Appleby Frodingham Railway

The Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society is based at Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. The society owns locomotives and rolling stock but not the railway it runs on. The name comes from the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company, now known as British Steel Limited Scunthorpe after its buy-out by Greybull Capital. The railway operates entirely within the Steelworks limits over tracks normally used for moving molten iron, steel and raw materials. Trains travel between 7 and 15 miles (11 and 24 km), all within the steelworks.

Scunthorpe Industrial Heritage Railway AFRPS
1912 Peckett locomotive with a train at Frodingham platform
LocaleScunthorpe, North Lincolnshire
Commercial operations
NameBritish Steel Limited Scunthorpe
Original gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Operated byAppleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society
Preserved gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Peckett locomotive standing beside a cooling tower at Appleby loco shed

History

Occasional excursion trains were run around the Scunthorpe Steel Works site (such as in 1986) using the works' own locomotives. Then in 1990, steam-hauled passenger trains were run as part of a works anniversary celebration, using a locomotive borrowed from the Rutland Railway Museum. This was popular enough for further events to be planned using locomotive and carriages borrowed from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. The society now owns (or is responsible for) several steam and diesel locomotives. On occasions the (radio controlled) locomotives, normally used for site operations, have been used on passenger trains.

Locomotives

Number Class Name Current Livery Owner Status
No.1 (Works Number: 2877) Yorkshire Engine Company 0-6-0ST Janus - Appleby Frodingham Steel Company (Apple Green) AFRPS Operational
Works Number: 3138 0-6-0T steam locomotive built by Fabryka Lokomotywim "Feliksa Dzierztnskiego", Chrzanów, Poland Hutnik AFRPS Maroon AFRPS Currently awaiting restoration
No.1 (Works Number: 1438) Peckett 0-4-0ST steam locomotive (Nechells No.1) Nechells Power Station Green Christopher Theaker Awaiting overhaul, boiler ticket expired in April 2018
Works Number: 2661 0-6-0DE diesel electric Half Janus locomotive built by the Yorkshire Engine Company Arnold Machin Eccles Slag Company Scunthorpe Eccles Slag Company / AFRPS Under restoration
Works Number: 8368 0-4-0DH diesel hydraulic W. G. Bagnall locomotive built by RSH in 1962 Horsa CEGB Goldington (Bedford) AFRPS Under restoration
No.22 (Works Number: 3844) 0-6-0ST Hunslet Austerity steam locomotive - United Steel Company Maroon Christopher Theaker Under overhaul
No.3 (Works Number: 1919) 0-6-0ST Avonside Engine Company steam locomotive Cranford (Avonside No.3) Staveley Coal and Iron Company (Unlined Green) Christopher Theaker Operational, returned to steam in April 2016
No.8 (Works Number: 2369) 0-4-0ST 16" Andrew Barclay steam locomotive - NCB East Ayr Area John Dunn / Mike Sugden Under overhaul
Class 144 017 BR Class 144 'Pacer' 3-Car DMU (DMS 55817 - MS 55853 - DMSL 55840) - Northern Rail unbranded The Woodhead Line Operational / Storrage

Rolling Stock

BR Class 108 56207 DTCL & 59245 TBSL


They were preserved in 1990 by the AFRPS specifically to be used as a hauled coaches for use on their DMU Railtours around the Steelworks, and has consequently have never operated as a DMU in preservation. They entered service with the society in the summer of 1991. However, they have remained in service as loco-hauled coaches and currently carry Carmine & Cream livery more usually associated with coaching stock.

QXW TDM 395280 (M30106M) - Operating Department Instruction Saloon

Special events

Irregular special events are organised such as 'Diesel Days' where Corus or other visiting locomotives operate a series of trains through the day. For example, in 2003 one of each type of Corus locomotive (a Yorkshire Engine Co 'Janus', a Hunslet 'Anchor' and a 'High Line locomotive') together with an EWS class 08 were used on special trains, each making one round trip of around 6 34 miles (10.9 km).

It is not unusual for the passenger trains to be stopped to allow steelworks trains to pass. It is sometimes possible to see trains carrying molten iron from the blast furnaces.

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