Sanday Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Sanday Light Railway was a privately-owned minimum gauge
railway on the island of Sanday
, Orkney, Scotland
.
The railway was of gauge
. Construction began in 2000 and the line closed at the end of 2006. It was the most northerly passenger carrying railway in the British Isles
, and although it was primarily the owner's hobby it did achieve the status of a tourist attraction
and local curiosity.
The railway sometimes ran one of its two steam locomotives, a 2-4-2
and a 2-4-0
, but more often one of three petrol locomotives. The railway also owned a number of items of rolling stock, including a very rare Cromar White first-class carriage, of which only six were made.
Although trains had been operating occasionally in some form beforehand, the railway was officially opened to the public in August 2006 by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
just a few months before its closure, which was variously attributed to the owner being unable to keep his promise to hold Sir Peter's civil partnership ceremony there or unreasonable demands placed upon the railway's operators by local council officials.
As at 2008 the owner was taking legal action against a number of organisations over perceived discrimination and misconduct by those organisations, in relation to the railway, its associated tea-rooms and the abortive civil partnership ceremony.
Minimum gauge railway
Minimum gauge railways have a gauge of less than or , most commonly , , or . The notion of minimum gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways and by the French company of Decauville for industrial railways....
railway on the island of Sanday
Sanday, Orkney
Sanday is one of the inhabited islands in the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland. With an area of , it is the third largest of the Orkney Islands. The main centres of population are Lady Village and Kettletoft. Sanday can be reached by Orkney Ferries or plane from Kirkwall on the...
, Orkney, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The railway was of gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
. Construction began in 2000 and the line closed at the end of 2006. It was the most northerly passenger carrying railway in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, and although it was primarily the owner's hobby it did achieve the status of a tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
and local curiosity.
The railway sometimes ran one of its two steam locomotives, a 2-4-2
2-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
and a 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
, but more often one of three petrol locomotives. The railway also owned a number of items of rolling stock, including a very rare Cromar White first-class carriage, of which only six were made.
Although trains had been operating occasionally in some form beforehand, the railway was officially opened to the public in August 2006 by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
Peter Maxwell Davies
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE is an English composer and conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.-Biography:...
just a few months before its closure, which was variously attributed to the owner being unable to keep his promise to hold Sir Peter's civil partnership ceremony there or unreasonable demands placed upon the railway's operators by local council officials.
As at 2008 the owner was taking legal action against a number of organisations over perceived discrimination and misconduct by those organisations, in relation to the railway, its associated tea-rooms and the abortive civil partnership ceremony.