The Amerton Railway

In a nutshell

Gauge:   2'

Length: About a mile

Opened: 1992

Location:

Amerton Railway
Stowe-by-Chartley
Nr. Weston
Staffordshire
ST18 0LA

View Larger Map  

Web:   http://www.amertonrailway.co.uk/index.html

Email.  enquiries@amertonrailway.co.uk

 

Date of visit: 18 August 2012

 

Key Facts

• The Amerton Railway was constructed by the Staffordshire Narrow Gauge Society to run their restored locomotive, Isabel, a steam locomotive built at the Bagnall Locomotive Works in Stafford
• The railway has been steadily enlarged from the original track laid in 1992
• The trains run daily (afternoons) through the summer season with steam hauled trains on Sundays plus Santa Specials in the winter
• Amerton Working Farm, the location for the railway, includes attractions for the whole family, such as a play barn, gift shops, a farm shop and a garden centre.
• The railway owns seven steam locomotives (4 presently in steam) and nine internal combustion locos

Route

The mile-long railway describes a circuit through the meadows of the farm. There is a passing loop at the main station and a passing loop about a quarter of a mile out which was the former terminus for the line but now provides wagon storage.

My Impressions

The railway is very well presented with a small booking office based on a Colonel Stephens original design .........

..... and a neat platform with a shelter for passengers.

A signal cabin from the Leek and Manifold Railway is in the course of reconstruction and the raison d'etre for the railway, the Bagnall locomotive Isabel, is on display in her own glass-fronted shed.

The locomotive for the day was former NCB Hunslet diesel hydraulic, Gordon. This was a Saturday and steam-hauled services run on Sundays.

The trip around the loop took about ten minutes, ..........

 ....... with occasional pauses to allow the loco to herd sheep off the track.

We stayed for a while on the platform, watching the trains fill up and depart

and catching glimpses of the bright red and cream coaches meandering their way through the meadows.

An interesting little railway which would be well worth a re-visit on one of their gala days. The working farm proved of interest to the other members of the family and the tea and cakes in the café provided much-needed refreshment.

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