© C.Gluyas

© C.Peake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stapleford Miniature Railway 10 ¼ inch 

First opened in May 1958, the Stapleford Miniature Railway runs through the grounds of Stapleford House. In order to establish the house and grounds as a family attraction, two David Curwen built 4-4-2 locomotives, 6 coaches and 2000 feet of track were purchased. A line was soon laid taking passengers from the car park to the stately house. It was successful and soon expanded down the steep gradient to a landscaped lake and café. In the 1970s the railway was again expanded with a new terminus station at the newly added lion reserve and extension of the line around the lake to form a balloon loop crossing the river twice in the process and extending the journey to just under two miles. After the second Lord Grettons death, the house and park closed and the house was sold on. The railway remained mothballed still under the Gretton family estate headed by the third Lord Gretton with the hope of reopening. Sadly after the untimely death of John the third Lord Gretton, the chances of reopening looked bleak, but in the early 1990s, a volunteer group Friends of the SMR was formed under Lady Jennifer Gretton’s control to restore and reopen the line. After extensive work rebuilding the tunnel, this was achieved in 1995, the first public trains hauled over the August BH. The line has been gradually restored and improved since 1995 with a new engine shed and welfare block being built in 1997. The railway is now open two weekends a year to the public. In 2008 the line celebrated its Golden Jubilee with a new station building opened along the unveiling of the lines new locomotive. Locomotives used now include one of the original 4-4-2s, a North American loco NYC 4-8-4 Niagara class and a newly built East African 31 class 2-8-4 oil burning locomotive.

Address: The Old Forge Yard, Stapleford Park, nr Melton Mowbray, Leics LE14 2SF
Telephone:
Operator: Friends of the Stapleford Miniature Railway

Line Length: 2 mile, Balloon
First opened: 1958

Website: Stapleford Miniature Railway Website

Locomotives

No
Name
Type
Builder
Built
2943
Hampton Court
4-6-0
G&SLE/E.Twining
1939
751
John H.Gretton
4-4-2
D.Curwen
1948
752
2-8-4
Coleby Simkins
1972
5565
Victroria
4-6-0
Moore/Allcock/Coleby Simkins
1975
6019
4-8-4
J.Wilks
1997
3103
2-8-4
J.Wilks
2008
D100
The White Heron
4w-4wPM
Curwen & Newbury
1962

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening Times: 9th, 10th June and 26th, 27th August. Please visit the SMR website for information on the two public open weekends

 

Fares: Please visit the SMR website for details.

 

SMR Page was last updated on the11th March 2012 with opening times updated.

© 2012 Copyright - Miniature Railway World, All Rights Reserved.

Please do not use any content from Miniature Railway World, without prior permission from the Miniature Railway World team.