Launceston Steam Railway

The Launceston Steam Railway is a private heritage railway in Launceston in Cornwall, England. The narrow gauge railway is operated with steam locomotives on a track width of 597 mm. The 4 km long route runs on part of the route of the former North Cornwall Railway, which was later acquired by the London and South Western Railway and decommissioned in the 1960s by the British Railways.

History

Founded as the railway by Nigel Bowman, who had bought the locomotive Lilian in the 1960s and restored on their own. After he had driven them from time to time on the property of a friend, he decided to abandon his career as a teacher and to start their own railroad. After a long search for a suitable route he took in 1971 in Launceston support from the City Council, and the purchase of land began - a complicated endeavor that took to complete twelve years.

The first 800 m track was opened on 26 December 1983. Since then, the route has been extended several times, reaching in 1995 its current length of 4 km. The canopy of the station comes from a former railway station in Tavistock (Devon) and was built in 1986/87.

Currently it is planned to extend the route by about 3 km after Egloscarry. The required purchase of land is not yet complete (as of 2010 ).

Location and History

The starting point of the trail is located near the former station of the London and South Western Railway in Launceston. Of the original station almost nothing remains; on its premises is now including the parking lot of the Launceston Steam Railway. The current station is a little further west on the site of a former gas works were taken from the workshop as well as a museum building, in the old motorcycles and other vehicles are on display.

Starting from Launceston, the route heads west and crosses under a road there and then the cast-iron aqueduct of a mill-race. The river Kensey is crossed on a mullioned stone bridge. The train runs almost the entire route between meadows and fields, and about halfway there is a need breakpoint, which is primarily used by hikers. In the immediate vicinity of the final destination is the Newmills Farm Park, an adventure farm.

Rolling stock

The railway currently has three steam locomotives, Lilian, Covertcoat and Velinheli, the latter of which is privately owned. A fourth locomotive, Dorothea, is since 2012 after an extensive restoration back in action. All four locomotives are Hunslets Quarry, which had been originally built for operation in Welsh slate quarries. Covertcoat and Lilian were retrofitted with small tow respondents.

Furthermore, there is a small diesel locomotive for shunting and a battery-powered and diesel-electric trolley available.

The passenger trains are being pulled solely by steam locomotives, but there is a diesel-electric railcars in construction, the drive bogie from a railcar parts of the former London Post Office Railway is (No. 42, Series 1930 ). A second post office railcars ( No. 38) is also in the possession of the Railway and will be exhibited in the museum.

In addition to some freight cars, two open and two closed cars are available, which originated mainly in the self-made, partly however, are inspired by historical models.

Others

On an adjoining property are exposed ruins of the former convent of Launceston, which can be viewed from one of the roundhouse from where there are also information boards.