# Amberley Museum Railway

The Amberley Museum Railway is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway based at Amberley Museum, Amberley, West Sussex. It has a varied collection of engines and rolling stock ranging from 18 in (457 mm) gauge to 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) gauge. It operates passenger trains at the museum using a mixture of steam, internal combustion and battery-electric locomotives.

## History
### Pre-Preservation

Before the advent of Amberley Museum, the site was a chalk quarry operated by Pepper & Sons. The site had its own loco worked 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railway, which connected with the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway at Amberley station. Over the years Peppers owned a range of locos, including Marshall and Aveling & Porter steam designs, and a Hibberd Planet petrol loco. When the site was abandoned in the late 1960s the track was lifted.

### Early Days

When the museum opened in the late 1970s a small industrial railway was envisaged, operating typical narrow gauge industrial trains. The first loco to arrive on site was Hibberd Simplex 1980 from the City of Chichester Sewage Works at Apuldram. In 1982 the Thakeham Tiles company, located a few miles from the museum, donated its entire railway system including two Hudson Hunslet locos, several wagons and some track, a new conveyor system having started operation at the works. The donation was on the condition the whole lot was removed over a weekend. This was duly accomplished. Today some of the Thakeham track is still in use on non-passenger parts of the line, along with one of the locos (Hunslet 3653). The other, Hudson Hunslet 2208 is in store, having been used as a spares donor for the museum's other Hudson Hunslet locos. Also in 1982, the Brockham Railway Museum in Surrey closed down and moved its entire stock to Amberley. This influx, including several steam locos, gave the inspiration to expand the operation to a passenger carrying line.

### The Combined Collection

A running line was built at Amberley from 1982 to 1984 running along one side of the pit between Amberley and Brockham stations. The inaugural train was hauled by Polar Bear, by that time back in steam. The Hudson Hunslet diesels 3097 and Blue Star were stalwarts of the passenger service in the 80s, until the arrival of Motor Rail Simplex 60S prototype 11001. In the mid-1980s Decauville 0-4-0WT 'Barbouilleur' entered service, and following Polar Bear's boiler being condemned around 1987, was the sole steam locomotive available until 1993. 'Polar Bear' re-entered traffic with a new boiler in 1993, and was joined that same year by 'Peter'. 'Townsend Hook' departed in 1995 to Eastleigh College for an ultimately ill-fated restoration attempt.

### Expansion

The railway expanded in the 2000s. In the early 2000s it was decided that WW1 Baldwin 4-6-0PT 778 Lion, which had been in store for many years, needed an alternative home as it was too big for the sharp curves at Amberley. It departed for the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway , where it is now in service.
A new exhibition hall and carriage shed, built with lottery funding, was opened in 2003; the carriage fleet had previously deteriorated when stored outside. A new running shed opened in 2005, serving as the operating and restoration base for the passenger steam fleet, as well as a dedicated home and charging station for the battery electric locos. The steam fleet was bolstered in 2006 by the arrival of the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Trust's Bagnall 0-4-0ST 2091 Wendy.
The running line was extended in mid-2007 with a new section round the top of the pit to Cragside station. In 2008 Hunslet diesel-hydraulic 8969 No. 12 entered service as the main non-steam passenger loco. The steam fleet grew again in 2009 when HNGRT's other steam loco, Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST 542 Cloister arrived. However both HNGRT locos left Amberley during summer 2012.

## The line today

The main line runs from Amberley station near the museum entrance along the side of the pit past the De Witt lime kilns to Brockham station, currently the only intermediate station. From Brockham the line curves round the top of the pit, passes the running shed and ends up at Cragside station, across the pit from Brockham. The industrial (non-passenger) lines connect to the main line at Brockham station. At Amberley station there is a rarely used siding into the woodyard. Brockham has a small siding on Platform 2, as well as a former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway ticket office from Hove station. In addition there is the Betchworth Hall shed, used for the restoration of Townsend Hook; it will eventually be used as a museum to display the Dorking Greystone Lime Co. exhibits (Townsend Hook, Monty, The Major, wagons 10 and 60, and some miscellaneous items).
The railway holds its annual Gala Weekend on the second weekend of July each year, in addition to two Industrial Trains Days in April and October.

## Locomotives

Listings correct as of December 2017
Engines marked 'In occasional use' are generally only operated at railway special events and are usually either on display in the museum building or stored in one of the sheds or the tunnel. Locos marked 'Air Fitted/Piped' are capable of hauling passenger trains.

### Steam locomotives

| Name | Works Number | Type | Gauge | Builder | Year built | Previous Operator | Status | Notes |
| Polar Bear | 1781 | 2-4-0T | 2 ft (610 mm) | W.G. Bagnall | 1905 | Groudle Glen Railway | In use | Boiler Certificate expires in 2023. Air fitted. |
| Peter | 2067 | 0-4-0ST | 2 ft (610 mm) | W.G. Bagnall | 1917 | Cliffe Hill Quarry Co. | In use | Built as 3 ft (914 mm) gauge, converted to 2 ft (610 mm) in 1919. Boiler Certificate expired in 2019. Air fitted. |
| Barbouilleur | 1126 | 0-4-0WT | 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) | Decauville | 1947 | L'enterprise Gagneraud | Static display | Awaiting overhaul. Privately owned. Air fitted. |
| Townsend Hook | 172L | 0-4-0T | 3 ft 2+1⁄4 in (972 mm) | Fletcher Jennings | 1880 | Dorking Greystone & Lime Co Ltd, Betchworth | Static display | |
| 23 | 23L | 0-4-0T | 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) | Wm. Spence | 1920 | Guinness Brewery, Dublin | Static display | |

### Internal combustion locomotives

| Name | Works Number | Gauge | Builder | Year Built | Previous Operator | Status |
| T0001 | 3751 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Baguley-Drewry | 1980 | RNAD Dean Hill, Wiltshire | In occasional use. Privately Owned. Air fitted. |
| Peldon | JF21295 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Fowler | 1936 | Essex Water Authority, Abberton | Awaiting repair. Air fitted. |
| - | FH1980 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hibberd | 1936 | City of Chichester Sewage Works | In occasional use. |
| - | FH3627 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hibberd | 1953 | North Bierley Sewage Works, Bradford | In occasional use. |
| - | 45913 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) | Hudson | 1932 | Midhurst Whites Ltd, Midhurst | ex-Gloddfa Ganol. On static display. |
| - | DM686 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hudswell Clarke | 1948 | National Coal Board, Tilmanstone Colliery | Undergoing cosmetic restoration. |
| - | HE2208 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hudson Hunslet | 1941 | Thakeham Tiles, Storrington | Source of spares. |
| - | HE3097 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hudson Hunslet | 1944 | Borough of Merton Sewage Works | In use. Air fitted. |
| Blue Star | Unknown | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hudson Hunslet | Unknown | Star Construction, Partridge Green, Sussex | In use. Air fitted. |
| - | HE3653 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hunslet | 1946 | Thakeham Tiles, Storrington | In occasional use. |
| No.12 | HE8969 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hunslet | 1980 | BAE Bishopton, Glasgow | In use. Air fitted. |
| - | L33937 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Lister | 1949 | William H Collier Ltd, Marks Tey | In occasional use. Privately Owned. |
| - | L34521 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Lister | 1949 | Cumberland Moss Litter Industries, Carlisle | In occasional use. |
| Redland | OK6193 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Orenstein & Koppel | 1937 | Redland Pipes Ltd., Ripley | In occasional use. |
| Monty | OK7269 | 3 ft 2+1⁄4 in (972 mm) | Orenstein & Koppel | 1936 | Dorking Greystone & Lime Co Ltd, Betchworth | In occasional use. |
| The Major | OK7741 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Orenstein & Koppel | 1937 | Dorking Greystone & Lime, Betchworth | In occasional use. |
| Sonia | OK4013 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Orenstein & Koppel | 1930 | Diamond Tread (Chart) Ltd (Ashford) | In occasional use. Privately Owned. |
| - | MR872 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Motor Rail | 1918 | C V Buchan & Co Ltd | Static display. |
| 'The Breadbin' | MR1381 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Motor Rail | 1918 | War Department | In occasional use. |
| No.27 | MR5863 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Motor Rail | 1934 | Joseph Arnold, Leighton Buzzard | In occasional use. |
| - | MR10161 | 2 ft 11 in (889 mm) | Motor Rail | 1950 | London Brick Works, Arlesey | Static display. |
| Ibstock | MR11001 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Motor Rail | 1956 | London Brick Co., Yaxley | In use. Air fitted. |
| Burt | MR9019 | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | Motor Rail | 1959 | Burt, Boulton and Haywood Timber, Erith | In occasional use. |
| - | RR80 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Ransomes and Rapier | 1936 | Chinnor Cement & Lime Co Ltd | In occasional use. |
| - | RH166024 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Ruston & Hornsby | 1933 | Colne Valley Water Co, Rickmansworth | Dismantled, awaiting restoration. |
| - | RH187081 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Ruston & Hornsby | 1937 | City of York Sewage Department | In occasional use. Privately Owned. |
| - | 4 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Thakeham Tiles | c1946 | Thakeham Tiles, Storrington | ex-Gloddfa Ganol. In occasional use. Privately owned. |
| - | 5 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Thakeham Tiles | c1950 | Thakeham Tiles, Storrington | In occasional use. Privately owned. |
| WD904 | 3403 | 2 ft (610 mm) | D Wickham & Co | 1943 | MoD Eastriggs | In occasional use. Privately owned. Air piped. |

### Battery-electric locomotives

| Works Number | Gauge | Builder | Year Built | Previous Operator | Status |
| 16303 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Brush Traction | 1917 | HMEF Queensferry, Deeside | Operational, occasional use. Privately owned. |
| 16306 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Brush Traction | 1917 | HMEF Queensferry, Deeside | Dismantled, incomplete. Used as spares for 16303. No longer on site. |
| 808 | 2 ft (610 mm) | English Electric | 1931 | Post Office Railway, London | Static Display. |
| 4998 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Wingrove & Rogers | 1953 | Redland Brick Ltd, North Holmwood | Operational. Air piped. |
| 5031 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Wingrove & Rogers | 1953 | | Dismantled, source of spares. |
| 5034 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Wingrove & Rogers | 1953 | Redland Brick Ltd, North Holmwood | Operational. |
| T8033 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Wingrove & Rogers | 1979 | Redland Brick Ltd, North Holmwood | Operational. |

## Passenger Stock

* 1x RAF Fauld coach. Restored in 2007. Can run on its own or with the Lydd or Penrhyn coaches.
* 2x Lydd coaches. From Lydd Ranges in Kent. Can run together as a set or with the Fauld coach to make a 3-car set.
* 2x Penrhyn Quarry Railway coaches. Open top coaches, have to run with either the Fauld coach or one Lydd coach due to lack of a brake position or air brake reserve tanks.
* 4x Groudle Glen Railway coaches. Usually run with Polar Bear, but can run with certain other diesel and steam locos.
* Wickham trolley 3404. Originally trailer car for powered trolley 3403, now converted to push-pull trailer to run with battery loco 4998.
* 1x Thorpe Park coach. Built by Alan Keef. Body frame only, new bogies are to be ordered for this coach.

## Gallery

* 'Polar Bear' on the headshunt at Amberley
* 'Polar Bear' and replica Groudle Glen carriages at Amberley
* 'Polar Bear' on the headshunt at Cragside
* 'Peter' and its passenger train at Brockham
* 'Jenny' on the headshunt at Amberley
* 'Jenny' runs round the train at Cragside
* 'Susan' at Amberley
* 'Susan' and 'Jenny' double head a train at Brockham
* A Wickham trolley

## In popular culture

The railway made an appearance in the 1985 James Bond film, A View to a Kill, with the railway's storage tunnel appearing as the entrance to a mine. Later, engines HE3097 and 'Blue Star' were sent to Pinewood Studios along with a quantity of wagons to film scenes 'inside the mine'. Many of the railway's skip wagons still carry 'Zorin' green livery.
In 2010 four of the museum's Hudson flat wagons were sent to Pinewood Studios for use in the film, Captain America: The First Avenger.