Long Eaton West Park Railway
Railway line in England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The West Park Railway or Wilsthorpe Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway within West Park, Long Eaton in Derbyshire, England.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
Initial construction took place up to May 1966.[15] The railway opened to the public on 28 May 1966.[16]
In March 1975, the line was transferred to Narrotrack of Sheffield.[10] During 1975 the track layout was simplified and re-gauged from 2-foot-gauge (600 mm) down to 10.25-inch-gauge (260 mm).[10]
On 6 July 1977 all remaining rolling stock was relocated to a new home at the Bala Lake Railway in Wales.[17]
Rolling stock
- No. 1, Ruston & Hornsby, from British Gypsum, Gotham, Nottinghamshire[13]
- No. 2, Lister Blackstone, from Beeston Sewage Works, Beeston, Nottinghamshire[13]
- No. 7, Motor Rail 5821, built 1934, via Alan Keef Ltd. At Long Eaton 4 August 1975‒6 July 1977.[17]
- Two "Manrider" passenger wagons, from National Coal Board, Morton Colliery, Morten Colliery[13]
References
- "Railway for West Park". Long Eaton Advertiser (Including map). 16 October 1964. p. 9.
Long Eaton Council agreed to permit a passenger carrying light railway to be built on West Park … built and operated by members of the East Midlands Narrow-Gauge Railway Society … an initial expenditure of £200 is anticipated
- "Engine-driving councillor spurs rail project". The Municipal Journal. 1965. p. 4057.
railway line across Long Eaton (Derbys) Urban Council's West Park. ‥ Councillor Wiser cut the first sod
- "Park Railway Project Started". Long Eaton Advertiser. 5 November 1965. p. 11.
route of the line … from the paddling pool to the car park on the Wilsthorpe-road, a distance of about half-a-mile … built to two-foot gauge which is used by … Festiniog Railway in Wales … nearest other lines of this type are at Humberstone, near Cleethorpes, and at Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, both of which are about 100 miles from Long Eaton. … Society will be buying a four-wheel Ruston Hornsby diesel engine from British Gypsum Ltd, at Kingston-on-Soar and on Tuesday, Society members visited Morten Colliery at Clay Cross to inspect National Coal Board carriages
- "Railway on park re-opens". Long Eaton Advertiser. 31 March 1967. p. 10.
Wilsthorpe Light Railway, formerly the West Park Railway … second season on East Saturday and will runs at week-ends and on Bank Holidays until the end of September … track … has been extended by 50 years into a new permanent terminus near the children's swings and the cafe … total length of one-eighth of a mile … some points have been obtained … hope to obtain a permanent engine shed
- "Park Railway is Threatened by Split". Long Eaton Advertiser. 8 October 1971. p. 5. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
the two sides in the battle were until recently one and the same.
- "Bid to save railway amenity for public". Long Eaton Advertiser. 10 December 1971. p. 11.
made it clear that the Council's only concern was to keep the railway on the park and keep it running.
- Taylor, T.G; Pratt, L.; Clegg, G.F. (3 March 1972). "West Park railway: Council 'clarifies' the position". You've said it. Long Eaton Advertiser. p. 6.
Society known as Wilsthorpe Light Railway Society never had any agreement with the Council … right to operate a railway in West Park was granted by the Council to Mr. Brookes, Mr. J.S. Forrest and Mr. M. Goss, as trustees of West Park Railway Society … terminated as from 31 October 1971 and any items of railway equipment remaining in West Park and affixed to the freehold are the property of the Council … Long Eaton Railway Society, to whom the Council have now offered the licence to operate … same terms … 20 per cent of the gross takings
- "Pukka Puffer Planned for Park". Long Eaton Advertiser. 20 September 1974. p. 19. Retrieved 10 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
Operator Long Eaton Railway Society has asked Narrotrack Ltd—a light railway company—to take over its interests in running and developing the line … The railway now forms a stretched Z-shape, the top forming the station and the bottom the currently disused spur towards Thoresby Road. Additionally a branch to a two-track loco shed leaves the line at the western end. … station area, built in 1966 … proposed to change the name to the Long Eaton Light Railway.
- Briddon, Pete; Jacob, Michael; Leithead, Rich; Cox, Ron (August 1972). Stephenson, Ivan (ed.). "Wilsthorpe Light Railway, West Park, Long Eaton, Derbys" (PDF). Narrow Gauge News. No. 78. Narrow Gauge Railway Society. p. 11.
- Stephenson, Ivan; Morris, R.P., eds. (June 1975). "Long Eaton Light/Miniature Railway, Narrowtrack Ltd. 10 ¼ & 2' Gauges" (PDF). Narrow Gauge News (June‒July 1975). No. 95.
… Ownership … was officially transferred to Narrotrack Ltd. during March [1975] … main terminus … ‒ the loop and loco siding having been removed … During February [1975] 10 ¼ in. gauge track appeared … slowly progressed … first 300ft. a third rail has been laid … new track is being installed further up where the heavier rail is to be removed for use elsewhere. … Work started during March [1975] building the first 10 ¼ in. gauge coach and loco … in Sheffield. … Easter [1975] operations … entirely 2ft. … Motor Rail 8663 and one of the N.C.B. manriders ‒ (the other vehicle has been completely stripped …) … 630 passenger journeys over the four days.
- Jacob, Michael; Darvill, Bob; Leithead, Rich; Briddon, Pete (April 1974). Stephenson, Ivan (ed.). "Wilsthorpe Light Railway, West Park, Long Eaton" (PDF). Narrow Gauge News. No. 88. Narrow Gauge Railway Society. p. 10.
- Briddon, Pete (1976). Neale, A.; Redman, R. N. (eds.). "The Wilsthorpe Light Railway, 1966-1976" (PDF). The Narrow Gauge (Winter 1976/1977). No. 74. Printed by Hadfield Print Services. Narrow Gauge Railway Society. pp. 24‒27.
- Ford, Jim. "West Park". The Long Eaton & Sawley Archive. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
West Park Railway (or Wilsthorpe Light Railway) … off-shoot of the Long Eaton and District Model Railway Club around 1964. … length of about 400 yards … Funding … residents of Long Eaton were invited to subscribe 5/- (25p) in advance of the scheme, … five free journeys when the railway was opened. … nominal 2 foot. … Ruston diesel loco … purchased from British Gypsum … in one of their mines near Gotham, Notts. … two open "Manriders" … from the National Coal Board at Morton colliery near Chesterfield, … Rails were bought second hand from British Rail … from H-Stores, on the site of Railway Technical Centre - extracted from their concrete setting … and also from a scrapyard at Loughborough. … sleepers being cut in two. … second loco was purchased from Beeston (Nottingham) sewage works. This was a Lister-Blackstone diesel, … Ticketing … "Edmondson" card … (printed by Hassell & Lucking of Long Eaton) … new people took over around 1970. … subsequently rebuilt … and ran in this condition for a year or two before being dismantled.
- "Long Eaton West Park and its Light Railway". Railway Maniacs. July 2014 – via Blogspot. [dead link]
- Fotobola (22 May 1966). "Painting in Progress at Station". West Park Rly. Long Eaton. Retrieved 13 September 2025 – via Flickr.
Philip Benham supervising Peter Brooks … small but important painting job.
- Fotobola (28 May 1966). "Opening by Chairman of Long Eaton UDC". West Park Rly. Long Eaton – via Youtube.
- "41 Motor Rail 5821 of 1934". Fleet list. Apedale Valley Light Railway website. Moseley Railway Trust. 2 January 2024.
sold into preservation for … £35, … storage at Alan Keef's Cote Farm works on 14 August 1973. On 4 August 1975, the loco moved to the Long Eaton Light Railway (aka, the Wilsthorpe Light Railway, see fleet no. 7). After … Long Eaton line closed, … moved to the Bala Lake Railway on 6 July 1977
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