Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum

[Dava]

Yesterday we visited the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum near Wellingborough. This is (so far as I know) the only site with metre gauge preserved locos in the UK, which worked on the local ironstone quarry railways. It's small but has some choice and well-restored exhibits, and they are friendly and deserve a donation (entry is free).

 

Cambrai, a unique Corpet Louvet French light railway loco, well restored in static condition.

 

Peckett 0-6-0ST no. 1871, restored but out of boiler ticket. There are three locos to the same basic design here.

 

A WW1 Simplex armoured loco, currently without its engine.

 

Ruston & Hornsby '48DS' ED10, ex BR. This loco was started up and ran some display shunts - thanks guys!. These are tiny locos in standard gauge but proportionately bigger on metre gauge. This one was 3' gauge for Beeston sleeper works before having rubber tyres fitted for running on the concrete beam track of the LEV test line.

 

ED10 with Peckett 87 & a rather bored & damp Mrs Dava!

 

Worth a visit on the last Sunday of eath month when they run on the test track.

 

Dava

Edited April 21, 2014 by Dava

[Mallard60022]

Thanks mate. They were just about getting going in 1979 I think, when I left W'boro'.

P

[ffayolle]

Why the gauge of this quarry Rly is one meter?

Edited July 23, 2017 by ffayolle

[Dava]

It was the gauge of the Finedon ironstone system and some other lines - 3'3". See https://sites.google.com/site/ingrmuseum/home or better still visit the museum. It's where the surviving meter gauge locos are.

 

Dava

[Jub45565]

Looks interesting! I think MOSI have a metre gauge Garratt though don't they? Or is it 3'6"?

[pete_mcfarlane]

The Garratt at the MOSI is 3'6" gauge ('Cape Gauge').

 

There were a few industrial railways in the East Midlands built to meter gauge. The mineral railway at Crich built by George Stevenson is the best known example.

 

Here's a few shots from my visit in 2002.  

 

 

[ffayolle]

It was the gauge of the Finedon ironstone system and some other lines - 3'3". See https://sites.google.com/site/ingrmuseum/home or better still visit the museum. It's where the surviving meter gauge locos are.

 

Dava

 

Thank you!!! I've visited the museum last week-end.

2 feet gauge is more common in Great-Britain. One meter gauge is more common in France.

So, why Britishs guys use a metric system gauge in the land of imperial system?

I've bought a book about Wellingborough quarries. I hope to find an answer.

Fabrice

Edited July 28, 2017 by ffayolle

[Dava]

Fabrice,

 

There were 3foot gauge ironstone tramways close by such as at Kettering ironworks so the surprise is why this gauge was not adopted. 2 foot gauge was too narrow for the loads they needed. Most of these lines started as horse drawn tramways and the gauge on the two metre gauge may have started as 3' 3" rather than metric. Coincidentally it enabled the Waltham line to buy the two French metres gauge locos.

 

Do post if you find out more!

 

Dava

[Nearholmer]

There was quite a movement in favour of metric measurement among engineers and scientists in GB in the early to mid C19th, and it only takes a brief while using imperial measurements to understand why: talk about extra work for no extra benefit!

 

Whether the ironstone lines that used metre gauge were part of this, I'm not sure, they were probably a bit late for it, so there may have been another explanation.

 

The 'standard' narrow gauge in GB was 3ft, until WW1, in the sense that it was the most widely used by contractors for temporary lines, and hence quarries, and was easy to obtain wagons, and locos for on the secondhand market. But, by goodness, were there a lot of other gauges ....... think of a figure between about 14 inches and 4ft 6in, metric or imperial, and you can probably find a railway or two that used it.

 

Must go to irchester again. It's not far from home, and I've realised its twenty years since I was there!!

 

Kevin

[Davexoc]

Visited today, and there was a bit of boiler pressure testing going on.

Well worth a visit if you're passing by on a Sunday, and the country park is great for kids of all ages.

 

 

[009 micro modeller]

An interesting little museum and one I must get round to visiting again at some point. I understand the distinction that is claimed for Irchester is that it is the only preservation site in the UK with a working metre gauge line, obviously there are a few static locos of this gauge preserved elsewhere. I seem to remember that the armoured Simplex at Irchester is one of those which was regauged outwards (possibly to 3ft) for industrial use on an existing line but not absolutely sure.