational	Restored to working order in 2008.
Handy Man	573	Hudswell Clarke	1900	Burton Ironstone Company	Cosmetic Restoration	Transferred from the National Railway Museum in 2021.
Pakis Baru No. 1	614	T	Orenstein & Koppel	1900	Exhibit	Restored to working order in June 2006.
Pakis Baru No. 5	1473	Mallet	Orenstein & Koppel	1905	Pakis Baru Sugar Mill in Pati, Central Java	Exhibit	Restored to working order in March 2007.
Sybil Mary	921	Hunslet	1906	Penrhyn Quarry 'Large Quarry' class.	Operational	Restored to working order in 2013 in original open-cab form.
Seaforth	1026	Hunslet	1910	Pleystow sugar mill, Queensland	Awaiting restoration	Repatriated in 2021
No. 11 Fiji	972	Hudswell Clarke	1912	Lautoka sugar mill, Fiji	Operational	Converted to diesel for operation on a tourist railway. Returned to UK in 2011, arrived at Statfold in 2012 and restored to working order in its original steam form in 2014. Overhauled in 2020.
No. 19	1056	Hudswell Clarke	1914	Lautoka sugar mill, Fiji (descended from W/N 853 North Eton Mill No. 2 but with outside valve gear).	Operational	Restored to working order in 2013.
Saccharine	13355	Fowler	1914	Sugar plantation in South Africa	Operational	Restored to working order in 2010. Overhauled in 2020.
3010	Kerr, Stuart and Company	1916	French Government Artillery Railways (Maker's Joffre class).	Awaiting restoration as of 2017.	First imported to UK for preservation in 1974.
WDLR 779	44657	Baldwin	1916	British War Department Light Railways, France; Ryam Sugar Company, Bihar state, India	Undergoing restoration
Cannonball Express	1586	Davenport	1917	Ryam Sugar Company, Bihar state, India	Operational	Restored to working order in 2015.
1735	Decauville	1919	French Government Artillery Railways (Ancestor of Kerr, Stuart Joffre class), Mozambique	Dismantled as of 2017	Imported for preservation 2000.
14928	Henschel	1917	Deutsche Feldbahn (Klien-Lindner axles); Marromeu sugar mill, Mozambique	Awaiting restoration, for sale as of 2017
2 Roger	3128	Kerr, Stuart and Company	1918	Imperial Smelting Co., Avonmouth, Bristol (Maker's Wren class).	Operational	Formerly spent some time in Canada. Mainly used on the Garden Railway.
6 Howard (previously Paddy)	2	'Wilbrighton Wagon Works'	2007	Amerton Railway	Exhibit	Incorporates older components. In main entrance / ticket hall
Alpha	1172	Hudswell Clarke	1922	Ryam Sugar Company, Bihar (Maker's 'P' class).	Operational	Restored to working order in 2016.
Sragi No. 14Max	10705	T	Orenstein & Koppel	1923	Sragi Sugar Mill, Pekalongan, Central Java.	Operational
Liassic	1632	Peckett	1923	Southam Cement Works, Warwickshire	Operational as of 2017	Restored to working order in 2017.
No. GP 39	1643	Hudswell Clarke	1930	Surrey County Council Highways Department (Maker's 'G' class).	Operational but with non-authentic boiler.	Penrhyn Slate Quarry Bronllwyd, then at Bressingham Steam Museum 1966–2010. Overhauled in 2017.
Jatibarang 9	4878	Mallet	Jung	1930	Jatibarang Sugar Mill, Brebes, Indonesia	Static Exhibit	Restored to working order in 2011.
Cegin	1991	Andrew Barclay	1931	County Durham Reservoir, later Penrhyn Slate Quarry (Maker's 'E' class).	Operational	In North America 1965–2016.
Michael	1709	Hunslet	1932 (Dinorwic Port [2] class)	Dinorwic Quarry	Awaiting restoration to working order as of 2017.	In Canada 1965–2012.
Ogwen	2066	Avonside	1933	County Durham Reservoir, later Penrhyn Quarry.	Visiting	In United States 1965–2012.
Marchlyn	2067	Avonside	1933	County Durham Reservoir, later Penrhyn Quarry (Sister to Ogwen)	Operational	In United States 1965–2011; restored to working order in 2012.
Howard No. 2 (previously Lady Morrison)	1842	Hunslet	1936	British Aluminium Company, Fort William	Awaiting Overhaul	A latter-day representative of the Kerr, Stuart 'Old Type Brazil' class. Restored to working order (re-gauged from original 3ft.) in 2014. Its older classmate (built by Kerr, Stuart in 1916) is now with the Cavan and Leitrim Railway in the Irish Republic, still 3ft. gauge but with side tanks and a non-original pattern boiler.
Harrogate	2050	Peckett	1944	Harrogate Gas Works (originally fitted with cut down cab and chimney).	Operational	Overhauled in 2024.
Isaac	3023	W. G. Bagnall	1953	Rustenburg Platinum Mines, South Africa	Operational	Overhauled in 2012; moved to the railway in 2021.
A. Boulle	2627	W. G. Bagnall	1940	Tongaat Sugar, Natal	Exhibit	Arrived on loan August 2023
Isibutu	2820	W. G. Bagnall	1945	Tongaat Sugar, Natal	Operational	Overhauled in 2021.
Wendy	2091	W. G. Bagnall	1919	Dorothea Quarry, Nantlle Valley (previously Votty & Bowydd Quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog)	Awaiting Overhaul	Donated by Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society in 2019.
Tamar	3756	Hunslet	1952	Cameroon Development Corporation	Operational	Kerr, Stuart Tamar class design, a pannier tank variant of the Kerr, Stuart 'New Type Brazil' class. Converted to oil-firing in 2026.
Trangkil No. 4	3902	regauged	Hunslet	1971	Trangkil Sugar Mill, Pati, Central Java (built to Kerr, Stuart 'New Type Brazil' class drawings but with a more modern pattern of feed pump).	Operational
Gertrude	995	Hunslet	1909	Penrhyn Quarry	Sectioned exhibit (Sister to Sybil Mary).	Open cab. In Canada from early 1960s to 2017.
Cloister	542	Hunslet	1891 (Dinorwic Alice class).	Dinorwic Quarry	Static Exhibit	Donated by Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society in 2019.
Statfold	3903	Hunslet	2005	Statfold Barn Railway (Updated version of Michael).	Operational	Enclosed cab. Overhauled in 2017.
Jack Lane	3904	Hunslet	2005	Statfold Barn Railway (Updated version of Michael).	Operational	Open cab. Overhauled in 2016.
K1	5292	Garratt	Beyer, Peacock and Company	1909	Tasmanian Government Railways K class	Operational	Transferred temporarily from Welsh Highland Railway 2019 for overhaul, which was completed in 2020.
Jack	684	Hunslet	1898	John Knowles (fireclay works), Woodville, Derbyshire	Operational as of 2018	Restored to working order in 1984 whilst at Armley Mills Industrial Museum, Leeds.
Woolwich	1748	Avonside	1915 (Derived from 2ft. gauge locos for South Africa but with outside valve gear).	Royal Arsenal Railway, Woolwich	Cosmetically restored	Donated to the railway in 2020.
Victoria	332	2-4-2T	Exmoor Steam Railway	2007	Statfold Barn Railway	Operational	Mease Valley Light Railway
Carol Ann	350	2-6-2	Exmoor Steam Railway	2024	Statfold Barn Railway	Operational	Mease Valley Light Railway

Diesel locomotives

Identity	Works number	Type	Gauge	Builder	Year built	Previous operator	Status	Notes	Image
1891	regauged to	Plymouth Locomotive Works	1924	a quarry in Ohio	Unknown
20777	Orenstein & Koppel	1936	ex Kriegsmarine (Keil), ex Norden Clay Works, Dorset, ex Durley Light Railway.	Operational
Sam	2019	Hunslet for Robert Hudson	1939	RNAD Broughton Moor	Unknown	Flameproof
Atlas	2463	Hunslet	1941	Ministry of Defence depot, Long Marston, Warwickshire, later to Abbey Light Railway	Unknown
3621	Hunslet for Robert Hudson	1947	Under restoration as of 2017
Charley	9976	Motor Rail	1954	Somerset River Board	Operational
Brambridge Hall	5226	Motor Rail	1936	Hall & Co., Brambridge gravel pits, Colden Common (previously A. E. Farr, Winchester By-Pass construction)	Operational	Donated by Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society in 2019.
AGWI Pet	4724	Motor Rail	1939	Anglo Gulf West Indies Petroleum Corporation, Fawley Refinery	Operational	Donated by Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society in 2019.
5800	regauged to	Plymouth	1954	St Marys Cement Company, Ohio	Operational
418776 or 418767	Ruston & Hornsby	1957	Canada	Unknown
6137	regauged to	Plymouth	1958	St Marys Cement Company, Ohio	Operational
W114H	6720	Hunslet-Taylor	1965	Western Reefs Gold Mine, South Africa	Operational
N13H	7588	Hunslet-Taylor	1968	Vaal Reefs Gold Mine, South Africa	Unknown
Welsh Highland No. 5	6285	regauged to	Hunslet	1968	Millom Haematite Ore & Iron Co Ltd	Unknown	Returned to Welsh Highland Heritage Railway 2017
35	70106941	Hunslet, rebuilt by Andrew Barclay	1971 (rebuilt 1988)	Eastriggs	Unknown
40SD503	Motor Rail	1975	Minworth sewage treatment works	Operational
8819	Originally , now	Hunslet	1979	Nantgarw Colliery	Unknown
Tom	D14478847	Hudswell Clarke post acquisition by Hunslet	1981	John Summers & Sons steelworks, Shotton, Flintshire	Unknown
A10	3782	regauged to	Baguley-Drewry	1984	RNAD Trecwn	Sold to Amerton Railway 2017
9294	Hunslet	1991	British Coal, Stillingfleet Mine, Yorkshire	Unknown	Flameproof
9351	Hunslet	1991	Hire to Balfour Beatty Amec Joint Venture for London Underground Jubilee Line Extension construction, later to Lower Lea Valley Cable Tunnels construction	Unknown
9332	Hunslet	1994	Jan-Pan, Singapore	Operational
D4	1001	Funkey	Unknown	Unknown
D5	1033	Funkey	Unknown	Unknown
Carnegie	4524	Hunslet	1954	Royal Arsenal Railway, Woolwich	Operational	Delivered 2020.
4 Alistair	201970	Ruston & Hornsby	1940	Bierrum & Partners; Ffestiniog Railway; Hayling Seaside Railway	Operational	On site as of 2021.
73	Alan Keef	2005	Private owner, north Devon	Operational

Petrol locomotives

Identity	Works number	Type	Gauge	Builder	Year built	Previous operator	Status	Notes	Image
680	Baguley	1916	Jacob's biscuits, Aintree (originally Ministry of Munitions National Filling Factory No 2)	Originally paraffin powered, changed to petrol in 1927
774	774	Baguley	1919	Timber Supply Department railway at Pennal, then Oakeley Slate Quarry, then preserved by Rodney Weaver, sold to Gloddfa Ganol, purchased by the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, cosmetically restored at the Amerton Railway	Unknown	Stored at Statfold between 2008 and 2012, then returned to the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn
8	39924	Robert Hudson	1924	Cairngryffe Quarry	Unknown
36863	Robert Hudson	c. 1929	Restored	Paraffin powered; restored 1987
INCO No 3	4049	Vulcan Iron Works	1929	Inco Nickel Refinery, Port Colborne, Ontario	Converted to run on propane
INCO No 5	4196	Vulcan Iron Works	1936	Inco Nickel Refinery, Port Colborne, Ontario
Charles	3746	Brookville	1951	Nichols Chemical Company, Sulphide Ontario	Unknown
38384	Robert Hudson	1930	Steelworks, Staveley, Derbyshire	Under restoration

Compressed air locomotives

Identity	Works number	Type	Gauge	Builder	Year built	Previous operator	Status	Notes	Image
Sid	9902	Etherington/Statfold Barn Railway	2009

Electric locomotives

Identity	Works number	Type	Gauge	Builder	Year built	Previous operator	Status	Notes	Image
6092	Wingrove & Rogers	1958	Beckermet Mining Co Ltd
420253	Greenwood & Batley	1970	Weardale Lead Co Ltd	Operational
5940A	Clayton Equipment Company	1972	Streeters
The Coalition	1278	W. G. Bagnall, rebuilt by Llechwedd quarry	1890 (rebuilt c. 1930)	Llechwedd quarry	Awaiting restoration	Rebuilt from 0-4-0T Edith. Loaned from Slate Heritage International 2019
The Eclipse	1445	W. G. Bagnall, rebuilt by Llechwedd quarry	1895 (rebuilt 1927)	Llechwedd quarry	Awaiting restoration	Rebuilt from 0-4-0ST Margaret. Loaned from Slate Heritage International 2019
809	A-1-1-A	English Electric	1931	London Post Office Railway	Static display	London Post Office Railway 1930 Stock

Railcars

Identity	Works number	Type	Gauge	Builder	Year built	Previous operator	Status	Notes	Image
Libbie	1097	Baguley	1920	École Chemin de Fer, France	Operational
4091	Wickham	1946	Dismantled
4164	Wickham	1948	Dismantled
5864	Wickham	1951	Snaefell Mountain Railway	Dismantled
DX68010DB965987	7073	Wickham	1955	Unknown
3170	Target trolley	Wickham	c. 1943	Ministry of Supply, Lydd Ranges	Operational	Loaned from The Rail Trolley Trust 2020
(4164)	Convertible from up to	J Craven	1987	Converted from a Wickham trolley built in 1948
9903	Land Rover converted at Statfold Barn Railway	2009	Operational
The Goose	Statfold Barn Railway	2015	Operational	Built on Morris lorry chassis
14/3	252319	Fairmont	?	Canada	Unknown
CN 168-31	Fairmont	?	Canada	Unknown
Fairmont	?	Canada	Unknown

Trams

Identity	Works number	Type	Gauge	Builder	Year built	Previous operator	Status	Notes	Image
14	Single Truck, Double Deck (open Top)	Brush	1906	Midland Railway, Burton and Ashby Light Railway	Operational	Previously 3'6" gauge. Withdrawn when the Burton & Ashby Light Railways were closed in 1927. Body survived in a garden in Church Gresley until removed for preservation circa 1970. Exported to Detroit USA 1976 where it was mounted on a Lisbon tramways 900mm gauge truck. Returned to UK 2014 and rebuilt at Statfold with a Clayton battery electric traction package.

Unpowered passenger stock

In May 2014 the railway obtained a rake of four passenger coaches, originally built in 1984 for the Thorpe Park theme park, and latterly used on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway but in 2023, following the acquisition of other stock, these were donated to the Bala Lake Railway. In 2019 it was donated a coach which originated with the Ramsgate Tunnel Railway of 1936. In 2023 the railway brought three more coaches from the South Tyne Side railway which was then joined by the Beaches light railway coaches as they had been brought and permanently moved there by The Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust.

References

External links

Official website
Report and photos of a visit to the railway
Videos of the railway on 2 June 2007 from YouTube: part 1 part 2