British industrial narrow-gauge railways

British industrial narrow gauge railways are narrow gauge railways in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man that were primarily built to serve one or more industries. Some offered passenger services for employees or workmen, but they did not run public passenger trains. They are categorized by the primary industry they served.

Quarrying and Mining

Cement works

Many of the cement works and their associated chalk pits had narrow gauge railways, particularly those in the South East of England. The Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd. (APCM, later Blue Circle Industries, now part of Lafarge) was the major producers of cement in the United Kingdom in the second half of the twentieth century and many of their plants used railways.

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
APCM - Alpha Works	1934 ?	1959	Template:2ft	Cliffe-at-Hoo, England	Extensive diesel-hauled chalk pit railway.
APCM - Bevan Works	?	after 1962	Template:2ft	Northfleet, England	Short line operating on a riverside wharf
APCM - Holborough Works[1]	1923	1969	Template:3ft	Snodland, England	Steam- and diesel- hauled railway at the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturer Ltd's cement plant at Holborough.
APCM - Murston Works	before 1898	after 1963	Template:2ft	Sittingbourne, England	Internal brickworks railway
APCM - Rodmell Works[2]	before 1910	1975	Template:2ft	Rodmell, England	Short line serving a cement works
APCM - Sittingbourne Works	?	after 1964	4 ft 3 in (1 295 mm)	Sittingbourne, England	Cement works line with the last narrow gauge steam locomotive in that industry.
APCM - Stone Works[1]	1877	1927	3 ft 9½ in (1156 mm)	Greenhithe, England	Steam-hauled railway at the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturer Ltd's cement plant at Greenhithe.
APCM - Sundon Works [3]	?	after 1969	Template:3ft	Luton, England	Cement works line.
British Standard Cement Works	1912	1932	Template:2ft	Rainham, England	Notable as the only industrial line in Britain to use an ex-WDLR Baldwin locomotive.
Broom Bank	1933	1962	Template:4ft3in	Lower Twydall, England	Steam hauled cement works and clay pit line
Chinnor Cement & Lime [4]		1962	Template:2ft	Chinnor, England	Locomotive and cable worked lines serving the chalk quarry and washmills.
Smeed Dean & Co.	1900	1949	3 ft 7½ in (1105 mm)	Lower Twydall, England	Chalk pit line
Francis & Co.	1871	1920	3 ft 8½ in (1130 mm)	Cliffe, England	Steam-worked chalk quarry railway
Gillingham Portland Cement Co.	1870s?	1910	Template:3ft6in	Gillingham, England	Early cement works line
I.C. Johnson & Co.	before 1872	1928	3 ft 9½ in (1156 mm)	Greenhithe, England	Internal steam hauled railway, replaced by a standard gauge line.
J.B. White & Bros - Swanscombe Works	?	1929	3 ft 5½ in (1054 mm)	Swanscombe, England	Steam-hauled internal works line with rare outside flanged rolling stock
Knight, Bevan & Sturge	1873 ?	1928	2 ft 8½ in (825 mm)	Northfleet, England	Extensive chalk quarry system, eventually superseded by a standard gauge line
Queensborough Cement Works	1896	1930?	unknown	Queensborough, England	Line worked by two Aveling and Porter steam locomotives
RPCM - Halling Works	?	1952	Template:2ft	Halling, England	Extensive cement works railway
RPCM - Southam Works[5]	?	1956	Template:2ft	Southam, England	Steam locomotive worked railway
Tolhurst & Sons	1860s	before 1948	Template:3ft6in	Gravesend, England	Large internal chalk quarry system

Lime works

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Brockham Lime Works	1870s (?)	1936	Template:2ft	Dorking, England	Lime pits and works railway, later home of the Brockham Museum
Caldon Low Quarry	before 1906	1933	Template:3ft6in	Waterhouses, England	Limestone quarry with an internal steam-worked railway system
Dorking Greystone Lime Co.	1880	1954	3 ft 2¼ in (970 mm) and Template:2ft	Betchworth, England	Well-known steam hauled internal limeworks line.
Little Ormes Head Quarry	1889	1931	Template:3ft	Porth Dyniewyd, Wales	Internal limestone quarry railway.
Oxstead Greystone Lime Co.	before 1912	1971	Template:2ft	Oxstead, England	Internal railway of lime quarry and works.
Peak Forest Tramway	1794	1923	4 ft 2 in (1 270 mm)	Chapel en le Frith, England	Early tramway that was horse and chain hauled throughout its life.
Whitehaven Quarry	1932	1953	Template:4ft	Oswestry, Wales	A series of rope-hauled inclines and steam locomotive worked tramways.

Brickworks

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Baxters Brickworks[2]	1888	1969	Template:2ft	Bexhill, England	Short line serving the clay pit and brickworks.
Buckley Tramroad	1780's	1862	Template:2ft6in	Connah's Quay, Wales	Early horse-worked plateway carrying coal and bricks from a canal wharf.
Butterley Brick - Cherry Orchard Lane Works	?	1993	Template:2ft	Rochford, England	Short line serving the clay pit and brickworks.
Butterley Brick Ltd - Milton Hall Works	?	1991	Template:2ft	Great Wakering, England	Short line serving the clay pit and brickworks.
Castle Firebrick Company	about 1865	after 1920	Template:2ft (?)	Northrop, England	Internal brickworks line, worked by steam locomotives after World War One.
Crowborough Brickworks[2]	before 1930	1980	Template:2ft	Crowborough, England	Internal line at the brickworks, latterly worked by battery-electric locomotives.
Coronation Brickworks [6]	1935	after 1969	Template:2ft6in	Elstow, England	London Brick Co Ltd brickworks near Bedford
Halstow Creek Brickworks	before 1900	1920s	Template:2ft	Lower Halstow, England	Served claypit and brickworks. Originally horse worked, one of the first electric locomotives was introduced here in 1902.
Hambledon Lane Brickworks	?	after 1983	Template:2ft	Nutbourne, England
LBC - Fletton Works	1889?	1950s ?	2 ft 11 in (889 mm)	Peterborough, England	Claypit and brickworks line of unusual gauge.
Ludlay Brick & Tile Co.[2]	?	1965	Template:2ft	Berwick, England	Internal brick works railway at Berwick in Sussex.
Midhurst Whites[2]	after 1913	1980	Template:2ft6in	Midhurst, England	Brickworks with three separate narrow gauge lines
North Holmwood Brickworks	?	1981	Template:2ft	Dorking, England	Internal system for the Redland Brick Co.'s clay pit and brickworks
Standard Brick Co	before 1936	1964	Template:2ft	Redhill, England	Steam- and diesel- hauled clay tramway
Storr Hill Brickworks	1869?	1981	Template:2ft6in	Wyke, England	An unusual chain-worked double track plateway only 250 yards long.
Warnham Brickworks[2]	before 1909	1965	Template:2ft6in	Sandwich, England	Internal line serving the brickworks and clay pit.
Woodside Brickworks	?	1953	?	Croydon, England	Internal brickworks railway notable for its two Sentinel high-pressure steam locos.

Clay extraction

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
APCM - Alkerden Works	before 1900	1943	2 ft 8½ in (825 mm)	Swanscombe, England	Large steam-worked clay pit line
BPCM - Bean Works	1920	1964	Template:2ft	Bean, England	Short line serving a clay pit on the banks of the Thames
Far Ings Tileries	1905	2001	Template:2ft	Barton-upon-Humber, England	Late survivor of the clay tramways, including a cable-hauled incline and (diesel) locomotive worked sections.
Fayle's Tramway[7]	1905	1971	3 ft 9 in (1 143 mm) until 1948 Template:1ft11.5in after 1948	Norden, England	Clay tramway that replaced the Middlesbere and Newton tramways; owned by the Pike Brothers. Regauged in 1948 to suit ex-WHR locomotive Russell
Furzebrook Railway[8] [7]	1830	1968	Template:4ft until 1866 2 ft 8½ in (825 mm) after 1866	Furzebrook, England	Horse-hauled clay plateway, replaced in 1866 by steam-hauled industrial railway serving the clay pits around Creech Heath.
John Knowles Ltd. Woodville Clay Pits			1 ft 6 in	Derbyshire, England
Meeth Clay Company	1920	1970	Template:2ft	Woolladon, England	Short line carrying clay from the pits at Meeth.
Middlebere Tramway [7]	1806	1907	Template:3ft6in (?)	Norden, England	Horse-powered plateway serving clay pits near Corfe Castle.
Newton Tramway [7]	1860 (?)	1905	3 ft 9 in (1 143 mm)	Poole Harbour, England	Clay tramway, became part of Fayle's Tramway
Pentewan Railway	1830	1916	Template:2ft6in	Pentewan, England	Initially horse-hauled, worked by steam locomotives after 1874.
Thakenham Tiles[2]	before 1937	1982 [4]	Template:2ft	Storrington, England	Short line serving the tile works

Sand and gravel extraction

 

Leighton Buzzard Light railway quarry locomotive

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Bretts - Faversham[1]	1930s (?)	1969 (?)	Template:2ft	Faversham, England	Sand and gravel haulage
Bretts - Sturry[1]	?	1968 (?)	Template:2ft	Sturry, England	Served gravel pits on the River Stour
Biddenham Gravel Pit[9]	by 1920	1930s	Template:2ft	Biddenham, England	Short horse-worked line serving Biddenham gravel pit, near Bedford.
Buckland Sand & Silica Co.	?	?	Template:2ft	Reigate, England	Short steam-hauled railway working sand from the pits to a private BR-worked siding
East Sussex Transport and Trading Company[2]	early 1930s	1964	Template:2ft	Cuckmere Haven, England	Hauled gravel extracted from the Cuckmere Haven beach to Exceat.
Hall & Co.[2]	before 1938	late 1960s	Template:2ft	Eastbourne, England	Shingle extraction railway on The Crumbles.
Heavers Gravel[2]	1920s	1962	Template:2ft	Drayton, England	Internal gravel pit line
Leighton Buzzard Light Railway	1919	1969	Template:2ft	Leighton Buzzard, England	Industrial railway that carried sand from the quarries around Leighton Buzzard
Penfolds Ltd.[2]	?	1963	Template:2ft	Eartham, England	Gravel extraction line
Piel & Walney Gravel Co. Ltd.[10]	?	1962	Template:3ft	Barrow-in-Furness, England	Steam locomotive operated gravel line running to a pier at Walney.

Stone quarrying and mining

Slate

The most well-known of the British industrial narrow gauge railway systems were those serving the slate industry of North Wales. Many of the quarries had internal tramways and feeder lines connecting them to transhippment points on local railways, rivers, roads or coastal ports.

 

Aberllefenni main level looking down from Foel Grochan, late 1970s

 

Jerry M (Hunslet No. 638) at work in the Dinorwic slate quarry, 1951

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Abereiddi Tramroad	1851	late 1890s	Template:3ft	Porthgain, Wales	2 mile long horse-drawn tramway, the only narrow gauge slate railway in north Pembrokeshire
Aberllefenni Slate Quarry	1880s (?)	2002	Template:2ft3in	Aberllefenni, Wales	Underground slate mine and short line to the mill. Originally joined to the Corris Railway
Alexandra Quarry[11]	1861	1934	Template:2ft	Moel Tryfan, Wales	Steam locomotive worked quarry feeder tramway connected to the Bryngwyn branch of the Welsh Highland Railway.
Arthog Tramway	1858	1868	Template:2ft	Arthog, Wales	Incline and horse-worked tramway
Blaen-y-Cae Quarry tramway [11]	1870	1931	Template:2ft and Template:3ft6in	Tal-y-sarn, Wales	Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway
Braich Quarry tramway [11]	before 1877	1932	Template:2ft	Moel Tryfan, Wales	Connected to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways at Bryngwyn
Braich-Rhydd quarry tramway [11]	before 1873	1915	Template:2ft	Fron, Wales	Connected to the Nantlle Railway
Bryn Glas Tramway	early 1900s	?	Template:2ft (?)	Bethesda, Wales	Short-lived horse-worked tramway built during the 1900-1903 strike at Penrhyn quarry
Bryn-y-Fferam Quarry tramway [11]	1860s	1886	?	Moel Tryfan, Wales	Isolated quarry with two pits connected by a tunnel.
Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway	1850s	1915	Template:3ft6in	Nantlle, Wales	Horse-worked feeder tramway from the Tan-yr-allt slate quarry to the Nantlle Railway
Cedryn Tramway	1861	1888	Template:2ft	Llanwrst, Wales	4 mile long horse-powered tramway serving the Cedryn quarry; partly relaid in 1917 as part of the Colwyd reservoir railway
Chwarel Fedw Tramway	1840s (?)	1880s	Template:2ft	Dolwyddelan, Wales	¼ mile quarry incline
Cilgwyn Quarry tramway [11]	before 1861	1956	Template:2ft and Template:3ft6in	Cilgwyn, Wales	Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway. Two steam locomotives survive in preservation.
Coed Madoc Quarry tramway [11]	before 1864	1927	Template:2ft	Tal-y-Sarn, Wales	Steam locomotive worked quarry tramway. Inclines connected to a standard gauge branch from Tal-y-sarn.
Cornwall Quarry tramway [11]	1867	1937	Template:3ft6in	Tal-y-sarn, Wales	Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway.
Croesor Tramway	1864	1948 (?)	Template:2ft	Porthmadog, Wales	Horse-powered tramway serving the slate quarries of the Croesor valley
Cwm Ebol Tramway	1868	1900	Template:3ft later Template:2ft	Llyn Bwtri, Wales	1½ mile long tramway with two self-acting inclines. The last Welsh slate quarry connected only to a shipping point instead of a railway.
Cwmorthin Tramway	1864	1939	Template:2ft	Tanygrisiau, Wales	8 mile long tramway connecting the quarries of Cwm Orthin to the Ffestiniog Railway.
Deeside Tramway	by 1870	1947	2 ft 7 in (787 mm)	Glyndyfrdwy, Wales	Horse-powered tramway serving the Moel Fferna slate quarry. Mostly laid with wooden rails sheathed in iron.
Dorothea Quarry tramway [11]	before 1873	1970	Template:2ft and Template:3ft6in	Tal-y-sarn, Wales	Major Nantlle Vale quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway.
Eigiau Tramway	1863	1888	probably Template:2ft	Llanwrst, Wales	Tramway connecting the Eigiau mine 6 miles to the shipping point on the River Conway
Foel Gron Tramway	1860	about 1900	Template:2ft (?)	Llan Ffestiniog, Wales	Horse-powered tramway.
Friog Quarry	?	?	Template:1ft11.5in	Fairbourne, Wales	Lightweight internal tramway around small slate quarry.
Fron Quarry tramway [11]	1864	1950	Template:2ft and Template:3ft6in	Fron, Wales	Quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway and the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways via separate inclines.
Fron-heulog Quarry tramway [11]	1854	1913	Template:3ft6in	Nantlle, Wales	Quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway.
Gallt-y-Fedw Quarry tramway [11]	1857	1901	Template:2ft and Template:3ft6in	Fron, Wales	Quarry connected to the Nantlle Railway.
Gorseddau Tramway/Tremadoc Tramway	1855	1872	Template:3ft	Porthmadog, Wales	Horse-powered tramway serving the remote slate quarries of the Cwmystradllyn valley.
Gorseddau Junction and Portmadoc Railways	1872	1887	Template:2ft	Porthmadog, Wales	Regauged and extended Gorseddau Tramway.
Hendre-Ddu Tramway	1867	1954	Template:2ft	Aberangell, Wales	Network of branch lines serving slate quarries and timber forests west of the Dyfi valley.
Honister Slate Mine	?	Present	Template:2ft	Honister, England	Working slate mine perched at the top of Honister Pass. The mine has gone through phases of activity and redundancy, the current operation started in 1997.
Llechwedd Slate Mine	1860s?	1980s?	Template:2ft	Blaenau Ffestiniog, England	Extensive slate mine, once supported by nearly 100 miles of internal railway. Commercial railway use has now ceased by a short tourist train is operated.
Nant Col quarry	?	?	Template:2ft (?)	Llanbedr, Wales	Internal slate quarry tramway.
Nantlle Railway	1828	1963	Template:3ft6in	Penygroes, Wales	Horse-hauled slate tramway serving the quarries of the Nantlle vale.
Oakley Quarry	by 1814	?	Template:1ft11.5in	Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales	One of the largest slate mines in Wales, a major source of the Ffestiniog Railway's traffic.
Padarn Railway	1843	1961	Template:4ft	Llanberis, Wales	Slate hauler serving the Dinorwic Quarry which itself had an extensive narrow gauge rail system.
Pant-Dreiniog Quarry	1903	1911	Template:2ft	Bethesda, Wales	Quarry set up by striking Penrhyn Quarry miners during the historic lock-outs.
Penrhyn Railway	1874	1962	Template:1ft11.5in	Bethesda, Wales	Slate hauler serving the Penrhyn Quarry which itself had an extensive narrow gauge rail system.
Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways[11]	1862	1979	Template:2ft and Template:3ft6in	Nantlle, Wales	Internal quarry system feeding the Nantlle Tramway.
Ratgoed Tramway	1860s	1950s	Template:2ft3in	Aberllefenni, Wales	Horse and gravity worked light tramway connecting the Cymerau and Ratgoed quarries with the Corris Railway
Rhiwbach Tramway	1863	1961	Template:2ft	Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales	Locomotive and incline worked tramway connecting the remote quarries around Cwt y Bugail to the Ffestiniog Railway

Granite

 

Cliffe Hill Mineral Railway

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Bearah Tor Quarry	?	late 1980s	Template:2ft	Liskeard, England	Short, hand worked internal quarry railway.
Cliffe Hill Mineral Railway	1896	1948	Template:2ft	Stanton under Bardon, England	Hauled stone from the Cliffe Hill Granite Quarry.
Haytor Tramway	by 1824	1858	uncertain	Dartmoor, England	Horse-drawn tramway serving the granite quarries around Hay Tor. Used granite troughs as rails.
Jee's Hartshill Granite Quarry	?	1956?	2 ft 6½ in (775 mm)	Nuneaton, England	Granite quarry with an extensive locomotive-worked tramway system.
Newcastle Granite and Whinstone Company[12]	1902	1939	Template:1ft11.5in	Haltwhistle, England	Locomotive worked line connecting Cawfields Quarry to Haltwhistle station
Penmaenmawr & Welsh Granite Co.	1830s	1960s ?	Template:3ft	Penmaenmawr, Wales	Extensive steam-hauled internal railway system in granite quarry complex.
Trefor Quarry railway	1850	1962	Template:1ft11.5in	Llanaelhaearn, Wales	Internal quarry railway, with large incline to a steam locomotive worked pier branch

Coal

The British coal mining industry made extensive use of narrow gauge railways, particularly underground where the restricted size of the tunnels meant that narrow gauge lines were and are particularly well suited. Many National Coal Board (NCB) mines used railways both underground and in the stock yards above ground. There were also many short lines at private mines, particularly in south Wales and the Forest of Dean regions.

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Ayle Colliery	1932	after 1996	Template:2ft ?	Alston, England	Private colliery with mine railway.
Bryn Oer Tramway	1815	1865	?	Talybont on Usk, Wales	Early horse-drawn tramway.
Hope Level Mine	?	1988	?	Stanhope, England	Small mine operation with loco-worked railway
NCB BatesColliery [13]		1986		Blyth, England	Diesel locomotive worked underground colliery system
NCB Berwick Drift Stockyard	?	Present	Template:3ft	Lynemouth, England	One of only two locomotive-worked stock yard railways in the British coal industry.
NCB Tilmanston Colliery [13]		1986	Template:2ft	Eythorne, England	Modern underground colliery system
Pentwyn No.3 Mine	?	after 1994	Template:2ft	Ystalyfera, Wales	One of the last coal mines using pit ponies on a railway.
Saundersfoot Railway[14]	1829	1939	Template:4ft	Saundersfoot, Wales	Early industrial railway hauling coal.
Severn & Wye Railway	1801	1869	Template:3ft6in	Forest of Dean, England	Coal and iron hauling tramway, eventually replaced by a broad gauge line.
Weardale Minerals	?	1988	Template:2ft	Cambokeels, England	Colliery railway
Weardale Mining and Processing	?	1988	Template:2ft	West Blackdene, England	Colliery railway

Peat extraction

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Bolton Fell	?	Present	Template:2ft	Hethersgill, Scotland	Lightly laid, locomotive worked peat extraction line owned by William Sinclair Horticultural.
Cladence Moss	1998	Present	Template:2ft6in	East Kilbride, Scotland	Lightly laid, locomotive worked peat extraction line owned by William Sinclair Horticultural.
Eden Park Nurseries	1987	?	Template:2ft	Wark Forest, England	A relatively new narrow gauge industrial railway.
Hatfield Peat Works	?	Present	Template:3ft	Hatfield, England	One of the few remaining working industrial narrow gauge railways in England.
Joseph Metcalf Ltd.	?	1999 ?	Template:2ft	Irlam, England	Lightly laid peat tramway using modern diesel locomotives.
L&P Ltd. Creca Moss [15]	?	Present?	Template:2ft	Annan, Scotland	Peat extraction line owned by L & P Peat Ltd.
L&P Ltd. Letham Moss	?	Present ?	Template:2ft	Airth, Scotland	Peat extraction line owned by L & P Peat Ltd.
L&P Ltd. Nutberry Works[15]	?	Present ?	Template:2ft	Eastriggs, Scotland	Peat extraction line owned by L & P Peat Ltd near Gretna Green.
Richardson's Peat Work	?	?	Template:2ft6in	Longtown, England	Peat tramway in Cumbria.
Solway Moss	?	?	Template:2ft6in	Cumbria, England	Peat tramway
Wilmslow Peat Farm	?	2000	Template:2ft	Wilmslow, England	Peat tramway near Manchester

Other mineral extraction

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Gypsum Mines Ltd.	1945	after 1951	Template:2ft	Mountfield, England	Inclined adit and works railway.
J. Parish Loam works	1850s	1957	Template:4ft	Erith, England	Steam-hauled railway moving loam for metal casting molds.
Lealt Railway	1890	1915	Template:2ft	Isle of Skye, Scotland	Remote line hauling "diatomic earth" which is used as a polishing agent. Steam worked for a short while.
Raasay Railway	1880s	1918	?	Isle of Skye, Scotland	Remote line hauling "Wolframite" which is used in steel making.

Metal mining

Tin and lead

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Ardda Tramway	1853	1864	probably Template:2ft	Dolgarrog, Wales	Iron sulphide mine with 1 mile long tramway
Cae-Coch mine	1860	1919	unknown	Trefriw, Wales	Tramway serving a remote iron sulphide mine
Connish Farm Mine	?	Present?	Template:2ft	Tyndrum, Scotland	Mine railway in intermittent use.
Glenn Sannox Railway	around 1900	late 1940s	unknown	Sannox, Arran	Incline and pier railway serving a barytes mine.
Great Laxey Mines Railway	by 1854	1929	1 ft 7 in (483 mm)	Laxey, Isle of Man	Lead, zinc and silver mines with steam locomotive worked railway by the Laxey Wheel.
Parc Mine tramway	1951	after 1960	Template:2ft	Trefriw, Wales	Lead mines with extensive underground locomotive-hauled railway system.
Snailbeach District Railways[14]	1873	1961	2 ft 3¾ in (705 mm)	Snailbeach, England	Served the lead and other mineral mines around Snailbeach.
South Crofty Mine	1880's (?)	1990's	1 ft 10 in (559 mm)	Camborne, England	Extensive tin mine with internal railway.
Willoughby Mine Tramway	1877	1914	1 ft 10 in	Trefriw, Wales	Tramway serving lead and zinc mine. An early (1904) Kerr Stuart locomotive worked here.

Iron

Mainly ironstone quarries

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Brymbo Ironworks	1899	1946	Template:1ft11.5in	Hook Norton, England	Major ironstone quarry and calcination works served by a steam-hauled railway.
Eastwell Quarries	1880s (?)	1958	Template:3ft	Eastwell, England	Extensive system of steam-hauled lines with a cable-hauled incline.
Eaton Quarries	?	1958	Template:1m	Belvoir, England	Unusual in its use of French locomotives.
Finedon Hill Quarries	1874	late 1940s	Template:2ft6in	Finedon, England	Cable-hauled ironstone quarry tramway
Irchester Quarries	1871	1884	3 ft 8¼ in	Irchester, England	Early ironstone quarry system using one steam locomotive.
Kettering Ironstone Railway[8]	1879	1951	Template:3ft	Kettering, England	Extensive system of steam-hauled lines serving the ironstone quarries west of Kettering.
Midland Brick Quarries	after 1901	by 1940	Template:2ft	Wellingborough, England	Small hand-worked ironstone quarry line
Myers Burn Mine	1985	1988	?	Eaglesham, Scotland	Small iron pyrites mine with underground railway system.
Scaldwell Ironstone Quarries[8]		1963	Template:3ft	Brixworth, England	Steam locomotive worked connecting the ironstone quarry south of Scaldwell to the British Rail branch to Lamport
South Hill Farm Quarries	1912	about 1926	probably Template:2ft6in	Finedon, England	Locomotive worked ironstone quarry tramway connected to Finedon Hill quarry tramway
Thingdon Quarries	1882	1933	2 ft 4 in	Finedon, England	Cable-hauled tramway with horse-worked upper section.
Wellingborough Iron Company[8]	1874	1966	Template:1m	Finedon, England	The last narrow gauge steam hauled ironstone railway in England. There were also 2 ft 4 in gauge feeder lines at the quarries, latterly worked by diesel locos.

Gold and silver

Heavy industry

Steel works

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Company [16]			Template:1ft6in	Ebbw Vale, Wales	Internal steel works railway using Ramsbottom locomotives similar to those at the Crewe Works Railway
Shotton Steel Works		present?	Template:2ft6in	Wrexham, Wales	Internal steel works railway

Construction industry

Tunnelling

Many narrow gauge lines were employed for short-term tunnelling contracts. Most of these are unrecorded, so this list represents only a few of the many such lines.

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Eurotunnel contract[1]	1988	1992	Template:3ft	Dover, England	Extensive rack and adhesion railway used in the construction of the Channel Tunnel.
Cockermouth Sewer Contract	?	1988	Template:2ft ?	Cockermouth, England	Temporary line to serve the renewal of the main sewer tunnel. Used battery electric locomotives.
Nuttall's Sewer contract	1996	1998	Template:2ft	Dover, England	Construction railway for a one-mile long interception sewer tunnel.

City construction

During the garden city construction boom, several new towns and cities were built using narrow gauge railways

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Port Sunlight village railway[17]	1905	1914	Template:2ft	Port Sunlight, England	Locomotive worked construction railway for the expansion of Port Sunlight "garden village"

General

Water treatment and sewage works

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Brede Waterworks	1899	1935	Template:2ft6in	Brede, England	Hauled coal from barges unloaded from the River Brede to the Brede Valley water works.
Chicester Sewage Works[2]	1930s (?)	1976	Template:2ft	Apuldram, England	Short line around the sewage works
Dukinfield Sewage Works	?	late 1980s	Template:2ft	Manchester, England	Small-scale railway at sewage works
Llanforda Hall	?	1989	Template:2ft	Oswestry, England	Railway serving the filtration beds and sand washing plant.
Metropolitan Water Board Railway [18]	1916	1946	Template:2ft	Hampton, England	Transported coal from a wharf on the River Thames to the Kempton pumping station.
North Bierley Sewage Works railway [4]			Template:2ft	Bradford, England	Railway serving the sewage works
North Surrey Joint Sewage Board railways [19]	1939	after 1965	Template:2ft	Berrylands, England	Railways serving the sewage works in Surbiton.
Wandle Valley Sewerage Board	?	1963	Template:2ft	Merton, England	Internal sewerage railway.
Water Orton Sewage Plant	?	1990	Template:2ft	Minworth, England	Internal sewerage railway.

Gas works

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Berkhamsted Gasworks Railway	?	by 1955	1 ft 6½ in	Berkhamsted, England	Short horse-worked line connecting the gasworks with a goods yard
Dundee Gasworks Railway	?	?	Template:1ft11.5in	Dundee, Scotland	Internal steam-hauled gas works railway.
Granton Gasworks Railway[5]	?	1965	Template:2ft6in	Edinburgh, Scotland	Internal steam-hauled gas works railway.
Harrogate Gasworks Railway	1908	1956	Template:2ft	Harrogate, England	Steam-hauled railway running from the North Eastern Railway to Harrogate gasworks.
South Metropolitan Gas Works, Old Kent Road	1892 (?)	1953	Template:3ft	London, England	Internal steam-hauled gas works railway on the Old Kent Road.
South Metropolitan Gas Works, Vauxhall	1898 (?)	?	Template:3ft	London, England	Internal steam-hauled gas works railway.

Power generation

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Stourport Power Station	?	1989	Template:2ft6in	Stourport, England	Internal line.

General freight

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Belvoir Castle Tramway	1815	1920	4 ft 4½ in (1 334 mm)	Belvoir Castle, England	A short plateway used to haul coal and other goods from a canal wharf to the castle.
Guilford Tramway [1]	1903	1930	Template:3ft6in	Sandwich, England	Steam locomotive worked, freight-only line serving the St. George's Golf Club.
Redruth and Chasewater Railway[14]	1825	1915	Template:4ft	Redruth, England	Freight and mineral hauling line; horse-drawn until 1854; later steam worked.
Talisker Distillery	?	1930s	Template:2ft	Isle of Skye, Scotland	Hauled goods from a pier to the whisky distillery.

Forestry

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Ampthill Timber Railway	1917	1918	Template:3ft	Ampthill, England	Controller of Timber Supply (CTS) forestry railway using one Kerr Stuart Haig class locomotive.
Aviemore Light Railway	1917	1922	Template:3ft	Aviemore, Scotland	Extensive forestry railway built by the War Office Directorate of Timber Supply.
Cefn Vron Tramway	1924	1926	Template:2ft6in	Newtown, Wales	Temporary timber hauling railway on the Welsh-English border.
Dornoch forestry railway	1917	1922	Template:3ft	Dornoch, Scotland	Forestry railway built by the War Office Directorate of Timber Supply.
Downham Hall timber railway	1917	1922	Template:3ft	Brandon, England	CTS timber railway using three Bagnall locomotives
Kerry Ridgeway Railway	1941	1943	Template:2ft	Newtown, Wales	Temporary timber-hauling railway at Kerry, Powys.
Kerry Tramway	1887	1923	Template:2ft	Newtown, Wales	Locomotive-worked line hauling timber from Kerry forest to Kerry Station on the Cambrian Railway
Wool timber railway	1918	1920	Template:3ft	Wool, England	Forestry railway using a single Bagnall locomotive.
Wolsingham railway	1917	1922	Template:3ft	Wolsingham, England	1½ mile long timber railway using three steam locomotives.

Other industries

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
ABCO Petroleum	before 1910	1960s	Template:2ft	Rye, England	200-yard-long internal railway serving the reprocessing plant.
Ashton Canal Carriers	?	Present?	Template:2ft	Ashton under Lyne, England	Short loco-worked line within a boatyard.
Ballard's Malt Vinegar Works	1894	after 1974	Template:2ft	Malvern, England	Hand-worked line connecting the barley malting works to the piggery.
BICC - Belvedere[1]	1930s (?)	1968	Template:3ft6in	Belvedere, England	Steam-hauled railway at British Insulated Callender's Cables Ltd's cable plant.
Biwater Pipes and Castings	?	2000	2 ft 3½ in (698 mm)	Clay Cross, England	Very short line for hauling pipes within the works.
Beyer Peacock Works Railway	?	?	Template:2ft6in	Manchester, England	Extensive railway serving the locomotive construction works of Beyer Peacock.
Bowaters Paper Railway[1]	1906	1969	Template:2ft6in	Sittingbourne, England	Served Bowater's paper mills. The last steam-worked industrial narrow gauge line in Britain.
British Aluminium Corporation - Lochaber	1925	1977	Template:3ft	Fort William, Scotland	Long line built for the construction and maintenance of pipelines from Lochaber to Fort William
Crewe Works Railway[16]	1863	1932	Template:1ft6in	Crewe, England	Extensive railway serving the Crewe locomtoive works of the London and North Western Railway.
Horwich Works Railway[16]		1965	Template:1ft6in	Bolton, England	Railway serving the Horwich locomtoive works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.
Lynlite Concrete Ltd.	?	1979	Template:3ft	Ramsey, England	Concrete suppliers.
Nocton Potato Estate	1920	1969	Template:2ft	Lincoln, England	Extensive system to carry potatoes from the fields to the crisp processing plant.
Pett Level Tramway[2]	1934	1946	Template:2ft	Winchelsea, England	Built to aid the construction and maintenance of sea defences on the Sussex coast.
Port Sunlight	1914 (?)	early 1950s	Template:2ft	Port Sunlight, England	Locomotive-worked industrial light serving Lever Brothers soap factory.

Military railways

These are railways at military establishments. These locations were often subject to the Official Secrets Act and other government restrictions, so many of them are less well documented.

Name	Opened	Closed	Gauge	Location	Notes
Chatham Dockyard [20]	1860s	1930s	Template:1ft6in	Chatham, England	Internal rail system serving the dockyard.
Chattenden and Upnor Railway [20]	1885	1961	Template:2ft6in	Chattenden, England	Light railway serving Chattenden barracks and armament stores
Davington Light Railway	1916	1918	Template:1m	Faversham, England	Short-lived metre-gauge line serving an Admiralty munitions factory.
Flat Holm	?	?	Template:2ft	Bristol Channel, Wales	Fortification supply railway
Fort George Range	?	?	Template:2ft	Inverness, Scotland	Target railway
HM Factory, Gretna	?	1917	Template:2ft	Gretna, Scotland	Extensive WW I Cordite factory line
Lodge Hill and Upnor Railway	1873	1885	Template:1ft6in	Chattenden, England	Served the construction of the Chattenden and Upnor Railway.
Lydd Ranges	1936	Present	Template:2ft	Lydd, England	Principally a target railway, though also carries personnel and equipment around the ranges.
RAF Calshot	1919	1946	Template:2ft	Calshot, England	Short line serving Calshot camp and pier.
RAF Fauld	?	?	Template:2ft?	Fauld, England	Underground ammunition store during WWII with supply railway.
RNAD Broughton Moor	before 1943	1992	Template:2ft6in	Broughton Moor, England	Locomotive-worked line hauling ammunition around the depot.
RNAD Dean Hill[21] [22]	?	2003	Template:2ft6in	West Dean, England	Locomotive-worked line hauling ammunition around the depot.
CAD Eastriggs	?	2005	Template:2ft	Eastriggs, Scotland	Extensive WW II armaments depot line using parts of the site of the former HM Factory, Gretna
South Heighton	1941	1941	Template:2ft6in	Newhaven, England	Hand-worked line to aid construction of HMS Forward underground command centre.
Steep Holm[23]	WW II	WW II	Template:2ft	North Somerset, England	war-duration Fortification supply railway
Weaversdown Light Railway	1903	1969	Template:2ft6in	Bordon, England	Army railway training school, part of the Longmoor Military Railway.
Woolwich Arsenal Railway [24]	1873	1966	Template:1ft6in	Woolwich, England	Extensive rail system serving the Royal Arsenal.

See also

• British narrow gauge railways

References

1. Mitchell, Vic and Smith, Keith (2000). Kent Narrow Gauge. Middleton Press. ISBN 1901706452.
2. Mitchell, Vic and Smith, Keith (2001). Sussex Narrow Gauge. Middleton Press. ISBN 1901706680.
3. Leleux, Sydney A. (1971). "Industrial Railways of Bedfordshire: Sundon Cement Works". The Industrial Railway Record. 36: 31–36. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
4. "Amberley narrow gauge railway stock list".
5. Trevor Rowe, D (1990). Two Feet between the Tracks. Plateway Press. ISBN 1871980127.
6. Warrington, A.J. (1971). "Industrial Railways of Bedfordshire: Coronation Works, Elstow". The Industrial Railway Record. 35: 5–11. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
7. Kidner R.W (2000). The Railways of Purbeck. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0853615578.
8. Peters, Ivo (1976). The Narrow Gauge Charm of Yesterday: A Pictorial Tribute. The Oxford Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |id ISBN= ignored (help)
9. Warrington, A.J. (1968). "Industrial Railways of Bedfordshire: Biddenham Gravel Pit". The Industrial Railway Record. 17: 192–193. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
10. Down, C.G. (1969). "Narrow Gauge Wagons: Piel & Walney Gravel Co. Ltd". The Industrial Railway Record. 25: 83–85. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
11. Boyd, James I.C. (1990). Narrow Gauge Railways in North Caernarvonshire, Volume 1: The West (2nd. edition ed.). The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0853612730. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
12. Charlton, L.G. (1968). "The Newcastle Granite and Whinstone Co. Ltd". The Industrial Railway Record. 17: 176–180. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
13. Dean, Ian (1998). Industrial Narrow Gauge Railways. Shire Publications Ltd. ISBN 0852637527.
14. Kidner, R.W. (1938). Mineral Railways. The Oakwood Press.
15. ""Dumfries & Galloway"". Industrial Railway Society Bulletin. 749: 27. 2004. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
16. Talbot Edward and Taylor Clive (2005). The Crewe Works Narrow Gauge System (2nd. Edition ed.). The London & North Western Railway Society. ISBN 0954695110. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
17. Lister, Mike (1988). The Industrial Railways of Port Sunlight and Bromborough Port. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 08563613710.
18. "Metropolitan Water Board Railway".
19. Down, C.G. (1965). "The North Surrey Joint Sewage Board". The Industrial Railway Record. 8. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
20. Yeatman, D. (1966). "Lodge Hill & Upnor Railway". The Industrial Railway Record. 12: 277–292. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
21. "Visit Reports". Industrial Railway Society Bulletin. 746: 6–7. 2003. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
22. "Dean Hill RNAD depot".
23. Rendell, Stan and Joan (1993). Steep Holm: The Story of a Small Island. Stroud: Alan Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-0323-6
24. "Woolwich Arsenal Railway".

• "Industrial narrow gauge railways".
• "Extensive list of 2 ft gauge railways worldwide".
• "Narrow Gauge Railway Museum's list of railways".
• "List of 2 ft 6 in gauge railways".
• "List of British narrow gauge steam locomotives".
• "Railways of the Malvern Hills".
• Dean, Ian, Neale Andrew and Smith, David (1983). Industrial Railways of the South-East. Middleton Press. ISBN 0906520096.
• Lee, Charles E. (1945). Narrow-Gauge Railways in North Wales. The Railway Publishing Co. Ltd.
• Crumbleholme, Roger and Kirtland, Terry (1981). steam '81. George Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0043850820.
• Stoyel, B.D. and Kidner R.W. (1973). The Cement Railways of Kent. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0853613702.
• Macmillan, Nigel S.C. (1970). The Campbeltown & Machrihanish Light Railway. David & Charles: Newton Abbot.
• Richards, Alun John (2001). The Slate Railways of Wales. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch: Llanwrst. ISBN 0863816894.
• Boyd, James I.C. (1988). Narrow Gauge Railways in North Caernarvonshire, Volume 3. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0853613281.
• Tonks, Eric. The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands, Part IV: The Wellingborough Area. Runpast Publishing: Cheltenham. ISBN 1870754042.
• Cox, David & Krupa, Christopher (1992). The Kerry Tramway and other timber light railways. The Plateway Press. ISBN 1871980119.
• Narrow Gauge News, the journal of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society