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Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway T, Northampton and Lamport, Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, Great Central Railway, Elsecar Heritage Railway
Rutland Railway Museum, now trading as Rocks by Rail: The Living Ironstone Museum, is a heritage railway on part of a former Midland Railway mineral branch line. It is situated north east of Oakham, in Rutland, England.
The museum offers an open-air site dedicated to recreating an ironstone tramway system in its entirety from the extraction of iron ore from a 'first cut' quarry face reproduced in the quarry viewing area to the exchange sidings with the BR rail head. The site is based on a typical 1950s or early 1960s quarry system when both steam and diesel power was evident in the industry. The branch line linked to the Melton Mowbray to Oakham main line at Ashwell Station. Exchange sidings were once located at the museum serving three separate private quarry railway systems associated with the past extraction of iron ore. The museum site was known locally as Cottesmore Iron Ore Mines Sidings.
The museum aims to collect and operate industrial locomotives and mineral wagons from iron ore quarries. They also have a face shovel, a drag line excavator and dumpers as used in quarry systems. The cab of the massive dragline excavator Sundew is on display here.
The museum operates passenger rides on a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) length of track and occupies an area of nearly 9 acres (28,000 m²).
Steam locomotives
Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST works No. 3865 "Singapore" built in 1936. Awaiting overhaul and on display. Ex HM Dockyards Chatham, Singapore, Chatham & Duxford.
Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-0ST works No. 3138 "Holwell No. 14" built in 1915. Dismantled, awaiting restoration. Ex Goodman Bros, Wolverton & D Buck nr Windsor.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST works No. 1931 built in 1927. Operational following the completion of restoration in 2008. Ex BSC, Wissington, Norfolk.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST works No. 2088 "Sir Thomas Royden" built in 1940. Operational following the completion of an overhaul in 2011. Ex CEGB, Stourport
Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST outside cylinder works No. 2350 "Belvoir" built in 1954. Awaiting restoration: requires a new smokebox as well as work on the rest of the engine before it can be steamed again. Ex Stewarts & Lloyds, Woolsthorpe, Lincs.
Bagnall 0-6-0ST outside cylinder works No. 2668 "Cranford" No. 2 built in 1942. Awaiting overhaul and on display. Formally based at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. Ex Staveley Minerals, Cranford, Northants, Carnforth & Penkridge.
Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST works No. 1257 "Uppingham" built in 1912. Stored, planned to be exhibited in the new museum building. Ex Tarmac Roadstone, Wirksworth, Derbyshire.
Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST works No. 1759 "Elizabeth" built in 1928. Undergoing overhaul. Ex Redland Roadstone, Mountsorrel, Leics.
Avonside 0-6-0ST works No. 1972 "Stamford" built in 1927. Back on site from the Bluebell Railway, no short term plans to restore. Ex Stewarts & Lloyds, Pilton, Rutland & Sheffield Park.
Hunslet Engine Company 0-4-0ST works No. 287 "Vigilant" built in 1882. Undergoing restoration to running order for the first time in preservation. Ex Corby Iron Ore Co.
Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST No. 1308 "Rhos" built in 1918. Undergoing restoration. Ex S & L Harlaxton, Wells-next-Sea & Cottesmore.
Yorkshire Engine Company 0-6-0ST No. 2521 built in 1952. On display. Ex NCB Clipstone, Notts & National Mining Museum Caphouse Colliery.
Diesel locomotives
Yorkshire Engine Company 0-6-0DE works No. 2791 "DE5" built in 1962. On display. Ex Exton Park Ironstone Quarries, Rutland & BSC, Scunthorpe.
Rolls Royce Ltd 0-4-0DH works No. 10201 "Betty" built in 1964. Operational. Ex Oxfordshire Ironstone, Banbury, Derwenthaugh Coking Plant & Stewarts & Lloyds, Harlaxton, Lincs.
Rolls Royce Ltd 0-4-0DH works No. 10204 "Jean" built in 1965. Operational. Ex Bibby Construction, London Carriers & ELR, Bury.
Rolls Royce Ltd 0-4-0DH works No. 10207 "Graham" built in 1965. Under restoration; Vac fitted.
John Fowler & Co. 0-4-0DH works No. 4220007 "Ketton No. 1" built in 1960. On display. Plated Registered 2990/1960 Transport Commission.
Ruston Class 165DE 0-4-0DH works No. 421436 "Elizabeth" built in 1958. Out of service. Ex Rugby Cement, Barrington.
Thomas Hill 4wDH works no. 186V "Mr D" built in 1967. Operational. Ex Rugby Cement, Barrington.
Thomas Hill 4wDH works no. 178V No. 8 built in 1967. On display. Ex Shropshire Collection.
North British Locomotive Company 0-4-0DH works No. 27656 built in 1957. Stored awaiting restoration.
Ruston Class 48DS 4wD works No. 411319 built in 1955. Operational, on long term loan to the Whitrope Group in Scotland. Ex WD 813 & AD 110. Ex Museum of Army Transport.
Ruston Class LPSE 0-4-0DE works No. 544997 "Eric Tonks" built in 1969. Operational. Ex Hayes.
Ruston Class 88DS 4wDM works No. 306092 built in 1950. On display.
GEC Traction Ltd 6wDE works No. 5578 "Ludwig Mond" built in 1980. Undergoing restoration.
Wagons
The museum has a whole selection of wagons which are used for demonstrations on open days. Details are below.
Open Wooden Wagon rake
This rake is not currently operational and is being offered for sale to interested parties.
Stanton Ironworks Co. 4-plank wagon 624.
Stanton Ironworks Co. 5-plank wagon 818.
Stanton Ironworks Co. 5-plank wagon 849.
Stanton Ironworks Co. 5-plank wagon 860.
Stewarts and Lloyds 4-plank wagon 3046.
Stewarts and Lloyds 4-plank wagon 3153.
Hopper Wagon Train
This rake is available for use and can be seen in operation.
LMS Iron Ore Hopper Wagon M691079.
LMS Iron Ore Hopper Wagon M691193.
LMS Iron Ore Hopper Wagon M691448.
LMS Iron Ore Hopper Wagon M691595.
LMS Iron Ore Hopper Wagon M691982.
Appleby-Frodingham Iron Ore Hopper Wagon P210000. Built by Central Wagon, 1938.
Sheepbridge Iron and Steel Co. Hopper Wagon 8251. Built by Charles Roberts, 1926. Now numbered P101011.
Private Owner Steel Mineral Hopper Wagon P15675. Built 1915 for Liverpool Corporation Electricity Supply by Cammell Laird, Nottingham. Ex British Sugar.
