The Swindon & Cricklade Railway is a heritage railway in Wiltshire, England, that operates on a short section of the old Midland and South Western Junction Railway line between Swindon and Cricklade.
The Swindon & Cricklade Railway Preservation Society was formed by a group of enthusiasts in November 1978 to reconstruct and preserve a section of the Midland & South Western Junction Railway that ran from Andover, Hampshire, to Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
The volunteer-operated railway has reopened two stations: Hayes Knoll and Blunsdon, the headquarters of the line. Hayes Knoll features a restored signalbox that is operational during special events. The length of the restored line is a little less than 2.5 miles (4.0 km).
The line extends north to South Meadow Lane (a few hundred yards from the site of a proposed Farfield Lane halt) near Cricklade, and south to Taw Valley Halt on the outskirts of Swindon, near Mouldon Hill Country Park. A southern terminus, Mouldon Hill, is proposed within the park.
Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST Swordfish No. 2138. Built in 1941. Operational, returned to service in 2016 after restoration.
Hunslet 0-6-0ST Gunby No. 2413. Built in 1941. Awaiting a major restoration.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Richard Trevithick No. 2354. Built in 1954. Undergoing a ten-yearly overhaul.
Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T MSC No. 70 No. 1464. Built in 1921. Undergoing overhaul.
Fablok TKh49 Class 0-6-0T No. 3135 Spartan. Built in 1953. Operational.
GWR 5600 Class 0-6-2T No.5637. Built in 1925. On loan to the East Somerset Railway.
GWR 6959 Modified Hall Class 4-6-0 No. 6984 Owsden Hall. Built in 1948. Arrived in May 2013 from the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway for the completion of its restoration to working order.
GWR 6959 Modified Hall Class 4-6-0 No. 7903 Foremarke Hall. Built in 1949. Moved to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway and currently under overhaul.
BR Class 03 0-6-0DM – D2022. Awaiting major overhaul.
BR Class 03 0-6-0DM – D2152 – cut-down cab variant. Major overhaul almost complete. Intermittent service.
BR Class 97/6 0-6-0DE – PWM651. Arrived from Strathspey Railway in August 2015. Operational.
BR Class 08 0-6-0DE – D3261. Restored to service in October 2010.
BR Class 09 0-6-0DE – 09004. Undergoing overhaul. Intermittent service.
BR Class 73 Bo-Bo electro-diesel Sir Herbert Walker No E6003. In service.
Fowler 0-4-0DM Woodbine No 21442. In service.
Fowler 0-4-0DM No 7342. In regular use on works trains.
Fowler 0-4-0DM No 422003. In service.
BR Class 119 unit 119021 (formed of 51074+51104). Undergoing a complete overhaul.
BR Class 207 unit 207203 (formed of 60127+60901). In service until destroyed in a fire on 20 May 2016.
TASC 45 No. 98504, built by Plasser & Theurer for British Rail. A four-wheel vehicle with side-tipping dropside rear body, crew cab with mess facilities and a HIAB crane on the rear. Used regularly on works trains and on galas.
Wickham Railcar No 9031 (Type 27 Mk III, Works No. 8089), a small four-wheeled vehicle for departmental use. Crew cab seating five. Smaller than normal railway vehicles to standard loading gauge, as it is roughly 6 feet (1.8 m) tall. Has no external couplings/drawbar or buffers. Undergoing overhaul, engine being replaced with that of a Peugeot 106.
GWR Toplight coach No 7545, built 1907 - extensive restoration in progress
Taff Vale Railway coach No 73, built 1890 - extensive restoration in progress
Cambrian Railways 1st/2nd composite No 110, built 1894, coach body being restored
GWR Toplight coach No 3898, built 1920 - awaiting restoration
Cricklade
construction being planned as part of northern extension
Farfield Lane
construction planned as a temporary northern terminus until Cricklade station is built; at the site of a collapsed and in-filled bridge where Farfield Lane crosses the line
South Meadow Lane, run-round loop only, no platform facilities
halfway point between Hayes Knoll and Farfield Lane; used as a return point to Hayes Knoll when running north from Blunsdon
Hayes Knoll
Blunsdon – headquarters of the line
Taw Valley Halt
Opened in 2014, and is used as a return point to Blunsdon, when running south from Hayes Knoll, and is the current terminus of the line (until funding, planning and issues with the existing utilities can be overcome to allow access to Mouldon Hill station to be built)
Mouldon Hill
construction being planned as part of southern extension towards Swindon
