Light Railways Act 1896
The adopted by the British Parliament in 1896 Light Railways Act (59 & 60 Vict c. 48) is a law to allow a genus of railways determined with the aim of performing these paths in a simple model without parliament. The corresponding German term for this kind of railways is small train.
Light Railways Act
Before 1870, the construction of railways was so complex and expensive due to the necessary approval process and the building codes that the opening up of rural areas was not to be financed in this way. The Tramway Act of 1860 allowed for the first time the construction of railways under simplified conditions, but did not for various reasons, the desired success. This and the construction of the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway, which was built on in 1882, the provisions for Tramways, but was in all but name a Light Railway, provided the impetus for the creation of the Light Railways Act.
The law limited the maximum axle load of 12 tons ( 12.1 t) and a top speed of 25 miles per hour (40 km / h) and 8 mph in curves. The gauge was not prescribed by law and so in addition to a few standard gauge railways narrow gauge railways were built in various gauges. In place of the necessary Act of Parliament, the " Light Railway Order" entered. With these regulations, the procedures for the construction and operation of the Light Railways were established.
In contrast to the Tramway Act, the authorities had to acquire cheap no right to veto the permit and not the option that train after 21 years, as well as the approval procedure were simpler. The fees paid to the Light Railway Act were 75% lower than the Tramway Act. These advantages led to a number of municipal and private Tramways were preferably built or expanded by the Light Railway Act. Nevertheless Light Railways are a separate genus.
The Light Railway Act was never a great success. Although survived individual tracks that were built according to the provisions of this Act, thanks to skillful management and economical management. For most of the Light Railways began to decline with the increasing competition from road transport in the late 1920s and thirty years later, almost all Light Railways set and degraded. Only a few sections remained thanks to private initiative as a museum railway received, some were even built for that purpose again.
Until the introduction of the Transport and Works Act (TWA) in 1992, museum railways were operated in the United Kingdom or the rules of Light Railways ( Light Railway Orders), which had not been built as Light Railways.
The name Light Railway has been applied over the years in orbits similar design for which no permit under the Light Railways Act was necessary, for example, military trains, miniature railways and trains that ran the whole length on private land.
Tracks that were built after the Light Railways Act
The year in the " opening " column refers to the opening of the first section of track, the next column shows the year of formal closure or cessation of regular operation on the last remaining road section.
In 1902, the Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway was approved but never completed. The already laid tracks were dismantled in World War 1.
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