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The Narrow Gauge Railway, dating back from 1919, was built to transport
sand from the local quarries to mainline wagons for distribution.
They were built using war-surplus materials and equipment from the
massive network of light railways supplying the trenches in France
and Belgium. The rails are 2 feet (610mm) apart, less than half
the standard gauge.
The railway carried nothing but sand until the first passenger train
of the new era in 1968, when most of the sand traffic had been lost
to road transport and the line was in danger of following hundreds
of similar industrial light railways into oblivion. Fortunately,
a small group of enthusiasts at the time negotiated a unique agreement
with the line’s owners to run steam-hauled passenger trains
at weekends, while sand trains operated during the week.
Sand traffic continued to decline, as quarries converted to dumper
trucks, with the last branch line closing in 1981. By that time,
three miles of the former Leighton Buzzard Light Railway were enjoying
a new lease of life as a working museum, and it is still operated
and managed by volunteers, on a non-profit, charitable basis.
Today’s Leighton Buzzard Railway, believed to be the oldest
continuously operated narrow-gauge railway in England, recreates
the traditional appeal of long-lost lines, as well as providing
a home for historic locomotives and rolling stock from all over
the world, including several original items from the First World
War.Explore
Britain’s oldest
Narrow Gague Railway
www.buzzrail.co.uk
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