Great Bush Railway
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters". The Great Bush Railway is a private, Template:RailGauge narrow gauge running round the edge of Tinkers Park, Hadlow Down, Sussex. The railway is operated by the Claude Jessett Trust Company.[1] The line is 500 meters long and has three stations, Hadlow Down, Bracherlands Junction and Tinkers Lane.
The railway only opens to the public on Tinkers Park events.
History
The line was laid down by Claude Jessett as an attraction to accompany the yearly steam rallies and as a replacement for an earlier miniature railway that existed around his garden. A heavily converted Motor Rail (later named Aminal [sic.]) was acquired from a nearby brickworks. This, alongside coaches built from brick trolleys, ran for a couple of years.
A volunteer group (named FIDO, not an acronym, but named due to the age of the volunteers) established themselves on the site and ran the line. More locomotives were acquired, putting the very worn Aminal out of use. Later the coaches were retired and a bogie coach built to take their place. Over time the FIDO group left for pastures new and the line has since been run by the Claude Jessett Trust as part of the Tinkers Park site.
The line was extended gradually, with a cutting dug by hand, to allow the line to run along the edge of an adjoining field.
The line today
The line runs in a U shape around the edge of a field. From Hadlow Down station, there is a straight run alongside the "Great Bush" which gives the railway its name, before reaching the locomotive shed, workshop and various sidings. After passing alongside, the line then reaches Bracherlands junction passing loop. The line then drops into a 1in25 curve situated in a cutting. The cutting being the largest feature on the line, having been dug gradually while the old organ museum halt being the end of the line (removed and replaced by the latter Bracherlands Junction platform.) After the cutting the line has taken a 180 degree turn running alongside another hedge before crossing over an access road between event fields and ending at Tinkers Lane station.
Current locomotives
Former locomotives
| Number | Name | Builder | Type | Date | Works
number |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sezela No. 2 | Avonside | 0-4-0Template:Whyte suffix | 1915 | 1720 | |
| 3 | Goat | Lister | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1936 | 8022 | Purchased from the Crowborough Brickworks, swapped for Albany with the Island NG Group IOW, 1977 |
| 6 | Sezela No. 6 | Avonside | 0-4-0Template:Whyte suffix | 1928 | 1923 | |
| 7 | Fido | Motor Rail | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1931 | 5297 | Ex Island NG Group IOW, 1976; sold to Ian Jolly, 1977, Now at Old Kiln Light Railway[2] |
| 8 | Tuesday | Hibberd | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1941 | 2586 | Ex Island NG Group IOW 1976; sold to the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway, 1988 |
| 9 | Smifsagit | Hunslet Hudson | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1944 | 3109 | Ex Island NG Grop IOW, 1976; sold to Alan Keef, 1979 |
| 11 | Layer | Fowler | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1936 | 21294 | Ex Brockham Museum, later Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills |
| 12 | Hibberd | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1938 | 2136 | Ex Horam Brickworks, later to Nick Williams, Reading | |
| 13 | Peter Pan | Kerr Stuart | 0-4-0Template:Whyte suffix | 1922 | 4265 | Arrived September 1977, left May 1978 |
| 17 | Bear | Ruston & Hornsby | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1952 | 339209 | Arrived 1978, left 1979 |
| 18 | Owl | Ruston & Hornsby | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1939 | 283513 | Arrived 1978, left 1979 |
| 19 | Hibberd | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1943 | 2631 | Arrived 1979, left 1987 | |
| 20 | Wingrove & Rogers | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1951 | 4634 | Arrived 1980 ex Crowborough Brickworks, scrapped 2006 | |
| 21 | Wingrove & Rogers | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1953 | 5035 | Arrived 1980 ex Crowborough Brickworks, Scrapped 2010 | |
| 26 | No 4 | Ruston & Hornsby | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1936 | 177638 | Arrived 2000, left 2011 |
| 27 | Number 22 | Ruston & Hornsby | 4wTemplate:Whyte suffix | 1944 | 226302 | Arrived 2000, left 2011 |
Current rolling stock
| Number | Name | Builder | Type | Date | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | Robert Hudson | Bogie Coach | 1981 | Built in 1981 to replace former 4w coaches built on Crowborough brickworks wagons. | File:Great Bush Railway.jpg | |
| 106 | "Trev" | 4w Coach | Built originally for a private line in Newbold Vernon. Was used in the 2017 season as a generator coach. | File:Great Bush Railway Coach 106.jpg | ||
| 110 | Great Bush Railway | 4w Penrhyn Replica Coach | 2018 | Built in 2018 to a Penrhyn Quarry Railway Design. | File:Great Bush Railway Penrhyn replica Coach.jpg | |
| 111 | A Vaughan Woodworks | Bogie Coach | 2019 | Built in 2019 to a freelance design inspired by Manx Electric Railway trailer cars. | File:Great Bush Railway New coach.jpg | |
| 112 | Severn Lamb | Bogie Coach | ? | Built for the Cotswold Wildlife Park. Ex Stevington and Turvey Light Railway. Currently operating as a bogie flat wagon, awaiting a new coach body superstructure to be built as the old one was unserviceable. | ||
| 201 | Du Croo & Brauns | 4w flat | Currently not carrying barrel unlike seen in the picture. | File:Great Bush Railway 201 Ducroo & Brauns wagon.jpg | ||
| 202 | Robert Hudson | 4w Skip | Ex Rodmell Cement Works | File:Great Bush Railway skips.jpg | ||
| 203 | Robert Hudson | 4w Skip | Ex Rodmell Cement Works | |||
| 204 | Robert Hudson | 4w Skip | Ex Rodmell Cement Works | |||
| 205 | Robert Hudson | 4w Skip | Chassis converted to a planked side wagon. | |||
| 207 | Robert Hudson | 4w skip | Chassis converted to a flat wagon | |||
| 208 | Robert Hudson | Bogie Flat | Ex MOD. Originally built for RAF Chilmark as NGF 8037, was moved to RAF Eastriggs after RAF Chilmark closed. Believed to have been acquired in the dispersal auctions. | File:Great Bush Railway flat wagon 208.jpg | ||
| 209 | Robert Hudson | Bogie Bolsters | Ex wagon bogies converted to bolster wagon pair. | File:Great Bush railway Timber bolsters.jpg | ||
| 210 | Robert Hudson | Brick Wagon | Ex Crowborough Brickworks, was used as a coach before rebuilt. | File:Great Bush Railway Brickworks Train.jpg | ||
| 211 | Robert Hudson | Brick Wagon | Ex Crowborough Brickworks, was used as a coach before rebuilt. | |||
| 301 | Great Bush Railway | Pump Trolley | Old skip frame converted to a pump trolley. | File:Great Bush Railway tool van.png |
Former rolling stock
| Number | Name | Builder | Type | Date | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Robert Hudson | 4w Toastrack | 1969 | 4w Coach built on Crowborough Brickworks chassis. | ||
| 102 | Robert Hudson | 4w Toastrack | 1969 | 4w Coach built on Crowborough Brickworks chassis. | ||
| 103 | Robert Hudson | 4w Toastrack | 1969 | 4w Coach built on Crowborough Brickworks chassis. | ||
| 104 | 4w Toastrack with roof | 1969 | 4w Coach built on Ludlay Brickworks chassis. Body later used on old 206 bolster wagon as a temporary passenger coach. | |||
| 107 | East Hayling Light Railway | 4-wheel third | Sold to the Old Kiln Light Railway. Awaiting overhaul and conversion into a coach for disabled persons. | File:OKLR Disabled Coach no. 8.png | ||
| 108 | East Hayling Light Railway | 4-wheel third | 1996 | Sold to the Old Kiln Light Railway. Awaiting overhaul. | File:OKLR 4-wheel coach.jpg | |
| 109 | East Hayling Light Railway | 4-wheel third | 1992 | Sold to the Old Kiln Light Railway. Now under overhaul. | File:2ft OKLR saloon.jpg | |
| 206 | Great Bush Railway | Bogie Bolsters | Replaced by current 209, bolsters built from Crowborough Brickworks wagons | |||
| 208 | Great Bush Railway | Tool Van | Built on ex Lydd Ranges chassis. Dismantled. Replaced by current 208 bogie flat |
References
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See also
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