Alderney Railway


The Alderney Railway on Alderney is the only railway in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and the only working railway in the Channel Islands. The Alderney Railway opened in 1847 and runs for about, mostly following a coastal route, from Braye Road to Mannez Quarry and Lighthouse.
The railway is run by volunteers and usually operates during summer weekends and bank holidays.

Stations

Current

The current stock is former London Underground 1959 Tube Stock cars nos. 1044 and 1045, a Vulcan Drewry 0-4-0 diesel locomotive no. D100 Elizabeth, a Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 diesel Molly II and six Wickham rail cars. Molly II is currently awaiting modification to her coupler system, so she can haul the London Underground stock. However, this cannot happen at the moment due to the fact she is not yet owned by the Alderney Railway company.

Past

NameDate builtBuilderWorks WheelsCylindersNotesWithdrawn
Veteran1847??0-6-0Insidearr. 1847?
Fairfield1847??0-6-0Insidearr. 1847?
Waverley?Henry Hughes of Loughborough?0-4-0STOutside-1889
Bee???0-6-0T?-?
Spider???0-6-0T?-?
Gillingham?Aveling and Porter?0-6-0TG?arr. 18931893
No.11880Hunslet2310-6-0STInsidearr. 18931923
No.21898Peckett6960-4-0STOutsidearr. 19041923

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This company took over the railway in 1923, together with locomotives No.1 and No.2. No.1 was returned to England and replaced by Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST Nitro.
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No.2 and Nitro were commandeered by the Germans and are believed to have been shipped to Cherbourg in 1943 or 1944. The Germans lifted part of the standard gauge line and replaced it with a metre gauge line, worked by two Feldbahn 0-4-0 diesel locomotives.
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The line was restored to standard gauge in 1947–1949 and the following stock was used:
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The railway was built by the British Government in the 1840s and opened in 1847. Its original purpose was to carry stone from the eastern end of the island to build the breakwater and the Victorian era forts.
There were three Royal visits by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to Alderney. On the first on 8 August 1854, the Royal couple rode on the railway, a horse drawn tender.