Alan Keef
Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineering company which manufactures, overhauls, and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment.
The Limited Company was formed in 1975 at Cote, Bampton, Oxon, continuing what Alan Keef had already been doing for some years as an individual. In 1986 the company moved to larger premises at Lea, near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.
The first new loco was built in 1976. To date (2008) over eighty locos have been built – steam, diesel and electric. Most have been miniature or narrow gauge except for two standard gauge steam locos for Beamish Museum – the replicas of "Steam Elephant" and "Puffing Billy". In 2008 Alan Keef Ltd built the frames, running gear and mechanical parts for two Parry People Mover railcars for use on the Stourbridge Town branch (139001 and 139002). A number of Alan Keef's locomotives are replicas of steam locomotives but with diesel power. These are referred to as steam outline (s/o) in the listing below.
In 1987 the company took over the production of Motor Rail locomotives.
In addition to the replicas for Beamish the company has also helped restore a number of historically significant engines including both UK preserved Baldwin Class 10-12-D locomotives – No. 778 – which now works at Leighton Buzzard Light Railway and more recently No 794 (referred to as No 590) [1] from the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. However, this project was eventually paused and the WHHR moved the loco to the Vale of Rheidol's Aberystwyth workshops for completion in 2020.[2]
During the annual Open Day in September at the Alan Keef Headquarters, the public is welcome to see and ride examples of rail equipment from visiting exhibitors, as well as its own in-house rail equipment, on the facility's 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge and 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge tracks.[3]
New & Rebuilt Locomotives
Works No. | Plated Year | Number/ name |
Wheel arrangement |
Gauge | Class | To | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1974 | "Trixie" | 0-4-0ST OC | 2 ft (610 mm) | Trixie | First steamed at Cote on 05/09/1974, sold to Meirion Mill Railway in January 1975. Returned to Alan Keef in 1976 and resold to Rail Rebecq in Belgium where it was renamed "Paula". Now located at the Tacot des Lacs railway, France.[4] | Alan Keef Ltd did not build Trixie, though they were involved in the design. The builder was Trevor Barber, former manager of the Whipsnade and Umfolozi Railway. |
2 | 1976 | Skippy | 4wDM | 2 ft (610 mm) | Motorised skip wagon | [5] | |
3 | |||||||
4 | 1979 | 4wDM | 2 ft (610 mm) | Wilmslow Peat Farm; donated to Moseley Railway Trust, 2020[6] | Available for service on Apedale Valley Light Railway[6] | ||
5 | 1979 | 4wDM | 2 ft (610 mm) | William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd, now at The Highland Light Railway[7] | Out of Use[5] | ||
6 | 1981 | 4wDM | 2 ft (610 mm) | Private Location | [5] | ||
7 | 1982 | BARBIE | 4wDM | 21 in (533 mm) | Pleasure Beach Railway, Blackpool | [5] | |
8 | 1982 | T2 SALLY | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd | Out of Use[5] | |
9 | 1982 | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | Leemspoor Narrow Gauge Museum, Netherlands | [8] | ||
10 | 1983 | 5 ALISON | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | Gartell Light Railway | ||
11 | 1984 | IVOR | 4wDH steam outline | 2 ft (610 mm) | Thorpe Park | [5] Treasure Island Railway closed 1993 | |
12 | 1984 | SIR GEORGE | 4wDH steam outline | 2 ft (610 mm) | Greenlea Light Railway | [5] | |
13R | 1984 | 4wDH | 15 in (381 mm) | Ruston & Hornsby 452280 rebuilt | Evesham Vale Light Railway | [5] | |
14 | 1984 | 4wDH steam outline | 2 ft (610 mm) | John Redden's Scrapyard, Wellingborough | [9] | ||
15 | 1984 | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | India | [10] | ||
16 | 1985 | WEASEL | 0-6-0DH steam outline | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) | Replica of Wisbech & Upwell Tramway locomotive | Wells & Walsingham Light Railway | |
17 | 1985 | 3 | 0-4-0DH steam outline | 2 ft (610 mm) | Cotswold Wildlife Park Railway | [5] | |
18 | 1985 | 05 581 | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd | [5] | |
19 | 1985 | JEFFREY | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd | [5] | |
20R | 1986 | 4wDM | 2 ft (610 mm) | Ruston & Hornsby 283513 rebuilt | William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd, now at The Highland Light Railway[7] | Dismantled[5] | |
21 | 1987 | 05/582 | 4wDH | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) | Chemring Energetics UK Ltd | [5] | |
22 | 1987 | 05/583 | 4wDH | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) | Chemring Energetics UK Ltd | [5] | |
23 | 1988 | 3 JACK | 0-4-0DH steam outline | 2 ft (610 mm) | East Hayling Light Railway | ||
24 | 1988 | DH | U-series | Kyung Dong Coal Mine, Korea | [12] | ||
25 | 1988 | DH | U-series | Kyung Dong Coal Mine, Korea | [12] | ||
26 | 1988 | 4wDM | 2 ft (610 mm) | 40S[12] | William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd | Out of use[5] | |
27 | |||||||
28 | 1989 | T9 | 4wDM | 2 ft (610 mm) | 40S[12] | William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd | [5] |
29 | 1988 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | 60S | Nigeria | [12] | ||
30 | 1990 | "Taffy" | 0-4-0VBT VC | 2 ft (610 mm) | Alan Keef | De Winton replica | |
31 | Chassis (AKL) 1990 Body, Tender and Mechanical (RVM) 2012 | Princess Swee' Pea | 0-6-0DH steam outline | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) | Hastings Miniature Railway | Substantially reconstructed; currently out of action at Bickington Steam Railway | |
32 | |||||||
33 | |||||||
34 | 1991 | 0-4-0DH steam outline | Singapore Zoo Railway | Garden ornament[13] | |||
35 | |||||||
36 | 1990 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | 60S | Nigeria | [12] | ||
37 | 1990 | 85S | Chemicals & Fertilisers of Port Harcourt, Nigeria | [12] | |||
38 [14] | 1991 | "Trijntje" | 0-4-0T OC | 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) | De Efteling B.V. | Efteling Steam Train Company | |
39 | 1992 | SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL | 0-6-2DH steam outline | 15 in (381 mm) | Blenheim Park Railway | ||
40 | 1992 | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | [15] | |||
41 | 1992 | 0-6-2DH steam outline | 15 in (381 mm) | Haigh Railway | [5] | ||
42 | 1992 | 0-6-2DH steam outline | 15 in (381 mm) | [15] | |||
43 | Guyana Sugar Corporation | [12] | |||||
44 | 1993 | 4wDH | 3 ft (914 mm) | Peatlands Park Railway | |||
45 | 1993 | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | India | [10] | ||
46 | 1993 | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | Woodhead Tunnel; donated to Moseley Railway Trust | [5] For service on Apedale Valley Light Railway | ||
47 | 1994 | T5 SANDRA | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd | [5] | |
48 | |||||||
49 | 1994 | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | John Muir Country Park Railway | [5] | ||
50 | 1994 | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | India | [10] | ||
51 | 1995 | 0-6-2DH steam outline | 15 in (381 mm) | Cricket St Thomas Railway | [5] | ||
52 | 1996 | PAM | 0-4-0DH | 15 in (381 mm) | Wotton Light Railway | [5] | |
53 | |||||||
54 | 1998 | DENSIL | 0-6-0DH steam outline | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) | Wells Harbour Railway | ||
55 | 1998 | 4wDH | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | Walton Water Treatment Works Scrapped December 2010 |
[5] | ||
56 | |||||||
57 | |||||||
58 | |||||||
59R | 1999 | 80 BEAUDESERT | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | Motor Rail 101T018 | Leighton Buzzard Light Railway | |
60 | 2000 | Edward Milner | 0-6-0DH | 12 1⁄4 in (311 mm) | Buxton Miniature Railway | [17] | |
61 | 2000 | SIR WALTER RALEIGH | 0-4-0DM steam outline | 18 in (457 mm) | Bicton Woodland Railway | ||
62 | 2002 | 4 | 0-2-0+1wDH | Lartigue Monorail | Listowel & Ballybunion Railway | ||
63 | 2001 | JAMES GORDON | 0-4-0DH steam outline | 2 ft (610 mm) | Alford Valley Railway | ||
64 | 2001 | POMPEY | B-B DH | 15 in (381 mm) | Wotton Light Railway | [5] | |
65 | 2001 | MARGAM CASTLE | 0-4-0DH steam outline | 2 ft (610 mm) | Margam Country Park Railway | [5] | |
66 | 2002 | 2 THE EARL OF OAKFIELD | 0-4-0DH | 15 in (381 mm) | Difflin lake Railway | [5] | |
67 | 2003 | 4wBE | 2 ft (610 mm) | Llechwedd Slate Caverns | [5] | ||
68 | 2003 | 4 BELLA | 0-4-0DH steam outline | 2 ft (610 mm) | Cotswold Wild Life Park Railway | ||
69R | 2003 | 9 MARK TIMOTHY | 2-6-4T OC | 15 in (381 mm) | Winson 20 rebuilt | Bure Valley Railway | |
70 | 2004 | LADY ALEXANDRA | 0-4-0DH steam outline | 20 in (508 mm) | Great Woburn Railway | ||
71 | 2004 | "PUFFING BILLY" | 4wG VC | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | Replica of 1813 locomotive | Beamish Museum | |
72R | 2004 | 313 POLAR BEAR | 4wBE | 2 ft (610 mm) | Wingrove & Rogers 5568001 rebuilt | Groudle Glen Railway | |
73 | |||||||
74 | 2005 | HOWARD | 0-6-0DH steam outline | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) | Wells Harbour Railway | ||
75R | 2007 | 2 BICTON | 4wDH | 18 in (457 mm) | Ruston & Hornsby 213839 rebuilt | Bicton Woodland Railway;[5] later Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills | Store |
76 | |||||||
77 | 2007 | LYDIA | 2-6-2T OC | 15 in (381 mm) | Perrygrove Railway | ||
78R | 2007 | 6 | 4wDH | 3 ft (914 mm) | Motor rail 102T007 rebuilt | Difflin Lake Railway | [5] |
79 | 2007 | 7 FLYNN | 0-6-0DH | 15 in (381 mm) | Longleat Railway | ||
80 | 2007 | BORIS | 0-6-0DH | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) | Hotham Park Miniature Railway | [19] | |
81 | |||||||
82 | |||||||
83 | 2008 | ERIC | 0-6-0DH | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) | Lappa Valley Steam Railway | [20] | |
84 | 2008 | SIR PETER GADSDEN | 4wBE | 2 ft (610 mm) | Blists Hill Victorian Town | [5] | |
85R | 2010 | BUNTY | 2-6-2T+T OC | 15 in (381 mm) | Construction started by Neville Smith, completed by Alan Keef Ltd. | Heatherslaw Light Railway | [5] |
86 | 2010 | MERLIN | 0-4-0DH | 2 ft (610 mm) | Wicksteed Park Railway | ||
87 | |||||||
88 | |||||||
89 | |||||||
90 | |||||||
91 | Corris No. 10 | 0-4-2ST | 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) | Replica of Corris Railway "Falcon" locomotive | Corris Railway | Under construction in 2018, a replica of one of the Corris Railway's original Hughes locomotives. | |
92 | 2012 | E762 LYN | 2-4-2T | 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) | "Lyn" Replica | Lynton & Barnstaple Railway | Various components and final assembly of replica of 1898 Baldwin loco |
93R | 2013 | "STEAMPLEX" | 4wVBT | Motor Rail 5877 rebuilt | Groudle Glen Railway | ||
94 | 2013 | Winston | 0-6-0DH | 15 in (381 mm) | Blenheim Park Railway operating in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. | ||
95 | 2014 | THE DUKE | 0-6-0DH | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) | Wells Harbour Railway | ||
96R | 2015 | CUMBRIA | 4wBE | Rebuilt and regauged from Clayton B4227B/2006. | South Tynedale Railway | [23] | |
97 | 2016 | 0-6-0DH | 12 1⁄4 in (311 mm) | Ree Park – Ebeltoft Safari, Denmark | |||
98 | |||||||
99 | |||||||
100 | 2017 | 0-6-0DH(so) | 12 1⁄4 in (311 mm) | Wellington Country Park, Reading | |||
101R | VER 6 | 2 ft 8 1⁄2 in (825 mm) | Extensive rebuild of the original car. | Volk's Electric Railway | [24] | ||
102R | VER 10 | ||||||
103 | 2018 | HOWARD | 0-6-0DH | Beale Park | |||
104 | 2018 | 8 JOHN THYNN | B-B DH | 15 in (381 mm) | Longleat Railway | ||
60SD757 | 1986 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | 60S | Ghana Bauxite | Ordered by Ghana Bauxite from Simplex Mechanical Handling Ltd but delivered by Alan Keef Ltd.[12] | ||
40SD530 | 1987 | 4wDM | 2 ft 8 1⁄2 in (825 mm) | Motor Rail 40S | Volks Electric Railway[5] | Originally for Butterley Building Materials Ltd, ordered by them from Simplex Mechanical Handling Ltd but delivered by Alan Keef Ltd.[12] | |
M001 | 1988 | 2a-2DH | Monorail | Mrs. Whites Garden Ltd, Wiltshire | [5] | ||
M002 | 1989 | M002 IVOR | 2a-2DH | Monorail | Skip wagon | Alan Keef Ltd | Stored[5] |
M003 | 1989 | 2a-2DH | Monorail | Skip wagon | Alan Keef Ltd | Stored[5] | |
1977 | PW 3 REDGAUNTLET | 4wPM | 15 in (381 mm) | Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway | [5] | ||
1979 | "Thomas" | 4wVBG | 2 ft (610 mm) | Telford Development Corporation | To Telford Horsehay Steam Trust c.1987 | ||
1988 | 4wDM | 2 ft (610 mm) | Motor rail 9932 rebuilt | Chilmark Mine & Teffont Quarry | [5] | ||
1988 | 8 | 2 ft (610 mm) | Baguley 2w-2DM Railcar | Leighton Buzzard Light Railway | Rebuild of railcar to unpowered carriage.[5] | ||
1993 | 1 DROMAD | 0-4-2T OC | 3 ft (914 mm) | Kerr Stuart 3024 rebuilt | Cavan & Leitrim Railway | [5] | |
1995 | 2w-2DHR | 3 ft (914 mm) | Drewry Cars 1495 rebuilt | Cavan & Leitrim Railway | [5] | ||
1999 | CHARLES | 0-6-0DH steam outline | 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) | Ferry Meadows Railway | [25] | ||
2001 | STEAM ELEPHANT | 6wG | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | Joint construction with Dorothea Restorations, replica of Steam Elephant. | Beamish Museum | ||
2004 | COL. FREDERICK WYLIE | 4wDH | 2 ft (610 mm) | Hunslet 9349 rebuilt | Beeches Light Railway | [5] Line being reconstructed at new location | |
2004 | 3 ENTERPRISE | 4wDH | 3 ft (914 mm) | Motor rail 60S382 rebuilt | Waterford & Suir Valley Railway | [5] | |
2019 | Nancy | 0-6-0T | 3 ft (914 mm) | Avonside 1547 of 1908. Rebuilt between 1999 and 2019 | Cavan and Leitrim Railway |
See also
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alan Keef. |
- http://test.whr.co.uk/stock/steam/baldwin-794 Archived 8 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Baldwin 794/590 Loco description
- http:www.isengard.co.uk/index
- "Lea Bailey Light Railway - Alan Keef Open Day, 21 September 2013". Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- Quine, Dan (November 2016). "Trixie and the Meirion Mill Railway". Narrow Gauge World.
- Industrial Locomotives: including preserved and minor railway locomotives. 16EL. Melton Mowbray: Industrial Railway Society. 2012. ISBN 978 1 901556 78 0.
- "Moseley recovers locos from last UK peat line". Narrow Gauge World (150): 10. August 2020.
- Handbook 16EL, Amendment List No.18. Industrial Railway Society. May 2015. p. 957/28.
- Thomason, Steve. "The Springfield Agricultural Railway - Locomotives". Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- "3nd - Narrow Gauge Diesel / Petrol Locomotive Record No: 9445". UKLocos.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- Darvill, Simon. "Indian / South-Asian Industrial Locos". Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- Best, Steve. "Record No: 11976". Preserved Railway Stocklist. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- Rowlands, JAS. "Simplex (narrow gauge) Locomotives - The Alan Keef Years". Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
- Stuart. "Flower Train". cymro76's photostream. Flickr. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
- http://www.industriespoor.nl/Hoofdstuk29.pdf ALAN KEEF, Ross-on-Wye GB Keef K38 type Bt bwj. 1991 spw. 600 mm, 1991- De Efteling Kaatsheuvel
- Industrial Locomotives: including preserved and minor railway locomotives. 10EL. Melton Mowbray: Industrial Railway Society. 1994. ISBN 0901096792.
- Best, Steve. "Record No: 11973". Preserved Railway Stock List. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- "Record No: 11867". Preserved Railway Stock List. uklocos.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- Best, Steve. "Record No: 11974". Preserved Railway Stock List. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- Best, Steve. "Record No: 11740". Preserved Railway Stocklist. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- "Record No: 10759". Preserved Railway Stock List. UKLocos.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- "LYNformation Bulletin No.60: Monday 11 September 2017". Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- New Haven Neil. "Groudle Glen News". Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- Handbook 17EL, Amendment List No.1. Industrial Railway Society. January 2016. p. 967/3.
- "Alan Keef Ltd., Ross on Wye [17EL/100]". Industrial Railway Society Bulletin. Industrial Railway Society (1013): 13. May 2018.
- "Record No: 11829". Preserved Railway Stock List. uklocos.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- "Industrial Notes and News". Bulletin. 1031. -Industrial Railway Society. May 2019. p. 13.
- "Alan Keef Ltd - Locomotives Built at Cote". Industrial Railway Record. Industrial Railway Society (113). June 1988.
- A tale of Many Railways – An autobiography and history of Alan Keef Ltd, Lightmoor Press 2008, ISBN 978-1-899889-30-3