Quarry Locomotives – Ironstone Quarries

This is the oldest surviving steam locomotive from a Rutland ironstone quarry system.  It was delivered to James Pain who was one of the early Victorian pioneers of ironstone quarrying notably at Uppingham, Market Overton, Glendon and Corby. He favoured locomotives built by Peckett of Bristol including sisters “Ironstone” and “Overton”. When Uppingham Quarries closed it was transferred to the quarries at Market Overton where it worked until 1947.  It was then transferred within the Stanton Ironworks Co. group to their limestone quarry workings at Wirksworth in Derbyshire. It worked there until its retirement in 1974, being one of the last industrial steam locomotives in general use and having spent all its life working in quarries. This locomotive is a long-term restoration project for the Museum.

Avonside 1972 built in 1927 – “Stamford” (RRM 159) 0-6-0ST oc

This locomotive spent the majority of its working career at the Pilton Ironstone quarries in Rutland operated by the Staveley Iron & Steel Co. It is a powerful locomotive as the railway system was steeply graded throughout. The locomotive features an open backed cab, which offered the crew an escape route in the event of an incident in the narrow overbridge tunnel on the route to the quarries. This locomotive is on long-term loan to the Museum from the Bluebell Railway and it is our hope that it will be returned to working order in due course.

W.G. Bagnall 2668 built in 1942 – “Cranford No.2” (RRM 183) 0-6-0ST oc

This locomotive is another example of a locomotive designed specifically for the ironstone quarrying industry. During the war, the Ministry of Supply ordered a number of these locomotives, which were delivered to quarries in the Staveley Group. This locomotive spent its working life at Cranford Quarries located near to Kettering although it was transferred to Pilton in Rutland for a short period and probably worked alongside STAMFORD at that time. The locomotive has been in working condition until recently but is now out of traffic awaiting boiler repairs. Its livery is that carried by the locomotive when originally delivered to the quarries.

Hawthorn Leslie 3138 built in 1915 – “Holwell No.14” (RRM 190) 0-6-0ST oc

This locomotive has strong local connections as it was delivered new to the Buckminster Ironstone Quarries as part of the development of those ore fields in the First World War by the Holwell Iron Company and in turn the Stanton Ironworks Company. At the time when the locomotive was delivered, the ore had been dispatched by the southern connection with the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway, Saxby to Bourne line direct to Holwell Ironworks near Melton Mowbray. In 1917 the Great Northern “High Dyke” branch to Buckminster through Colsterworth opened up further potential and the output grew. When Stanton bought out James Pain in 1928, the loco was transferred to Glendon Quarries to replace the aging fleet there. The quarries there contracted in the early 1960’s and Holwell No.14 was one of the earliest casualties of the contraction. It was sent to a scrap yard in 1962 and remarkably stayed there until preserved in 1985. The locomotive has recently been secured by the Museum because of its strong historical connections. Despite its appearance, it is highly likely that restoration to working order will commence shortly.

This steam locomotive was the first of the Hunslet 50550 class of locomotives. Ten of the locomotives were ordered by the Ministry of Supply to open up the Islip Iron Ore Field through an ambitious scheme to lay an overland railway direct to the steelworks at Corby. The scheme faltered after the order had been received and in the event No.24 was the only one eventually delivered to Corby. Other sister locomotives were reallocated to ironstone quarries including Graham (Oxfordshire Ironstone), Geddington (Glendon Quarries), Grantham (Harlaxton Quarry) and Gunby (Buckminster Quarry). We intend to restore this locomotive over a number of years as a fitting testament to a specific ironstone quarrying design and it is also likely to be the largest locomotive in the collection.

This 220hp diesel locomotive was supplied new to the United Steel Companies Ore Mining Branch Colsterworth quarries along with two other similar machines to replace steam locomotives. The loco also worked at the Easton Mine site also located on the High Dyke mineral branch. The loco was popular with crews and this has been reflected in our own experiences at the Museum. When the quarries closed the loco was transferred to the steelworks at Scunthorpe from where a group of members was able to purchase it for use at the Museum. It has been repainted into its original Ore Mining Branch colours and carries its original plant number. It is not in working order at present but we intend that it will be shortly.

This 440hp diesel electric locomotive of the famous “Janus” design is the sole remaining locomotive to have worked over the Exton Park quarry system and only left the site when the quarries closed in 1973. It would have regularly worked into the exchange sidings at the Museum and may also have worked down the branch when required. The Museum has recently secured the locomotive for the collection and we have already started to restore its authentic “Exton Park” livery of lined maroon with brass cabside numerals. It is intended to restore the locomotive to full operational condition.

This diesel locomotive was one of a number of similar 311hp locomotives supplied new to the extensive Oxfordshire Ironstone Company system at Wroxton near Banbury. The fleet of 13 diesels replaced their 22 steam locomotives and the fact that the diesels were given the names from the steam fleet betrays the regret that they had at that time. As was the practice, “girls” worked the quarry lines and “boys” ran on the long run to the mainline exchange sidings. BETTY replaced a relatively new Hudswell Clarke, which had only been built in 1953. The dieselisation programme was very short lived as the whole system closed in 1967. The fleet of relatively new locos was distributed around the remaining Midlands ironstone quarries to replace elderly steam locos but many led quite nomadic lives as the industry continued to contract. BETTY was sent to Harlaxton and Woolsthorpe and had the dubious honour of hauling the last load of home produced ore “North of the Welland” in February 1974. The Museum was able to preserve the locomotive for its collection when its commercial days were over. BETTY is at the end of a substantial restoration programme and is in operational condition.

Delivered in July 1965, GRAHAM replaced a Hunslet 50550 steam locomotive similar to our own No.24. It was fitted with vacuum brakes from new and with a slightly higher gearbox ratio for handling the “mainline” trains to the exchange sidings in much the way that its steam counterpart had done previously.  The locomotive was even fitted with the same British Transport Commission locomotive registration plate (No.2930) for working over British Railways track when required to do so. GRAHAM was transferred to the Stanton Ironworks in 1967 upon closure of the quarries after refurbishment at the Thomas Hill works when it lost its original OIC maroon livery. It carried “STANTON No.61” nameplates but retained its name throughout its life. The Museum was able to secure the locomotive in early 2007 when the Stanton works closed. It has now been repainted into its original livery and we are refitting its original vacuum braking system, which makes it suitable for passenger traffic at the Museum.

This locomotive is a later version of Uppingham and worked in Leicestershire granite quarries during its working life. It was delivered new to Enderby but in later years worked at Mountsorrel Quarry from where we rescued the locomotive from a structurally unsound engine shed! The locomotive was returned to steam in the early days of the Museum and now that it is under restoration, it is likely that we will see it in operational condition once again in the near future.

We are very pleased to have an example of this very old Barclay locomotive design at the Museum. It worked in the cement plant at Pitstone until retired. The locomotive is in the process of a thorough restoration to working order including removal of wheels for new bearings.

This locomotive operated in the limestone quarry at the nearby Castle Cement of Ketton in Rutland. It brought loaded wagons out of the quarry to the main plant for the whole of its working life. The locomotive is fitted with unusual sprung dumb buffers to avoid buffer locking with wagons in the quarry area. The locomotive was given to the Museum by Castle Cement and has already been started and run on occasions. At present the locomotive is retained in its working condition.

This locomotive was supplied new to the Ketton Works of Castle Cement in Rutland. It was later refurbished when air braking and standard buffers were added. The locomotive has, therefore, never worked outside Rutland in its life. The locomotive requires extensive refurbishment before assuming an operational role at the Museum.

This locomotive was operated at the Barrington Cement Works in Cambridgeshire and was given to the Museum by the company when the quarry rail system was closed in 2005. It is in full operational condition and it is likely to receive an extensive overhaul in the near future.

This locomotive spent its whole working career in the cement industry at Barrington and at Rochester. The locomotive hauled the last commercial quarry train in the UK during March 2005 and RMC (now Cemex) gifted the locomotive to the Museum to reflect its role in quarrying history. The locomotive was named by and after the quarry manager, John Drayton, and also carries commemorative plaques on the cab sides. The loco is in full running order and is very popular on shunting duties.

This locomotive worked for all of its industrial life in sugar beet factories in the West Midlands, East Anglia and East Midlands. It is an example of the once common 14” cylinder designs from this manufacturer, who were renowned for producing tough dependable machines. Four-wheel Barclay designs were used at Burley quarries as well as on the Buckminster system before the six-wheel version became the preferred option. When preserved in 1972, the locomotive took up residence in the Sewstern locomotive shed on the Buckminster ironstone quarry system as part of the proposed country park scheme. It later travelled down the quarry railway lines to Market Overton where early restoration began. It has been a Rutland resident for approaching half of its life. The locomotive is in the final stages of a comprehensive rebuild to working condition.

This locomotive has been in operational service at the Museum for the last ten years. It is identical to a locomotive called “Munition” which was owned by a small independent ironstone quarry operator, Walter Burke, who had quarries at Frieston & Caythorpe between Grantham and Lincoln where Marlstone ores were produced. Our locomotive has a unique wartime heritage. It was supplied to the Royal Navy and work initially at the Naval Base in Singapore. In 1942, when the base fell to the Japanese, the locomotive was taken into captivity along with the allied servicemen. The loco is maintained as a working memorial to former Far Eastern Prisoners of War.

This is also an example of a standard Barclay 14” saddle tank. After service at a West Midlands power station, it was a long time operational performer at Cottesmore. It has recently been receiving a thorough boiler overhaul and we look forward to a return to further operational work shortly.

This locomotive is a larger version of our other Peckett examples. It was employed in the Nottingham coalfields but has been a resident of Rutland since the early 1970’s when its commercial employment finished. The locomotive is in the process of a thorough restoration to working order and its chassis is almost complete awaiting its boiler.

This locomotive was the penultimate standard gauge locomotive built in Britain to the historic Hunslet “Austerity” design. It had a short working life at Manvers Main Colliery and Cadley Hill in Staffordshire. The Yorkshire Engine Company, which was owned by the United Steel Companies, built a series of locomotives to this design specifically to work the Exton Park quarry system.

Sentinel 9376 built in 1947 – “No.7” (RRM 147)

This is a slightly unique design of steam locomotive having a vertical boiler and chain driven wheels from a marine type of engine. After use at the Ind Coope, Burton Brewery, this locomotive had a varied and interesting career before being preserved in the early 1970’s. The locomotive type were tried at a number of ironstone quarries although their complex and non standard features were rather overtaken by dieselisation in the industry.

Industrial Locomotives - Diesel

Andrew Barclay 499 built in 1965 – “21 09 91” (RRM 018) 0-4-0DH

This locomotive was employed in the slag reduction plant at Corby steelworks and was given to the Museum when the plant closed in 1982. The loco is in operational condition and is due an overhaul in the near future.

This six-wheel Sentinel represents the third of their designs to be used in the ironstone quarrying industry. A small fleet were supplied to Corby Quarries for trial purposes and would probably have become a standard for their work if it weren’t for the acquisition of 23 redundant Class 14 British Railways diesels, which became available at a realistic price. This example was used in the coal industry but is to be restored in the standard green Sentinel livery in which they ran at Corby. It will contrast well with the OIC maroon livery. The locomotive is close to operational condition but is subject to a thorough overhaul and restoration at present.

This very robust locomotive design was employed in a large engineering works in the North East before being employed on construction work for the Tyne & Wear Metro. The locomotive is undergoing a comprehensive overhaul to working condition.

We are extremely proud that this locomotive has been loaned to us by the National Army Transport Museum. In full working order, it is a prime (if small) example of the engineering excellence of Lincoln, and has a local connection as it worked in a depot at Melton Mowbray during its Army career. The locomotive can often be seen coupled to the tool van or works train around the site.

This locomotive was the penultimate locomotive built by Ruston & Hornsby in Lincoln before they gave up locomotive manufacture. The bodywork has been rebuilt and some further work is required on the Ruston YEX 200hp engine before it can take up operational duty again.

There are a number of locomotives currently located at the Museum but which will shortly be leaving for more appropriate locations. At the present time these include;

Hunslet 3883 built 1963 – Coal Products No.6
Barclay 352 built 1941 – Carlton No.3
Hibberd 3887 built 1958 – Phoenix
Ruston 504565 built 1965
EEV D1049 built 1965
Fowler/TH rebuild 132c built 1964
Barclay 415 built 1957
Fowler 4240015 built 1962
Yorkshire 2641 built 1957
Yorkshire 2688 built 1959

The Museum contains a large collection of vehicles and a brief outline may assist the visitor.

In the earliest days of the industry the operators may have owned their own wagons. These would have run between the quarry and the steelworks in a regular pattern. The Museum has a range of these early wooden wagons but these are now in relatively delicate condition and await conservation under cover.

They include;

RRM 052            S624    Stanton Ironworks Co. 10-ton 4-plank wooden open wagon
RRM 054            S818    Stanton Ironworks Co. 12-ton 5-plank wooden mineral wagon
RRM 055            S849    Stanton Ironworks Co. 12-ton 5-plank wooden mineral wagon
RRM 056            S860    Stanton Ironworks Co. 12-ton 5-plank wooden mineral wagon
RRM 060            3046     Stewarts & Lloyds       10-ton 4-plank wooden open wagon
RRM 063            3153     Stewarts & Lloyds       10-ton 4-plank wooden open wagon

By the 1930’s, the majority of quarry operators relied on vehicles provided by the railway companies to transport the ore to the iron and steelworks. When private owner wagons were “pooled”, the use of wooden open wagons in quarry traffic was already being phased out. The LMS in particular embarked on a wagon-building programme under which their steel 20-ton hopper design became widespread. In that period hopper trains running into the quarries were characterised by assorted hoppers of different sizes and capacities.

Our hopper train includes the following examples;

RRM 075          M691079       LMS 20-ton Iron Ore hopper wagon built by Metro-Cammell in 1938
RRM 076          M691193       LMS 20-ton Iron Ore hopper wagon built by Metro-Cammell in 1938
RRM 180          M691448       LMS 20-ton Iron Ore hopper wagon built by Metro-Cammell in 1938
RRM 188          M691535       LMS 20-ton Iron Ore hopper wagon built by Metro-Cammell in 1939
RRM 189          M691982       LMS 20-ton Iron Ore hopper wagon built by Metro-Cammell in 1940
RRM 073          P210000        Appleby-Frodingham Iron Ore hopper built by Central Wagon Co in 1938
RRM 101          No. 8251        Sheepbridge Iron & Steel Co. hopper built by Charles Roberts in 1925
RRM 074          P15675          ex Private owner 20-ton steel mineral hopper, c.1915            

After nationalisation, British Railways adopted a modernisation plan. A programme of standard wagon building took place and the 27-ton Iron ore Tippler wagon in its various guises became almost universal throughout the industry. The Museum has collected nine of these vehicles and we regularly operate them at the Museum. They include the following examples;

RRM 107      B384428        built at x in 1950 to Diagram 1/181, lot number xxxx.
RRM 108      B394768        built at x in 1950 to Diagram 1/181, lot number xxxx.
RRM 109      B385005        built at x in 1950 to Diagram 1/181, lot number xxxx.
RRM 110      B387344        built at x in 1950 to Diagram 1/181, lot number xxxx.
RRM 115      Bxxxxxx          built at x in 1950 to Diagram 1/181, lot number xxxx.
RRM 116      Bxxxxxx          built at x in 1950 to Diagram 1/181, lot number xxxx.
RRM 188      B385997        built at Derby in 1958 to Diagram 1/184, lot number 3091with vac. Brakes & Roller bearings.
RRM 189      B388815        built at Derby in 1960 to Diagram 1/185, lot number 3363with vac. Brakes & Roller bearings.
RRM 072      BSCO 25197     Rebodied by Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co. in 1972

Trains worked up the branch from Ashwell with brake vans owned by the Railway Company. We use brake vans, as the ruling gradient on our part of the line is 1 in 60. Our vans include;

RRM 033                 M286341    20-ton LMS van built in 1926 to a late Midland Railway design

RRM 098                 B953544    20-ton Standard British Railways brake-van built at Faverdale in 1957

RRM 099                 B952645    20-ton Standard British Railways brake-van built at Faverdale in 1955

RRM 194                 DBxxxxx     20-ton British Railways “Shark” ballast brake van (passenger conversion)

In certain quarries ore was mixed with coal slack and a process of “Calcining” which burnt the raw ore was carried out to drive off volatile material and reduce weight. This was particularly relevant when the ore had to be taken a long way and Burley Quarry, for instance, employed the method for its ore, which had to be taken to the Dorman Long steelworks in the North East.

In many cases when the ore wasn’t burnt on the quarry floor, internal wagons were used to transport the ore from the quarry to the “cally banks”. These were often in the style of the older side tipping “ship canal” designs originating in the earliest days of railways. The Museum has an example of this type currently displayed in the central area (RRM 045).

Later these were replaced with four-wheel steel skip wagons and we were able to preserve two rare examples built by G R Turner of Langley Mill in 1942, each having three transverse skips, these being lifted by a dedicated crane at the clamps. They were often used for delivery of coal to the calcining operation.

(RRM 070)     Stewarts & Lloyds four wheel calcine skip wagon – Plant Number 8555/49/1 

(RRM 071)     Stewarts & Lloyds four wheel calcine skip wagon – Plant Number 8555/49/4 

Other quarries had crushing plants and often they used the unique 15-ton side tipping Dumpcars produced by Gloucester, Birmingham and the Metro-Cammell Carriage & Wagon Companies. They were fitted with central buckeye couplings in the American style and often this required the locomotives to be converted to suit. We have a rake of these wagons but fitted with regular buffing gear at each end.

No. 76                                  (8555/50/4)   built in 1939 by Birmingham Carriage & Wagon Co. (RRM 064)
No. 97                                  (8555/50/25) built in 1939 by Birmingham Carriage & Wagon Co. (RRM 065)
No.125                                 (8555/50/53) built in 1940 by Metro-Cammell                                 (RRM 066)
No.141                                 (8555/50/69) built in 1940 by Metro-Cammell                                 (RRM 067)
No.144                                 (8555/50/72) built in 1940 by Metro-Cammell                                 (RRM 068)
No.148                                 (8555/50/76) built in 1940 by Metro-Cammell                                 (RRM 069)

Our Museum collection also includes a range of internal tippler wagons that were used in the cement industry. These include the following;

RRM 086   Ketton Cement 4-wheel steel limestone tippler wagon K1, built at Ketton
RRM 087   Ketton Cement 4-wheel steel limestone tippler wagon K39, built by Butterley Co. Ltd
RRM 088   Ketton Cement 4-wheel steel limestone tippler wagon K42, built by Butterley Co. Ltd
RRM 178   Barrington Cement 4-wheel limestone tippler wagon No.6, built by Kose on 27-ton iron ore tippler chassis
RRM 179   Barrington Cement 4-wheel limestone tippler wagon No 31, built by YEC on 27-ton iron ore tippler chassis

Quarries required a regular supply of coal for its own steam locomotives as well as the calcine banks. The collection includes a number of coal wagons;

RRM 077         P148144        13-ton steel cupboard door open coal wagon built by the Cambrian Wagon Works Ltd. It was registered with the LMS, No.172194.

RRM 078         P66288          13-ton steel cupboard door open coal wagon owned by Cory Coal Co.

RRM 049                               12-ton seven plank Charles Roberts wagon used at Blidworth Colliery.

Like many systems, our railway requires a range of service vehicles. These vehicles allowed track maintenance to take place on the rail system and are just as important for our requirements at the Museum.

RRM 041     Coles Diesel Electric self-propelled rail crane No. 20024 built in 1963

RRM 090    Smith Rodley Diesel Mechanical rail crane, No. 25843 built in 1964

RRM 185     DB992164           British Railways 25-ton “Trout” ballast hopper wagon

RRM 080     British Railways 20-ton bogie bolster wagon, ex-permanent way train at Corby Quarries.

The collection includes some of the platelayer’s mess vans from the larger quarry systems; these allowed staff to travel to and from their work at the beginning and end of their shifts. These include;

RRM 041   Stewarts & Lloyds 4-wheel Quarry Platelayers Mess Van K4
RRM 042   Stewarts & Lloyds 4-wheel Quarry Platelayers Mess Van K2
RRM 091   Stewarts & Lloyds 4-wheel Quarry Platelayers Tool Van K1, converted open coke wagon.
RRM 091   Stewarts & Lloyds 4-wheel Quarry Platelayers Tool Van “S&L K1”, converted mineral wagon.
RRM 037   USC Ore Mining Branch Van No.97, former Caledonian Railway 10-ton covered van.
RRM 0xx    Metropolitan Railway Workshop Van, used as tool & mess van at Glendon Quarry

There are some very specialised vehicles in the collection which came from steel producers quarry and works rail systems

RRM 079    Stewarts & Lloyds 40-ton well wagon built by Head Wrightson & Co and used for transporting
                    excavators and heavy equipment into the quarries. Known as the “digger trolley”.

RRM 081    former BR 3-plank vacuum fitted dropside ballast wagon used as runner for the “digger trolley”.

RRM 156    BSCO 4257 Tube wagon built by Standard Railway Wagon Company

RRM 084    Engineers conversion of dumpcar wagon chassis, originally built by Birmingham Carr. & Wagon Co.

RRM 085    Engineers conversion of dumpcar wagon chassis, originally built by Metro-Cammell

RRM 082    Holwell Iron Works 4-wheel open “spark” wagon No. 54, wooden chassis and steel top.

RRM 083    Holwell Iron Works 4-wheel open “spark” wagon No. 55, wooden chassis and steel top.

RRM 103    Slag ladle from Holwell Ironworks.

Other rail vehicles at the Museum include the following;

RRM 111   Charles Roberts & Co., 4-wheel inside framed side tipping V-wagon, No.S50 built in 1962

RRM 169   Metro-Cammell 50-ton “war-flat” tank transporter bogie wagon.

RRM 093   Southern Railway NQV 4-wheel parcels van No. S1925

RRM 135   Southern Railway NQV 4-wheel parcels van No. S4125

RRM 160   British Railways vacuum fitted 12-ton covered van, B764941 built in 1952

RRM 038   GWR 10-ton “Mink A” covered van No.95353

RRM 039   Gloucester Carriage & Wagon private owner 12-ton covered van No.2317 built in 1941.