Alderney Railway

The Alderney Railway in Alderney is the only working railway in the Channel Islands. It opened in 1847 and runs for about two miles (3 km), mostly following a coastal route, to Mannez Quarry and Lighthouse. The railway is run by volunteers and usually operates during summer weekends and bank holidays.

tations

* Mannez Quarry
* Braye Road

Rolling stock

Current

The current stock is former London Underground 1959 Tube Stock cars nos. 1044 and 1045, a Vulcan Drewry 0-4-0 diesel locomotive no. D100 'Elizabeth', a Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 diesel 'Molly II' and six Wickham rail cars. 'Molly II' is currently awaiting modification to her coupler system, so she can haul the London Underground stock. However, this cannot happen at the moment due to the fact she is not yet owned by the Alderney Railway company.

Past

* British Admiralty, 1854-1923. (The railway was, presumably, owned by some other department of the British Government from 1847-1854).

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* Channel Islands Granite Co Ltd, 1923-1940.

This company took over the railway in 1923, together with locomotives No.1 and No.2. No.1 was returned to England and replaced by Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST "Nitro".

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* German occupation, 1940-1945

No.2 and "Nitro" were commandeered by the Germans and are believed to have been shipped to Cherbourg in 1943 or 1944. The Germans lifted part of the standard gauge line and replaced it with a metre gauge line, worked by two Feldbahn 0-4-0 diesel locomotives.

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* British Home Office, 1945-?

The line was restored to standard gauge in 1947-1949 and the following stock was used:

* Sentinel 4wVBT "Molly", in service from 1947, withdrawn 1958. May have been converted to a mobile sand-blaster [http://johnlawontherails.fotopic.net/c1141112.html]
* Cowans Sheldon steam crane
* Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 diesel "Molly II"

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* Alderney Railway Co Ltd, 1980 onwards
** Bagnall 0-4-0ST “J.T. Daly", in service 1982, now (2007) at the Pallot Heritage Steam Museum, Jersey

*Notes
** arr. = date arrived on Alderney
** T = tank locomotive
** ST = saddle tank locomotive
** TG = geared tank locomotive
** VBT = vertical boiler tank locomotive

History

The railway was built by the British Government in the 1840s and opened in 1847. Its original purpose was to carry stone from the eastern end of the island to build the breakwater and the Victorian forts.

Gallery

ources

* "Railways of the Channel Islands, A Pictorial Survey" compiled by C Judge, published by The Oakwood Press 1992, ISBN 0 85361 432 6

External links

* [http://www.alderneyrailway.com/ Alderney Railway]
* [http://www.sbrobinson.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Alderney.html A fan's website]