DEAN FOREST RAILWAY

The 'Dean Forest Railway' is a 4.25 mile long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the Severn and Wye Railway. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and bought the trackbed and line from British Rail in 1985. Services were extended from Norchard to Lydney Lakeside in 1991, Lydney Junction in 1995/96, Tufts Junction in 2001 and to Whitecroft in 2004. HM Railway Inspectorate approval for the section to Parkend was granted in December 2005. Trains are operated by both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, and heritage diesel multiple units.
The Dean Forest railway has recently been given the former GWR signal box that stands slightly to the east of Codsall station in Staffordshire. Its removal was completed in July 2007, and will be placed at Whitecroft station.

Contents

Stations

Locomotives

External links

Stations

★ Lydney Junction (Terminus)

★ St Mary's Halt (Opened as Lydney Lakeside)

★ Lydney Town

★ Middle Forge Junction - no station just ground frame where points are changed to go into Norchard High or Low Level Platforms. 450 yards from Norchard

★
★ Norchard Low Level (Terminus)

★ Norchard High Level

★ Whitecroft (Not open - station under construction)

★ Parkend (Terminus)

Locomotives

★ 'Steam locomotives'

★
★ Warrior Austerity Saddle Tank Engine. Undergoing overhaul where the frames are nearing completion.

★
★ Wilbert Austerity Saddle Tank Engine. Stored outside awaiting overhaul.

★
★ GWR 0-4-2T 1400 Class no. 1450 (visiting for 2004/5/6/7 season) and in operational condition.

★
★ GWR 0-6-0PT 5700 Class no. 9681. Returned to traffic in 2005 and is now in regular use.

★
★ GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T No 5541. Presently undergoing overhaul at Norchard Workshops following it boiler ticket expiring in 2004.

★
★ Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST "Uskmouth 1". Uskmouth worked in a electricity station in Newport (South Wales) at Uskmouth. Undergoing overhaul which started in 2006.
Plus a number of locomotives being restored/overhauled for other railways

★ 'Diesel locomotives'

★
★ BR 0-6-0 Class 03 nos. 03128. Stored out of use.

★
★ BR 0-6-0 Class 08 nos. 13308 "Charlie" operational, 08473 (for spares only) and 08734 undergoing overhaul.

★
★ BR 0-6-0 Class 14 no. D9555. In service.

★
★ BR Bo-Bo Class 25 no. D7633. Recently returned to service following overhaul and is now awaiting a repaint.

★
★ BR Bo-Bo Class 27 no. D5386 (27066). In service.

★
★ BR A1A-A1A Class 31 no. D5634 (31210). Undergoing restoration.

★
★ BR A1A-A1A class 31 no. 31466. Arrived Wednesday 14th March 2007.

★
★ BR Co-Co Class 37 no. 37263. Undergoing overhaul.

★
★ BR Bo-Bo Class 73 no. 73002 on display, 73101 'The Royal Alex' on loan to the Avon Valley Railway, E6001 (73901), recently returned from a heavy overhaul, looks superb and nos 73005 (E6005) and 73006 (E6006) are on loan to the Severn Valley Railway

★ 'Diesel multiple units'

★
★ BR Class 108 units E50619+M56492 and M51914+M56495. All operational except M56492.

★ 'Electric multiple units'

★
★ BR Class 421 units 1392 and 1499 out of service due to heavy vandalism

External links

★ Dean Forest Railway homepage

★ Historical site

★ Dean Forest Diesel Association