Industrial Narrow Gauge Railways

The Springfield Agricultural Railway
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Locomotives

Battery loco Wingrove and Rogers No.3557 (type W227) built 1946

This loco had been working in the Force Crag Barytes Mine in the the Lake District. Force Crag was one of the last mines in operation in that area. The loco was obtained in October 2007 after being stored in the open for a year or more.

It was the first working loco on the railway and from March 2007 was in use regularly to move track materials and also fencing supplies as work progressed. Since the first phase of track laying finished in June 2008 it continues to be reliable and the first choice of loco for managing most of the work.


Date: October 2007	Date: August 2008	Date: April 2008
On delivery, a short spur was laid off from the loco shed to allow the hi-ab lorry to offload straight onto the track. At this time there was only a few yards of track to the front of the shed. Even after all the time in the open, there was still charge in the battery and the loco moved off under its own power.	After a couple of trips one weekend in August the loco is parked in the siding next to the shed. A basic farm jack tends to be carried on top of the battery box in case of the occasional derailment.	One of one the many trips from the stockpile of sleepers to the end of the line, which allowed further sessions of tracklaying.

No.12, Moës 4wDM 22hp (Deutz F2L 812 2 cylinder engine) build date unknown

This was one of 8 Moës locos imported into this country by Roger Craven. All the locos had previously worked at the Rumst Brickworks in Belgium. This loco was purchased from roger in September 2006 after being regauged from 750mm to 2ft. Initially it was stored at a farm pending a move to the current location.

All the locos imported had been out of use for a number of years and the overall mechanical condition was unknown. It was only in June 2007 that it was finally moved undercover to the loco shed and work begun to fully service the loco.

After considerable cleaning up and obtaining new glow plugs, new fuel and oil filters, cleaning injecters and then fully rewired, loco finally turned over for the first time in many years in June 2008. Since this date it has continued to be an easy starter, and a very useful loco.


Date: July 2006	Date: June 2008	Date: August 2008
No.12 seen on a short temporary track at Roger Craven's yard. Shortly after this date it was taken inside to to have the wheels dropped and exchanged with one of the 600mm locos.	After numerous attempts at getting the loco to turn over it finally fired up successfully in June 2008. The loco is seen here turning over for the first time outside the loco shed. After this, the loco was rewired and the engine cover replaced, and was in use a month later.	By August the loco had aquired a replacement Moës works plate. The lights still needed replacing and rewiring, which has now been completed, but the loco will remain in near original condition, while the second Moës is fully restored.

No.10, Moës 4wDM 22hp (Deutz F2L 712 2 cylinder engine) build date unknown

Obtained sometime after the first Moës,this loco spent time under a tarpaulin outside the garage. In September 2007 it was moved into the garage as a project to start once the first stage of the railway had been built and the first loco was back in use.

In 2009 initial work was started on the loco, with a lot of cleaning up required, old oil and fuel draining out, new fuel and oil filters, injecters cleaned up, new glow plugs fitted, etc. Most fittings were taken off and sanded down, and the frame sanded to bare metal. The wheels were dropped and regauged from 750mm to 2ft gauge By Alan Keef Ltd. The brake gear required machining to fit the new gauge, and some fittings had to be made from scratch as the origials were so corroded. The many coats of primer, undercoat and topcoat were applied over mnay months, and finally the engine was started for the first time. In May 2010 once the track was laid into the workshop, the loco ran on the maionline under its own power, and joined up with the othe Moes for the first time in over 3 years.


Date: August 2007	Date: September 2007	Date: September 2007
With the tarpaulin off, the loco is sitting on the gravel in the driveway where it had been since delivery.	Once the loco had been turned round and jacked up, it had the engine cover removed ready to be pushed into the garage.	Temporary tracks were built under the loco and it was moved the few feet into the garage, where it has been since.


Date: September 2010	Date: June 2010	Date: June 2010
The front of the loco has been finished with wasp warning strips of 'Truck Yellow', and black, with a new cut-out for the grille.	No.10 Seen here outside the workshop. The loco shed where the new branch line was built from, can be seen in the top right.	A back view on the new branch line.

No.7, Alan Keef 9 (Lister 3 Cylinder ST3 Engine) build date 1982

This loco had been working last on the peat moors in Ireland for Midland Irish Peat. In the last few years it had been laid up at the works surplus to requirements. It was purchased along with a Motor Rail and imported to England. It finally arrived at Springfield on the 11th June 2010.

The loco is in full working order but some minor work is requred to the electrics and to the exhaust.


Date: June 2010	Date: June 2010	Date: June 2010
On the first run up the line, a certain amount of clearance was needed to the over hanging trees to allow the loco to pass.	The loco had been built with a full height cab to allow driving the loco standing up. The total height of the loco is 8ft.	Standing next to the loco shed the rather rough and ready fixing of the exhaust can be seen. The brackets on the side of the cab have now been ground off, and the silencer repositioned infront of the cab.

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Industrial Narrow Gauge Railways