Foxfield Railway

The Foxfield Railway is a preserved standard gauge line located south east of Stoke-on-Trent. The line was built in 1893 to serve the colliery at Dilhorne on the Cheadle Coalfield. It joined the North Staffordshire Railway line near Blythe Bridge. It is open at weekends and operates trains on Sundays, Bank Holidays and some Saturdays from April to October and Santa Special trains in December. It is home to the Knotty Coach Trust, the Foxfield Miniature Railway, a museum, café, bar and a shop.

History

The Foxfield Railway was built in 1892-1893 to provide a link to the North Staffordshire Railway for the Foxfield Colliery. The railway was built by local labour provided by North Staffordshire Railway employees at weekends and supervised by the North Staffordshire Railway foreman plate layer Noah Stanier, using second hand material, again obtained from the North Staffordshire Railway.

Preservation

When the colliery closed in August 1965, local volunteers formed the Foxfield Light Railway Society to preserve the line. At first, passengers were taken in converted trucks up the formidable 1:19 to 1:26 gradient out of the colliery site at Dilhorne, accompanied by a tank engine.
Eventually, new coaches were purchased and a station was built at Caverswall Road, Blythe Bridge, half a mile from Blythe Bridge station. The service runs for from there to the top of Foxfield Bank.

Location

The original line left the Crewe to Derby Line a little west of the station. The link has been lifted, but several abandoned wagons can be seen in the old sidings from passing trains. A station and depot have been built at Caverswall Road, half a mile north of Blythe Bridge railway station along Blythe Bridge Road.
The station at Caverswall offers visitor facilities such as a Buffet serving hot and cold food and drinks and a Real Ale bar "The One Legged Shunter". Also a museum building displaying a variety of artifacts relating to local railways and locomotives currently out of service. The adjacent Olcote Animal Sanctuary has an enclosure next to the miniature railway where animals can be found the first three Sundays in a month.
The railway operates Sundays and Bank Holidays from April to October and Santa Special trains during December.

Locomotive fleet

The Foxfield Railway has the largest collection of standard gauge steam locomotives in Staffordshire, most of which are of industrial origins. Also a reasonable sized collection of industrial diesels.

Operational steam locomotives

Steam locomotives off site

Steam locomotives undergoing overhaul or restoration

Stored steam locomotives

Operational diesel locomotives

Diesel locomotives undergoing overhaul or restoration

Builder/class	Number/Name	Wheel arrangement	Notes	Photograph
Thomas Hill	103C		Undergoing restoration off site. Originally converted from a Sentinel 4wWBT steam locomotive, like Sentinel 9535.
Andrew Barclay	486 Clive		In process of being returned to working order. Bodywork repaint in BR warning yellow as per Central Electricity Generating Board livery completed 5 November 2016. Lettering saying CEGB, Meaford Power Station and varnishing to take place and the frames will be blacked with red wheels. New engine mounts have been fitted and the engine run up a number of times and in order.
English Electric/Drewry Car Co.	WD820		Used on the D-Day landings in 1944. Undergoing overhaul.
Janus class	2868 Ludstone		Restoration started in 2015, which mainly focused on cosmetics, and the prevention of further corrosion to the locomotive. Mechanical work is now underway.
Ruston and Hornsby 88DS	408496 Shanks No. 444		Undergoing long term overhaul which began in February 2017. Engine lifted out in November 2017 along with most of the cab. Gradual reassembly underway.
Ruston and Hornsby 165	424841 Roman		New generator bushes fitted along with new batteries. New starter motor sourced and waiting to be fitted. Bodywork has also received some attention.

Stored diesel locomotives

Electric locomotives

Passenger carriages

The railway has a collection of carriages from a wide range of years which are used to take passengers up and down the line.

Number	Type	Status	Notes	Photograph
M25607	SK	Operational	Overhauled back to running order by Rampart at Barrow Hill, Chesterfield in 2019
M34672	BSK	Operational	Named Eric Swift after the late member who left a legacy which financed the overhaul of the railways MK1 fleet. returned to service in 2021 following extensive rebuild and conversion of the luggage area into an on train bar.
M4762	TSO	Operational	Returned to service in 2021 following overhaul at the llangollen railway. part of the vehicles restoration involved removing the internal bulkhead at the toilet end and inserting a half door and removable seats to make it an accessible vehicle. This mod now quite successful with other heritage railways now doing the same
M4243	TSO	Under Overhaul	Privately Owned. Initially on loan from the llangollen railway while 4762 was away for restoration, it was later purchased privately and is undergoing a major structural rebuild following the discovery of major corrosion
M25225	SK	Stored	Privately owned, stored out of use at Dilhorne Park. severely derelict and also the victim of an arson attack. its future remains unknown as of 9/9/2024
E80792	BG	Under Overhaul	Purchased by the society in 2024 for use as a storage vehicle but potential future use on the railway. currently being cosmetically restored into BR Maroon
37519	LMS Theatrical Scenery Van	Stored OOU	Converted by the railway into the Bass Belle Observation Bar Car. currently on static display while the railway debates its future	-
No1	LTSR PMV	Stored OOU	Rebuilt by the MR in 1920. Came to foxfield and was converted into a kitchen car for the early wine and dine trains. now stored derelict

The NSR Rolling Stock Restoration Trust

In 2008 a small group was formed with the aim of restoring the two surviving North Staffordshire Railway 4-wheeled coaches, with a long term aim of recreating a proto-typical Victorian train that would have once operated in the local area. The Knotty Trust, as it has become known as, was registered as a charity in 2009 and in 2012 received a £30,000 grant for the completion of the first vehicle. This was completed at Stanegate Restorations, who have become a major supporter in the recreation of a Knotty Train. Since then the collection has grown to include other former 'Knotty Coaches' that have been discovered, as well as other historically important vehicles.

Number	Type	Status	Notes
228	First	Undergoing Restoration	Owned by the NSRC, based at the Churnet Valley Railway. Given to the KCT on a 99-year loan in 2014, and so an appeal has now been launched for this vehicle's restoration. This is the next vehicle which is to be restored by the trust and also the final one to be restored as part of the Knotty Heritage train.
61	Third	Operational	The second vehicle to have to have been restored by the KCT. Entered service in August 2014, after a visit to the CVR to launch the "Project 28 Appeal".
127	Third	Operational	The first vehicle to have to have been restored by the KCT. Entered service in August 2014, alongside 61.
23	Brake Third	Operational	One of three newly discovered vehicles found in woodland alongside Rudyard Lake, though no number has presently been identified. These vehicles were recovered in October 2014, with the Brake Third being sent away immediately for restoration to begin at Stanegate Restorations. The coach was renovated as part of the "ABC" project and was launched into traffic in May 2019.
	First	Stored	One of three newly discovered vehicles found in woodland alongside Rudyard Lake, though no number has presently been identified. These vehicles were recovered in October 2014, and put into store whilst other projects take priority.
	First	Stored	One of three newly discovered vehicles found in woodland alongside Rudyard Lake, though no number has presently been identified and only half of this vehicle really exists following numerous years in the open. These vehicles were recovered in October 2014, and put into store whilst other projects take priority.
	MR Six-wheel Composite Luggage	Stored	One of three former Midland Railway vehicles donated to the KCT by Foxfield. One of only three survivors, the other two having been restored at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and National Railway Museum respectively. Luggage/First/Third class compartment carriage, no recognisable number has been found on the body to date. This vehicle is planned to be restored once a fully operation Knotty Train is operational.
1108	MR Bogie Third	Stored	One of three former Midland Railway vehicles donated to the KCT. Whilst only the body survives, the vehicle is planned to be restored once a complete Knotty Train is operational.
348	MR Picnic Saloon	Stored at	One of three former Midland Railway vehicles donated to the KCT. Whilst only the body survives, a former SR PMV has been designated for use as part of the vehicle's restoration. To be done once a complete Knotty Train is operational.
	NSR Brake Van	Stored	The sides from an original NSR Brake Van were found being used as a barn on Kingsley Moor, including the original painted Knotty emblem. These have been recovered and are now stored at Foxfield.
4384	LMS Covered Carriage Truck	Stored	Donated to the trust to assist with the eventual restoration of the CLZ.
731945	LMS Goods Brake Van	Stored	Frame only. To be modified for use with the ABC.
1703	SR Parcels & Miscellaneous Van	Stored	Donated to KCT. Frames to be used for Saloon 348.

Use as a filming location

Although located in Staffordshire, the railway was used for the filming of sequences for the BBC television series Return to Cranford, which is set in Cheshire. The railway featured in two episodes first broadcast in December 2009. Matilda 'Matty' Jenkyns, invited several of the main characters to ride on the train in an attempt to alter their opinions about the benefits of the railway being extended into the town of Cranford.