Brockham Railway Museum

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Brockham Railway Museum
Overview
Dates of operation1962–1982
Technical
Track gauge2 ft (610 mm)

The Brockham Railway Museum was a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway based at the site of the Brockham Limeworks, near Dorking, Surrey. When it closed in 1982, the majority of the collection was moved to the Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre where it formed the nucleus of the Amberley Museum Railway.

History[]

In 1960, the Dorking Greystone Lime Co. of Betchworth, Surrey, was disposing of its railway stock. The company's general manager, Major Taylerson, was keen to see the locomotives preserved. The London Area Group of the (NGRS) purchased one of the pair of 3 ft 2+1⁄4 in (972 mm) gauge Fletcher Jennings tank locos, Townsend Hook. This was placed on display at Sheffield Park on the embryonic Bluebell Railway. However this was not a particularly satisfactory arrangement, and efforts were made to find an alternative home.

In October 1961, members of the NGRS visited the disused chalk pit of Brockham Lime & Hearthstone Co. Ltd.. The site was deemed suitable, and arrangements were made to establish a museum there, less than a mile west of the site of the Dorking Greystone Lime Co. The site was cleared in early 1962.[1] Townsend Hook moved there in May 1962, and was followed a week later by the two Orenstein & Koppel diesel locos from Betchworth: No. 6 Monty and No. 7, named The Major in honour of Major Taylerson. The Brockham Museum Trust was formed as a separate entity from the NGRS to run the museum.

The Peckett locomotive Scaldwell was purchased from Staveley Minerals[1] and moved to the museum on 20 March 1964.[2] The locomotive was steamed the following weekend and driven into the newly refurbished shed - the first and last time it was operated in preservation.[3]

In 1965, Cliffe Hill Granite Co. Ltd. donated Peter, a Bagnall 0-4-0ST built in 1917, with the provision that it had to be put into working order. Peter initially went to the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway,[4] but moved to Brockham on 21st August.[1] Another Bagnall arrived in 1967, when 2-4-0T Polar Bear was brought over the Groudle Glen Railway. The story goes that Brockham was offered both Polar Bear and her sister, Sea Lion, along with all the carriages, for £50, but the museum could not raise that much money and instead purchased Polar Bear and two carriages, along with many spares from Sea Lion, which had been out of use since 1939, to keep Polar Bear in traffic.[citation needed] The museum continued to expand, becoming home to many items in Amberley's current collection.

In 1973 the museum acquired 60 lengths of portable "Jubilee" track and 8 wagons from the Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway. In December several locomotives arrived from storage at the Cadeby Light Railway, including the last remaining narrow-gauge locomotive built by the Bedford firm of J&C Howard (works number 982 of 1981).[5]

In the period 1972 to 1978 the museum was home to many privately owned locomotives, many of which moved out in 1978 following the creation of the Gloddfa Ganol museum in North Wales.

Closure[]

In the early 1980s, permission was sought from the local authorities to expand access to the museum. This was denied because the only road access was across an ungated level crossing over the British Railways line from Dorking to Reigate.[6] The museum closed in 1982, with most of the remaining items moving to Amberley[7] over the summer.[8]

Locomotives[]

Locomotives on-site at Brockham in 1982.[9]

Name Works
Number 		Type Gauge Builder Year
built 		Original Operator Notes
Townsend Hook 172L 0-4-0T 3 ft 2+1⁄4 in (972 mm) Fletcher Jennings 1880 Dorking Greystone Lime
Monty 7269 4wDM 3 ft 2+1⁄4 in (972 mm) Orenstein & Koppel 1936 Dorking Greystone Lime
Scaldwell 1316 0-6-0ST 3 ft (914 mm) Peckett & Sons 1913 Scaldwell Tramway Moved to Amberley, then to the Southwold Railway in July 2017, with the plan to return it to steam.[7]
10161 4wDM 2 ft 11 in (889 mm) Motor Rail 1950 London Brick Company, Arlesey brickworks, Bedfordshire
Polar Bear 1781 2-4-0T 2 ft (610 mm) W.G. Bagnall 1905 Groudle Glen Railway
Peter 2067 0-4-0ST 2 ft (610 mm) W.G. Bagnall 1917 Cliffe Hill Mineral Railway Built as 3 ft (914 mm) gauge, converted to 2 ft (610 mm) in 1919.
872 4wPM 2 ft (610 mm) Motor Rail 1918 C V Buchan & Co Ltd
No. 15 1320 4wDM 2 ft (610 mm) Motor Rail 10 September 1918 War Department Light Railways Ran at the Moor Hill gravel pits of Inns & Co. Preserved at Brockham in 1978. Purchased by Ian Jolly in early 1990, then moved to the Cadeby Light Railway on 5 March 1994. Purchased by the Moseley Railway Trust and moved to their Apedale Light Railway on 29 April 2006.[10]
166024 4wDM 2 ft (610 mm) Ruston & Hornsby 1933 Colne Valley Water Co, Rickmansworth
Peldon 21295 4wDM 2 ft (610 mm) Fowler 1936 Essex Water Authority, Abberton
Redland 6193 4wDM 2 ft (610 mm) Orenstein & Koppel 1937 Redland Pipes Ltd., Ripley
The Major 7741 4wDM 2 ft (610 mm) Orenstein & Koppel 1937 Dorking Greystone Lime
80 2 ft (610 mm) 4wDM Ransomes and Rapier 1936 Chinnor Cement & Lime
WD904 3403 2w-2PM 2 ft (610 mm) Wickham 1943 MoD Eastriggs
3097 2 ft (610 mm) 4wDM Hudson Hunslet 1944 Borough of Merton Sewage Works
5031 4wBE 2 ft (610 mm) Wingrove & Rogers 1953 After move to Amberley was dismantled and used as a source of spares
23 23L 0-4-0T 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) 1920 Guinness Brewery, Dublin

Other locomotives that were at Brockham (mostly privately owned) and moved elsewhere before closure in 1982

Name Works
Number 		Type Gauge Builder Year
built 		Original Operator Notes
Kathleen 106 0-4-0VBT 1 ft 10+3⁄4 in (578 mm) De Winton 1877 Penrhyn quarry railway Saved in 1961. Owned by Alan Keef, then Walcroft Bros 1968, then Pete Nicholson when at Brockham Railway Museum in the 1970s, later moved to Gloddfa Ganol, now in Vale of Rheidol Railway museum collection.
Llanfair 0-4-0VBT 3 ft (914 mm) De Winton 1895 Penmaenmawr granite quarry Partially restored at Brockham Railway Museum in the 1970s, later moved to Gloddfa Ganol, and then on display on a plinth at Dinas Station on the Welsh Highland Railway
1568 4wPM 2 ft (610 mm) Hibberd 1927 APCM Murston Brickworks, Kent Purchased by Pete Nicholson and moved to Brockham Railway Museum in February 1972.[11] The oldest surviving Hibberd loco. Later moved to Gloddfa Ganol, and more recenlty at Leighton Buzzard Light Railway.
Python[12] 4470 4wPM 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) Orenstein & Koppel 1930 Purchased by P.D. Nicholson and stored at Brockham before moving to Gloddfa Ganol.[13] Now with Moseley Railway Trust at Apedale.
982[12] 4wPM 2 ft (610 mm) Howards 1931 Whittlesea Central brickworks The only remaining narrow-gauge locomotive built by Howards. Preserved in 1970 at the Cadeby Light Railway. Move to Brockham in 1973, then to Gloddfa Ganol. Sold in 2007 to a member of the Moseley Railway Trust where restored.
1747[12] 1747 4wPM 2 ft (610 mm) Hibberd 1931 Purchased by Pete Nicholson and moved to Brockham Railway Museum in February 1974.[14] Later moved to Gloddfa Ganol.
3916 4wPM 2 ft (610 mm) R A Lister and Company 1931 Tarmac Ltd, Wolverhampton Worked at Dorothea Slate Quarry before preservation in 1970. Stored at Brockham in the 1970s, moved to Gloddfa Ganol c1978. In storage at Long Eaton. More lately at Twyford Waterways Trust.
45913 4wPet/Par 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Robert Hudson Ltd 1932 Ex-Midhurst Whites Ltd Arrived Brockham c1972. In 1978 moved to Gloddfa Ganol, and later to Amberley Chalk Pits Museum
164350[12] 164350 4wDM 2 ft (610 mm) Ruston & Hornsby 1933 Purchased by Michael Jacobs from Enfield Sewage Works in 1966. Moved to Brockham in February 1974.[15] Later moved to Gloddfa Ganol.
LM11[12] 1082/1348 0-4-0DM 3 ft (914 mm) 1934 Peat Fuel Company, Lullymore, County Kildare, Ireland Purchased by Michael Jacob in 1973 and moved to Brockham in December.[16] Later purchased by Rich Morris and moved to Gloddfa Ganol, then later via Alan Keef c2004 to the Cavan and Leitrim Railway. Originally thought to be 1082, but later found to be 1348 of 1934/5.
6299 4wPM 2 ft (610 mm) R A Lister and Company 1935 John Board & Co Ltd, Dunball Portland cement and lime works near Bridgwater, Somerset Purchased by Peter Nicholson in 1968. Stored at Brockham in the 1970s More lately at Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum, Somerset.
Layer 21294 4wDM 2 ft (610 mm) Fowler 1936 Essex Water Authority, Abberton Unrestored. Remains moved to Great Bush Railway later to Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills
C13 2449 2w-2PM 3 ft (914 mm) Wickham 1938 From the Bord na Mona Lullymore Works in County Kildare. Moved to Brockham in December 1973.[16] Later moved to Gloddfa Ganol.
C18[12] 4808 2w-2PM 3 ft (914 mm) Wickham 1948 Purchased by Rich Morris from the Bord na Mona Attymon Works in County Galway. Moved to Brockham in December 1974.[16] Later moved to Gloddfa Ganol.
C20[12] 4810 2w-2PM 3 ft (914 mm) Wickham 1948 Purchased by Pete Nicholson from the Bord na Mona Ballyvor Works in County Westmeath. Moved to Brockham in December 1974.[16] Later moved to Gloddfa Ganol.
C23[12] 4813 2w-2PM 3 ft (914 mm) Wickham 1948 Purchased by Pete Nicholson from the Bord na Mona Ballydermot Works in County Kildare. Moved to Brockham in December 1974.[16] Later moved to Gloddfa Ganol.
(C26)[12] 4816 2w-2PM 3 ft (914 mm) Wickham 1948 Purchased by Rich Morris from the Bord na Mona Clonsast Works in County Offaly. Moved to Brockham in December 1974.[16] Later moved to Gloddfa Ganol.
4[12] 3930044 4wDM 3 ft (914 mm) John Fowler 1950 Sundon cement works near Luton[17] Effectively a Field Marshall Tractor made for rail. Moved to Gloddfa Ganol c1978.
4396 4wDM 2 ft (610 mm) Hudson Hunslet 1952 Hall Aggregates, Farnborough, Hants Arrived Brockham June 1970 and immediately in use, owned by Pete Nicholson.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Neale, Andrew (March 1966). "Locomotive Preservation:(2) Brockham Narrow Gauge Museum". Industrial Railway Record (9). The Industrial Railway Society.
  2. ^ Dweller, A.W. (June 1964). "Scaldwell (or "that was the weekend that was")". Narrow Gauge News (27). The Narrow Gauge Railway Society. p. 2.
  3. ^ Wilson, C. (June 1965). "Brockham: past, present and ?". Narrow Gauge News (33). The Narrow Gauge Railway Society. p. 2.
  4. ^ Winding, Peter (December 1966). "Preserving the past: part two". The Railway Magazine. pp. 711–713.
  5. ^ "Brockham Narrow Gauge Railway Museum". Narrow Gauge News (87). The Narrow Gauge Railway Society. February 1974.
  6. ^ "Brockham goes to Amberley". The Railway Magazine. April 1982. p. 193.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Quine, Dan (2016). Four East Midlands Ironstone Tramways Part Four: Scaldwell. 112. Garndolbenmaen: Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modelling Review.
  8. ^ Smithers, Mark (February 2017). "A return to Amberley". The Railway Magazine. pp. 45–47.
  9. ^ Industrial Locomotives 1982. The Industrial Railway Society. 1982.
  10. ^ "Life & Times – No.61, Motor Rail 1320". 12 January 2021.
  11. ^ {{cite news |work=The Narrow Gauge Illustrated |publisher=The Narrow Gauge Railway Society |date=Autumn 1972 |issue=62 |page=10 |title=British Narrow Gauge Locomotive Register}
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Industrial locomotives 1979. Industrial Railway Society. 1979. pp. 240–2412. ISBN 0901096385.
  13. ^ "Part 2: Orenstein & Koppel A.G.". The Narrow Gauge Illustrated. British Narrow Gauge Locomotive Register (60). Spring 1972.
  14. ^ "Brockham Museum" (PDF). Narrow Gauge News (88). The Narrow Gauge Railway Society. April 1974. p. 10.
  15. ^ "Brockham Museum" (PDF). Narrow Gauge News (88). The Narrow Gauge Railway Society. April 1974. p. 10.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Brockham Narrow Gauge Railway Museum". Narrow Gauge News (87). The Narrow Gauge Railway Society. February 1974.
  17. ^ Leluex, Sydney A. (April 1971). "Industrial Railways of Bedfordshire". Industrial Railway Record (36). The Industrial Railway Society. pp. 31–36.

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