No. 5 ‘Bredgar’ is a small 0-4-0 built by Baguley-Drewry (works number 3775); it came to Bredgar from the metre gauge Ministry of Defence line at Milford Haven and was re-gauged to 2 foot.
Whilst No.5 is not the prettiest of machines it has proved useful over the years for shunting and work trains.
Since 1911 the Bedford based ‘Motor Rail and Tramcar Company Ltd.’ and its successors produced a highly innovative and successful series of tramcars and the Simplex range small internal combustion locomotives, thousands of which were sold in the U.K. and in many other parts of the world. The locomotives continue to be built to this day by Alan Keef Ltd at their works near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
The earliest Simplex machines were used during the First World War for hauling shells and other materials on the extensive trench railway systems in Belgium and Northern France. After hostilities ceased, many of them were purchased for industrial use and could be found in quarries, water and sewage works and some larger factories.
Our Simplex was built in 1953, works No. 9869. A 2.5 ton light locomotive of 20/28 h.p. fitted with a Dorman 2 DWD diesel engine, it was designed to haul 10–15 tons of trailing load. It was supplied new to the Great Ouse River Authority, Cuckoo Bridge, Ely, Cambridgeshire. After its withdrawal from use it had several owners, one being Leisuretrack, Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford, Oxfordshire. It is believed that Leisuretrack added a steam outline body.
It was purchased for BWLR in September 2010. At that time it still carried part of a steam outline body with the nameplate ‘OLIVER’. It has been restored to the original specification. It will be used with our side tipper wagons to illustrate light industrial railway operation.
Simplex Lyne
Works No. MR 7073.
Built 1936.
Built as a Petrol loco.
Converted to a Deutz air cooled engine and new box body by Alan Keef in 1970.
Was used by Sinclair Horticulture Bolton Fell Cumbria and served there until 2016.
Left in its working style, having a mechanical overhaul, a repaint, wheels turned, brake overhaul, rewire and new lights fitted at Bredgar.
Barclay Diesel, 0-4-0 diesel mechanical.
Built 1988 for MOD by Andrew Barclay & Sons Kilmarnock.
Works No. 765, MoD No. NG54.
Engine is a Perkins 6354 .
Weight as built 12 tons (weight reduced when moved to Eastriggs to 9 tons approx).
One of five loco's ordered by RAF Chilmark, this site closed in 1995 then transferred to Ammunition depot at Longtown and Eastriggs where they served until 2008.
Then the site was put into deep hibernation. The site was finally shut in 2014.
Jenny is the youngest loco at the railway, a Schoma CHL-30G works No. 5239, built in 1991.
First used by Taylor Woodrow at their precast concrete works at Greenford Middlesex, during the construction of the Channel Tunnel.
Arrived at the railway in 2016.
