Preserved gauge 2 ft (610 mm) Length 183 m Locale England | Closed 1917 Built by Great Western Railway Opened 1885 | |
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Name Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Junction Railway Original gauge 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Operated by Lea Bailey Light Railway Society 2012 Work started at the Lea Bailey site | ||
Lea bailey light railway locomotive exchange
The Lea Bailey Light Railway is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway in the United Kingdom. It is built on the site of a former gold mine which was started by the Chastan Syndicate in 1906. Having sold 75,000 shares at £1 GBP each, test workings at Lea Bailey and nearby Staple Edge concluded that the small amount of gold present could not be extracted economically. The syndicate was wound up in 1908.
The mine was later extended and some 3,000 long tons (3,048 t; 3,360 short tons) of iron ore were extracted — a small amount compared to the 150,000 long tons (152,407 t; 168,000 short tons) extracted from the nearby Wigpool Ironstone Mine.
An attempt was made in 2003 by the owners of Clearwell Caves to open the mine as a tourist attraction, but this was ultimately unsuccessful. In 2012, a small group from the Royal Forest of Dean Caving Club discovered the mine and a quantity of disused railway equipment and proposed to the owners that a volunteer-led project could start work on restoring the site. As of 2014, two locomotives and a number of wagons have been moved to Lea Bailey from storage at Clearwell Caves or the nearby Hawthorn Tunnel.
In 2013 the Lea Bailey Light Railway Society was formed; its members act as volunteers, undertaking all aspects of work on the site. A regular free newsletter is produced and sent out by e-mail.