Rolling stock of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway

The Rolling stock of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway was one of the most distinctive aspects of the 1 ft 11+12 in (597 mm) narrow gauge line which ran for almost twenty miles across Exmoor in North Devon, England, from 1898 to 1935.

The locomotives appeared originally in a livery of plain lined green, and later on a black base, with chestnut under-frames, hauling passenger carriages coloured terracotta with off-white upper panels, and light grey goods wagons. The schemes were simplified as individual vehicles were repainted. With the take-over of the line by the Southern Railway in 1923, and the consequent arrival of a new locomotive - Lew - in 1925, the livery was slowly changed to the Southern Maunsell version for locos and passenger stock, and umber for the goods wagons. The loco headlamps which had been black under the L&B were re-painted red.

All of the original stock - sixteen passenger coaches and eighteen goods vehicles - were built to very high standards and supplied by the Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works. Norwegian-type couplings were used.

Replicas of locomotives Lew (Lyd) and Lyn were built in 2010 and 2017, respectively.

Contractor's locomotives

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Locomotives used during the construction of the railway

Name Works No. Type Builder Notes
Excelsior 970 0-4-2WT Bagnall Originally supplied to the Kerry Tramway
Slave 1430 0-4-0ST Bagnall
Kilmarnock 703 0-4-0ST Andrew Barclay

Original Rolling Stock (1898-1935)

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Rolling stock of the original railway.

Locomotives

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Baldwin Locomotive Lyn
Name Works No. Type Builder
Yeo 1361 2-6-2T Manning Wardle
Exe 1362 2-6-2T Manning Wardle
Taw 1363 2-6-2T Manning Wardle
Lyn 15965 2-4-2T Baldwin Locomotive Works
Lew 2042 2-6-2T Manning Wardle Improved

Passenger stock

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L&B No. Southern Number Coach Type Builder Date Built Notes
1 6991 Saloon brake end observation Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 Some parts survive. Reconstruction by L&BR Essex group to commence in 2020 when van 23 is completed.
2 6992 Saloon brake end observation Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 Preserved at National Railway Museum.
3 2473 Saloon end observation Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 Some parts survive, awaiting reconstruction.
4 2474 Saloon end observation Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 Some parts survive, awaiting reconstruction.
5 6364 Composite Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 In service. Reconstructed 2016-2019, returned to Woody Bay 13 August 2019 as L&BR 5. Recommissioned September 2019.
6 6365 Composite Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
7 2465 Third centre observation Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 In service. Reconstructed 2004, refurbished 2010-2013, returned to Woody Bay 16 April 2013 as L&BR 7.
8 2466 Third centre observation Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
9 2467 Third centre observation Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 Some parts survive, awaiting reconstruction.
10 2468 Third centre observation Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 Some parts survive, awaiting reconstruction.
11 2469 Third Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 In service. Reconstructed 2013-2015, returned to Woody Bay 22 April 2015 as L&BR 11.
12 2470 Third Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
13 2471 Third Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
14 2472 Third Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
15 6993 Third Brake Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 In service. Restored 1963, now on Ffestiniog Railway as FR 14.
16 4108 Third Brake Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 In service. Reconstructed 2010-2013, returned to Woody Bay 18 September 2013 as L&BR 16.
17 6994 Composite Brake Shapland & Petter 1911[1] In service. Reconstructed 2010-2013, returned to Woody Bay 16 April 2013 as L&BR 17.

Goods Stock

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L&B No. Southern Number Wagon Type Builder Date Built Notes
1 28304 Open Goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
2 28305 Open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
3 47036 Goods van Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
4 47037 Goods van Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897 Preserved: awaiting restoration by L&BRT (Original number unknown but believed to be No4)
5 56039 Bogie brake van Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
6 47038 Goods van Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
7 47039 Goods van Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
8 28306 Open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
9 28307 Open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
10 28308 Open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
11 28309 Open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
12 28301 Bogie open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
13 28302 Bogie open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
14 56040 Bogie brake van Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
15 47040 Goods van Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
16 47041 Goods van Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
17 28310 Open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
18 28311 Open goods Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1897
19 28312 Bogie open goods ? ? Used in construction of line
20 28314 Bogie platform wagon Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1902
21 28315 Bogie platform wagon Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1902
22 28313 Bogie open goods wagon Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works 1903
23 56041 Bogie brake van Lynton & Barnstaple Railway 1909 Restored 2006. 2019 - Undergoing renovation to include new steel underframe
24 28303 Bogie open goods wagon Lynton & Barnstaple Railway 1913
- 28316 Bogie open wagon James & Frederick Howard 1927
- 28317 Bogie open wagon James & Frederick Howard 1927
- 28318 Bogie open wagon James & Frederick Howard 1927
- 28319 Bogie open wagon James & Frederick Howard 1927
- 441S Travelling Crane Chambers, Scott & Co. 1927
- 442S Travelling Crane Chambers, Scott & Co. 1927
- 441S Crane match truck Southern Railway 1927
- 47042 Bogie goods van James & Frederick Howard 1927 Preserved: awaiting restoration by L&BRT (Original number unknown)
- 47043 Bogie goods van James & Frederick Howard 1927
- 47044 Bogie goods van James & Frederick Howard 1927
- 47045 Bogie goods van James & Frederick Howard 1927

Modern Stock (1995 – present)

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Non-original rolling stock of the revived railway

Locomotives

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Name Works No. Type Builder Date
Built
Notes
Axe 2451 0-6-0T Kerr Stuart 1915 Owned by the L&BR. Restored to steam 2008. Dedicated by the Bishop of Exeter 5 November 2008. Currently in ticket.
Sir George Newnes
Ex-Charles Wytock
2819 4-4-0T Bagnall 1945 Privately owned. Delivered to Woody Bay April 2014. Entered service May 2015. 2019 the loco was bought by a consortium of L&B members and after overhaul, including fitting new boiler re-entered service in August 2024.[2]
Isaac 3023 0-4-2T Bagnall 1953 Privately owned. Restored at Ffestiniog Railway, delivered to Woody Bay November 2013. Left for Statfold Barn 2021.
Lyn 92 2-4-2T Alan Keef 2017 An improved new-build of the original Lyn. Delivered to Woody Bay September 2017
Pilton 2393 0-6-0DM Baguley 1952 Restored at Statfold Barn Railway, delivered to Woody Bay April 201 when it ran trial trains. Cummins engine fitted by Statfold Barn was found to be putting too much torque into the gearbox, especially when working on the continuous 1 in 50 gradient. Gardner 6LXB 180HP engine installed and cab modified to fit the L&BR. All-over black livery and numbered "D2393" Entered service in 2017.
Heddon Hall 6660 0-4-0DM Hunslet 1965 Entered service, at the end of 2005 in all-over black livery. During the Autumn of 2007 the loco was given a full engine overhaul and the exhaust was modified to vent through a bonnet-mounted pipe.
D6652 6652 0-4-0DM Hunslet 1965 Entered service, 2012 in all-over green livery as "D6652" Not in service - awaiting attention to gearbox.
Yeo II 2048 2-6-2T Workshop X Killamarsh 2026 A copy of the Manning Wardle Lyd at the Ffestiniog Railway which is a copy of the original Lew.
Exe II 2049 2-6-2T Boston Lodge 2027 A copy of the Manning Wardle Lyd at the Ffestiniog Railway which is a copy of the original Lew.
Taw II ? 2-6-2T ? 2029+ A copy of the Manning Wardle Lyd at the Ffestiniog Railway which is a copy of the original Lew.
Lew II ? 2-6-2T ? 2029+ A copy of the Manning Wardle Lyd at the Ffestiniog Railway which is a copy of the original Lew.

Coaching Stock

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As of May 2014, all passengers travel in restored original L&B Heritage Coaches, see table above

Goods Stock

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No. Type Builder Date
Built
Source Livery Notes
12 Bogie goods wagon - - ex-MoD Bogie flat wagon In service at Woody Bay
50 Flat wagon - - ex-MoD Wagon In service at Woody Bay
51 Ballast Hopper - - ex-MoD Bogie flat wagon In service at Woody Bay
51 Flat wagon - - ex-MoD Wagon In service at Woody Bay
52 Flat wagon - - ex-MoD Wagon In service at Woody Bay
53 Bogie open wagon - - - In service at Woody Bay
54 Bogie open wagon - - - In service at Woody Bay
54 Goods van - - ex-RAF Chilmark munitions van Southern Goods In service at Woody Bay
60 Brakevan - - ex-MoD Bogie brakevan SOLD
61 Goods van - - ex-RAF Chilmark munitions van L&B Grey In service at Woody Bay
62 Goods van - - ex-RAF Chilmark munitions van L&B Grey In service at Woody Bay
63 Goods van - - ex-RAF Chilmark munitions van Southern Goods In service at Woody Bay
64 Goods van - - ex-RAF Chilmark munitions van Southern Goods In service at Woody Bay
65 Goods van - - ex-RAF Chilmark munitions van L&B Grey In service at Woody Bay
28320 Bogie goods wagon - - ex-MoD Bogie flat wagon Southern Goods In service at Woody Bay
28322 Bogie goods wagon - - ex-MoD Bogie flat wagon Southern Goods In service at Woody Bay
56042 Brakevan - - ex-MoD Brakevan Southern Goods In service at Woody Bay

Notes

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  1. ^ The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Measured and Drawn, By S.D. Phillips in conjunction with M.J.Bishop, SD Publications, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9572101-0-3
  2. ^ Bagnall No. 2819 'Sir George Newnes'. (lynton-rail.co.uk)