British Quarrying and Mining Narrow Gauge Railways - Coal

Coal

  • Little Eaton Gangway

The British coal mining industry made extensive use of narrow gauge railways, particularly underground where the restricted size of the tunnels meant that narrow gauge lines were and are particularly well suited. Many National Coal Board (NCB) mines used railways both underground and in the stock yards above ground. There were also many short lines at private mines, particularly in south Wales and the Forest of Dean regions.

Name Opened Closed Gauge Location Notes
Ayle Colliery 1932 after 1996 2 ft (610 mm), 2 ft 6 in (762 mm), 19 1⁄2 in (495 mm), 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) Alston, England Private colliery with locomotive-worked mine railway.
Bryn Oer Tramway 1815 1865 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Talybont on Usk, Wales Early horse-drawn tramway
Copeland District Council Wellington Colliery after 1987 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Whitehaven Harbour, England Private colliery with preserved locomotive
Doe Lee Colliery before 1979 Out of use by 1987 2 ft (610 mm) Chesterfield, England Underground locomotive worked mine railway
Flow Edge Colliery before 1979 by 1987 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) Alston, England Small battery-electric locomotive worked mine railway
Foxcote Colliery 1890 1931 2 ft 8 1⁄2 in (825 mm) Chilcompton, England Steam locomotive worked tramway
Hope Level Mine ? 1988 ? Stanhope, England Small mine operation with loco-worked railway
Huish Colliery after 1824 1912 Radstock, England Internal tramway
Kilmersdon Colliery before 1886 1973 2 ft 8 1⁄2 in (825 mm) Radstock, England Internal tramway
Little Eaton Gangway 1795 1908 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Little Eaton, England Very early horse-drawn tramway serving the collieries north of Derby
Lower Writhlington Colliery 1867 1973 2 ft 8 1⁄2 in (825 mm) Chilcompton, England Steam locomotive worked tramway
Mendip Shaft ? 1968 2 ft 9 in (838 mm) Chilcompton, England Private colliery with surface and underground tramway
Moorside Mining ? 1992 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) Eckington, Derbyshire, England Private colliery, purchased twelve battery electric locomotives from South Crofty mine in 1992
NCB BatesColliery 1986 Blyth, England Diesel locomotive worked underground colliery system
NCB Berwick Drift Stockyard ? 2005 3 ft (914 mm) Lynemouth, England One of several locomotive-worked stock yard railways in the British coal industry.
NCB Clockburn Drift Mine railway ? after 1968 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) County Durham, England Substantially built double-track line for coal haulage from the main mine adit.
NCB Gascoigne Wood Colliery railway ? ? 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) South Milford, England Underground mine railway
NCB Harworth Colliery railway ? ? 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Bircotes, England Underground mine railway
NCB Hentley Training Centre ? 1991 3 ft (914 mm) Hentley, England Test incline and locomotive worked lines
NCB Kellingley Colliery railway ? ? 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Kellingley, England Underground mine railway
NCB Kellingley Training Centre railway ? ? 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Kellingley, England Mine training railway
NCB Lewis Merthyr Colliery railway ? 1983 2 ft 10 1⁄2 in (876 mm) Rhondda, Wales Stock yard line worked by diesel locomotives
NCB Parkside Colliery railway ? after 1972 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Newton-le-Willows, England Stock yard line worked by diesel locomotives
NCB Prince of Wales Colliery railway ? ? 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Pontefract, England Underground mine railway
NCB Riccall Colliery railway ? ? 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Riccall, England Underground mine railway
NCB Stillingfleet Colliery railway ? ? 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Stillingfleet, England Underground mine railway
NCB Tilmanston Colliery 1986 2 ft (610 mm) Eythorne, England Modern underground colliery system
NCB Wentworth Drift Mine railway 1947 1955 2 ft (610 mm) Wentworth, England Locomotive-worked surface and underground railway system
NCB Wistow Colliery railway ? ? 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Wistow, England Underground mine railway
New Peacock Hay Colliery railway ? ? 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) Harecastle, England Cable-hauled incline from a small private coal mine
New Rock Colliery 1968 2 ft 8 1⁄2 in (825 mm) Chilcompton, England Internal tramway
Norton Hill Colliery 1966 2 ft 4 in (711 mm) Midsomer Norton, England Surface and underground tramways
Pensford Colliery 1910 1957 2 ft (610 mm) Pensford, England Mile long railway connecting the colliery to Bromley station. Initially steam locomotive worked, later cable hauled.
Pentwyn No.3 Mine ? after 1994 2 ft (610 mm) Ystalyfera, Wales One of the last coal mines using pit ponies on a railway.
Saundersfoot Railway 1829 1939 4 ft (1,219 mm) Saundersfoot, Wales Early industrial railway hauling coal.
Severn & Wye Railway 1801 1869 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Forest of Dean, England Coal and iron hauling tramway, eventually replaced by a broad gauge line.
Weardale Minerals ? 1988 2 ft (610 mm) Cambokeels, England Colliery railway
Weardale Mining and Processing ? 1988 2 ft (610 mm) West Blackdene, England Colliery railway

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