Alan Keef

Alan Keef's works at Lea; Locomotive "Woto" at an open day in 1999

Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineering company which manufactures, overhauls, and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment.

The Limited Company was formed in 1975 at Cote, Bampton, Oxon, continuing what Alan Keef had already been doing for some years as an individual. In 1986 the company moved to larger premises at Lea, near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.

The first new loco was built in 1976. To date (2008) over eighty locos have been built – steam, diesel and electric. Most have been miniature or narrow gauge except for two standard gauge steam locos for Beamish Museum – the replicas of "Steam Elephant" and "Puffing Billy". In 2008 Alan Keef Ltd built the frames, running gear and mechanical parts for two Parry People Mover railcars for use on the Stourbridge Town branch (139001 and 139002). A number of Alan Keef's locomotives are replicas of steam locomotives but with diesel power. These are referred to as steam outline (s/o) in the listing below.

In 1987 the company took over the production of Motor Rail locomotives.

In addition to the replicas for Beamish the company has also helped restore a number of historically significant engines including both UK preserved Baldwin Class 10-12-D locomotives – No. 778 – which now works at Leighton Buzzard Light Railway and more recently No 794 (referred to as No 590)^[1] from the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. However, this project was eventually paused and the WHHR moved the loco to the Vale of Rheidol's Aberystwyth workshops for completion in 2020.^[2]

During the annual Open Day in September at the Alan Keef Headquarters, the public is welcome to see and ride examples of rail equipment from visiting exhibitors, as well as its own in-house rail equipment, on the facility's 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge and 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge tracks.^[3]

New & Rebuilt Locomotives[]

Works No.	Plated Year	Number/ name	Wheel arrangement	Gauge	Class	To	Notes
1	1974	"Trixie"	0-4-0ST OC	2 ft (610 mm)	Trixie	First steamed at Cote on 05/09/1974, sold to Meirion Mill Railway in January 1975. Returned to Alan Keef in 1976 and resold to Rail Rebecq in Belgium where it was renamed "Paula". Now located at the , France.[4]	Alan Keef Ltd did not build Trixie, though they were involved in the design. The builder was Trevor Barber, former manager of the Whipsnade and Umfolozi Railway.
2	1976	Skippy	4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)	Motorised skip wagon		[5]
3
4	1979		4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)		Wilmslow Peat Farm; donated to Moseley Railway Trust, 2020[6]	Available for service on Apedale Valley Light Railway[6]
5	1979		4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)		William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd, now at The [7]	Out of Use[5] image
6	1981		4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)		Private Location	[5]
7	1982	BARBIE	4wDM	21 in (533 mm)		Pleasure Beach Railway, Blackpool	[5]
8	1982	T2 SALLY	4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd	Out of Use[5] image
9	1982		4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		, Netherlands	[8]
10	1983	5 ALISON	4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		Gartell Light Railway	[5]
11	1984	IVOR	4wDH steam outline	2 ft (610 mm)		Thorpe Park	[5] Treasure Island Railway closed 1993
12	1984	SIR GEORGE	4wDH steam outline	2 ft (610 mm)			[5] image
13R	1984		4wDH	15 in (381 mm)	Ruston & Hornsby 452280 rebuilt	Evesham Vale Light Railway	[5]
14	1984		4wDH steam outline	2 ft (610 mm)		John Redden's Scrapyard, Wellingborough	[9]
15	1984		4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		India	[10]
16	1985	WEASEL	0-6-0DH steam outline	10+1⁄4 in (260 mm)	Replica of Wisbech & Upwell Tramway locomotive	Wells & Walsingham Light Railway	[11]
17	1985	3	0-4-0DH steam outline	2 ft (610 mm)		Cotswold Wildlife Park Railway	[5] image
18	1985	05 581	4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd	[5]
19	1985	JEFFREY	4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd	[5]
20R	1986		4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)	Ruston & Hornsby 283513 rebuilt	William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd, now at The [7]	Dismantled[5]
21	1987	05/582	4wDH	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)		Chemring Energetics UK Ltd	[5]
22	1987	05/583	4wDH	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)		Chemring Energetics UK Ltd	[5]
23	1988	3 JACK	0-4-0DH steam outline	2 ft (610 mm)		East Hayling Light Railway	[5]
24	1988		DH		U-series	, Korea	[12]
25	1988		DH		U-series	Kyung Dong Coal Mine, Korea	[12] image
26	1988		4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)	40S[12]	William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd	Out of use[5]
27
28	1989	T9	4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)	40S[12]	William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd	[5] image
29	1988			3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)	60S	Nigeria	[12]
30	1990	"Taffy"	0-4-0VBT VC	2 ft (610 mm)		Alan Keef	De Winton replica
31	Chassis (AKL) 1990 Body, Tender and Mechanical (RVM) 2012	Princess Swee' Pea	0-6-0DH steam outline	10+1⁄4 in (260 mm)		Hastings Miniature Railway	Substantially reconstructed; currently out of action at Bickington Steam Railway
32
33
34	1991		0-4-0DH steam outline			Singapore Zoo Railway	Garden ornament[13]
35
36	1990			3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)	60S	Nigeria	[12]
37	1990				85S	Chemicals & Fertilisers of Port Harcourt, Nigeria	[12]
38 [14]	1991	"Trijntje"	0-4-0T OC	600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)		De Efteling B.V.	Efteling Steam Train Company
39	1992	SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL	0-6-2DH steam outline	15 in (381 mm)		Blenheim Park Railway	[5]
40	1992		4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)			[15]
41	1992		0-6-2DH steam outline	15 in (381 mm)		Haigh Railway	[5] image
42	1992		0-6-2DH steam outline	15 in (381 mm)			[15]
43						Guyana Sugar Corporation	[12] image
44	1993		4wDH	3 ft (914 mm)		Peatlands Park Railway	[5]
45	1993		4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		India	[10]
46	1993		4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		Woodhead Tunnel; donated to Moseley Railway Trust	[5] For service on Apedale Valley Light Railway
47	1994	T5 SANDRA	4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd	[5] image
48
49	1994		4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		John Muir Country Park Railway	[5]
50	1994		4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)		India	[10]
51	1995		0-6-2DH steam outline	15 in (381 mm)		Cricket St Thomas Railway	[5]
52	1996	PAM	0-4-0DH	15 in (381 mm)		Wotton Light Railway	[5]
53
54	1998	DENSIL	0-6-0DH steam outline	10+1⁄4 in (260 mm)		Wells Harbour Railway	[16]
55	1998		4wDH	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)		Walton Water Treatment Works Scrapped December 2010	[5]
56
57
58
59R	1999	80 BEAUDESERT	4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)	Motor Rail 101T018	Leighton Buzzard Light Railway	[5][12]
60	2000	Edward Milner	0-6-0DH	12+1⁄4 in (311 mm)		Buxton Miniature Railway	[17]
61	2000	SIR WALTER RALEIGH	0-4-0DM steam outline	18 in (457 mm)		Bicton Woodland Railway	[5]
62	2002	4	0-2-0+1wDH	Lartigue Monorail		Listowel & Ballybunion Railway	[5]
63	2001	JAMES GORDON	0-4-0DH steam outline	2 ft (610 mm)		Alford Valley Railway	[5]
64	2001	POMPEY	B-B DH	15 in (381 mm)		Wotton Light Railway	[5] image
65	2001	MARGAM CASTLE	0-4-0DH steam outline	2 ft (610 mm)		Margam Country Park Railway	[5] image
66	2002	2 THE EARL OF OAKFIELD	0-4-0DH	15 in (381 mm)		Difflin Lake Railway	[5]
67	2003		4wBE	2 ft (610 mm)		Llechwedd Slate Caverns	[5]
68	2003	4 BELLA	0-4-0DH steam outline	2 ft (610 mm)		Railway	[5]
69R	2003	9 MARK TIMOTHY	2-6-4T OC	15 in (381 mm)	Winson 20 rebuilt	Bure Valley Railway	[5]
70	2004	LADY ALEXANDRA	0-4-0DH steam outline	20 in (508 mm)		Great Woburn Railway	[5]
71	2004	"PUFFING BILLY"	4wG VC	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge	Replica of 1813 locomotive	Beamish Museum	[5]
72R	2004	313 POLAR BEAR	4wBE	2 ft (610 mm)	Wingrove & Rogers 5568001 rebuilt	Groudle Glen Railway	[5]
73
74	2005	HOWARD	0-6-0DH steam outline	10+1⁄4 in (260 mm)		Wells Harbour Railway	[18]
75R	2007	2 BICTON	4wDH	18 in (457 mm)	Ruston & Hornsby 213839 rebuilt	Bicton Woodland Railway;[5] later Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills	Store image
76
77	2007	LYDIA	2-6-2T OC	15 in (381 mm)		Perrygrove Railway	[1]
78R	2007	6	4wDH	3 ft (914 mm)	Motor rail 102T007 rebuilt	Difflin Lake Railway	[5]
79	2007	7 FLYNN	0-6-0DH	15 in (381 mm)		Longleat Railway	[5]
80	2007	BORIS	0-6-0DH	10+1⁄4 in (260 mm)		Hotham Park Miniature Railway	[19] image
81
82
83	2008	ERIC	0-6-0DH	10+1⁄4 in (260 mm)		Lappa Valley Steam Railway	[20] image
84	2008	SIR PETER GADSDEN	4wBE	2 ft (610 mm)		Blists Hill Victorian Town	[5]
85R	2010	BUNTY	2-6-2T+T OC	15 in (381 mm)	Construction started by Neville Smith, completed by Alan Keef Ltd.	Heatherslaw Light Railway	[5]
86	2010	MERLIN	0-4-0DH	2 ft (610 mm)		Wicksteed Park Railway	[5]
87
88
89
90
91		Corris No. 10	0-4-2ST	2 ft 3 in (686 mm)	Replica of Corris Railway "Falcon" locomotive	Corris Railway	Under construction in 2018, a replica of one of the Corris Railway's original Hughes locomotives.
92	2012	E762 LYN	2-4-2T	600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)	"Lyn" Replica	Lynton & Barnstaple Railway	Various components and final assembly of replica of 1898 Baldwin loco [21]
93R	2013	"STEAMPLEX"	4wVBT		Motor Rail 5877 rebuilt	Groudle Glen Railway	[22]
94	2013	Winston	0-6-0DH	15 in (381 mm)		Blenheim Park Railway operating in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England.	[5]
95	2014	THE DUKE	0-6-0DH	10+1⁄4 in (260 mm)		Wells Harbour Railway	[2]
96R	2015	CUMBRIA	4wBE		Rebuilt and regauged from Clayton B4227B/2006.	South Tynedale Railway	[23]
97	2016		0-6-0DH	12+1⁄4 in (311 mm)		Ree Park – Ebeltoft Safari, Denmark
98
99
100	2017		0-6-0DH(so)	12+1⁄4 in (311 mm)		Wellington Country Park, Reading
101R		VER 6		2 ft 8+1⁄2 in (825 mm)	Extensive rebuild of the original car.	Volk's Electric Railway	[24]
102R		VER 10
103	2018	HOWARD	0-6-0DH			Beale Park	[24]
104	2018	8 JOHN THYNN	B-B DH	15 in (381 mm)		Longleat Railway
105	2019		B DH	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)		Centre de Culture Scientifique, Technique et Industriel, Beauport, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe	[25]
60SD757	1986			3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)	60S		Ordered by Ghana Bauxite from Simplex Mechanical Handling Ltd but delivered by Alan Keef Ltd.[12]
40SD530	1987		4wDM	2 ft 8+1⁄2 in (825 mm)	Motor Rail 40S	Volks Electric Railway[5]	Originally for Butterley Building Materials Ltd, ordered by them from Simplex Mechanical Handling Ltd but delivered by Alan Keef Ltd.[12]
M001	1988		2a-2DH	Monorail		Mrs. Whites Garden Ltd, Wiltshire	[5]
M002	1989	M002 IVOR	2a-2DH	Monorail	Skip wagon	Alan Keef Ltd	Stored[5]
M003	1989		2a-2DH	Monorail	Skip wagon	Alan Keef Ltd	Stored[5]
	1977	PW 3 REDGAUNTLET	4wPM	15 in (381 mm)		Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway	[5]
	1979	"Thomas"	4wVBG	2 ft (610 mm)		Telford Development Corporation	To Telford Horsehay Steam Trust c.1987
	1988		4wDM	2 ft (610 mm)	Motor rail 9932 rebuilt	& Teffont Quarry	[5]
	1988	8		2 ft (610 mm)	Baguley 2w-2DM Railcar	Leighton Buzzard Light Railway	Rebuild of railcar to unpowered carriage.[5]
	1993	1 DROMAD	0-4-2T OC	3 ft (914 mm)	Kerr Stuart 3024 rebuilt	Cavan & Leitrim Railway	[5]
	1995		2w-2DHR	3 ft (914 mm)	Drewry Cars 1495 rebuilt	Cavan & Leitrim Railway	[5]
	1999	CHARLES	0-6-0DH steam outline	10+1⁄4 in (260 mm)		Ferry Meadows Railway	[26] image
	2001	STEAM ELEPHANT	6wG	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge	Joint construction with , replica of Steam Elephant.	Beamish Museum	[5]
	2004	COL. FREDERICK WYLIE	4wDH	2 ft (610 mm)	Hunslet 9349 rebuilt	Beeches Light Railway	[5] Line being reconstructed at new location
	2004	3 ENTERPRISE	4wDH	3 ft (914 mm)	Motor rail 60S382 rebuilt	Waterford & Suir Valley Railway	[5]
	2019	Nancy	0-6-0T	3 ft (914 mm)	Avonside 1547 of 1908. Rebuilt between 1999 and 2019	Cavan and Leitrim Railway	[27]

See also[]

• British narrow gauge railways

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alan Keef.

• "Alan Keef Ltd - Locomotives Built at Cote". Industrial Railway Record. Industrial Railway Society (113). June 1988.
• A tale of Many Railways – An autobiography and history of Alan Keef Ltd, Lightmoor Press 2008, ISBN 978-1-899889-30-3

External links[]

• Official website