Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Dean Forest Railway

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Locale
  
West Gloucestershire

Length
  
4 ⁄4 miles (6.8 km)

Built by
  
Severn and Wye Railway

Stations
  
5 open

Phone
  
+44 1594 845840

Opened
  
1813

Dean Forest Railway

Original gauge
  
Tramway (prior to 1868) 7 ft ⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge (1868 to 1872) 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge (from 1872)

Preserved gauge
  
4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

1868
  
Converted to 7 ft ⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge

Address
  
Forest Road, Lydney GL15 4ET, United Kingdom

Similar
  
Perrygrove Railway, Forest of Dean, Lydney, Clearwell Caves, The Old Station Tintern

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Dean forest railway flour mill steam gala saturday 2nd july 2016


The Dean Forest Railway is a 4 1⁄4-mile (6.8 km) long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

Contents

The route was part of the former Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and bought the trackbed and line from British Rail in 1986. Reaching Both Lydney Junction and Parkend railway stations by 1995 and 2005 respectively. Trains are operated by both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, and heritage diesel multiple units.

The Dean Forest Railway has been given the former GWR signal box that stood slightly to the east of Codsall station in Staffordshire. Its removal was completed in July 2007, and was placed at the newly restored Whitecroft railway station.

The Dean Forest Railway has also been given the former Griffithstown Station building. Its removal was completed in June 2016, and is expected to be placed at the new upcoming Speech House Road.

CrossCountry are now providing a combined fare for travel to Lydney mainline station (on CrossCountry services only) and then onto the Dean Forest Railway.

The Dean Forest Railway plans to extend its heritage services a further 2 1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) through/into the middle of the Royal Forest at Speech House Road (close to the nearby Beechenhurst Visitor Attraction), bringing the line to a total of about 6 3⁄4 miles (10.9 km) in length. In 2016, DFR’s director of civil engineering and director of development Jason Shirley announced plans to expand the railway to Cinderford. The project's status as a strategic regional development means that a large proportion of the estimated £8million cost could be met by Government funding.

Dean forest railway class 14 day 20 04 2013


Stations and Junctions of the DFR

  • Lydney Junction (Terminus)
  • St Mary's Halt (now closed, yet still in place).
  • Lydney Town
  • Middle Forge Junction – Line splits into High and Low Levels. No Station.
  • Norchard Low Level (Terminus) - includes a railway museum and shop
  • Norchard High Level - ramp and steps from Norchard Low Level
  • Tufts Junction – Historic junction with disused mineral loop and freight branch. No Station.
  • Whitecroft
  • Parkend (Current Terminus)

    • Proposed future extension

  • Coleford Junction
  • Bicslade Wharf
  • Speech House Road
  • Cinderford

    • Visiting Diesel Locomotives and Multiple units

    For the 2001 diesel gala a number of diesel were display at Lydney Junction. These were 37029,37308,37906, D172, 47306, 56111, 60081, 66250 and 66524.

    British Railways coaching stock

    Coach type codes

  • FK - First Corridor
  • BCK – Brake Composite Corridor
  • BSK – Brake Standard Corridor
  • BSOT – Brake Standard Open (Micro-Buffet)
  • RMB – Restaurant Miniature Buffet
  • RBR – Restaurant Buffet Refurbished
  • TSO – Tourist Standard Open

    • The stock includes number of other coaches including a few at Lydney Jcn, in the DFDA siding; and at Norchard (cafe).

    References

    Dean Forest Railway Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA