The Foxfield Railway is a preserved standard gauge line located south east of Stoke-on-Trent. The line was built in 1893 to serve the colliery at Dilhorne on the Cheadle Coalfield. It joined the North Staffordshire Railway line near Blythe Bridge. It is open at weekends and operates trains on Sundays, Bank Holidays and some Saturdays from April to October and Santa Special trains in December. It is home to the Knotty Coach Trust, the Foxfield Miniature Railway, a museum, café, bar and a shop.

Quick Facts Locale, Terminus ...

Foxfield Railway
Wimblebury seen working a train at Dilhorne Park
Locale	Staffordshire
Terminus	Caverswall Road
Coordinates	52.97570°N 2.06454°W / 52.97570; -2.06454
Commercial operations
Original gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Stations	2
Length	2+1⁄4 miles (3.6 km)
Preserved gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
1893	Opened
1965	Colliery closed
Preservation history
1965	Railway preserved

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v t e Foxfield Railway
Legend
Banktop (section closed 1944) Foxfield Colliery Dilhorne Park Caverswall Road Blythe Bridge Crewe-Derby Line to Stoke-on-Trent │ to Derby

The Foxfield Railway was built in 1892-1893 to provide a link to the North Staffordshire Railway for the Foxfield Colliery. The railway was built by local labour provided by North Staffordshire Railway employees at weekends and supervised by the North Staffordshire Railway foreman plate layer Noah Stanier, using second hand material, again obtained from the North Staffordshire Railway.^[1]

When the colliery closed in August 1965,^[2] local volunteers formed the Foxfield Light Railway Society to preserve the line. At first, passengers were taken in converted trucks up the formidable 1:19 to 1:26 gradient out of the colliery site at Dilhorne, accompanied by a tank engine.

Eventually, new coaches were purchased and a station was built at Caverswall Road, Blythe Bridge, half a mile from Blythe Bridge station. The service runs for 2+1⁄4 miles (3.6 km) from there to the top of Foxfield Bank.^{[citation needed]}

The original line left the Crewe to Derby Line a little west of the station. The link has been lifted, but several abandoned wagons can be seen in the old sidings from passing trains. A station and depot have been built at Caverswall Road, half a mile north of Blythe Bridge railway station along Blythe Bridge Road.

Although located in Staffordshire, the railway has been used for the filming of sequences for the BBC Television series Cranford, which is set in Cheshire. The railway featured in the two-part Christmas special that was first broadcast in December 2009. Judi Dench, who played the part of Matilda 'Matty' Jenkyns, invited several of the main characters to ride on the train in an attempt to alter their opinions about the benefits of the railway being extended into the town of Cranford.^[3]

The station at Caverswall offers visitor facilities such as a Buffet serving hot and cold food and drinks and a Real Ale bar "The One Legged Shunter". Also a museum building displaying a variety of artifacts relating to local railways and locomotives currently out of service. The adjacent Olcote Animal Sanctuary has an enclosure next to the miniature railway where animals can be found the first three Sundays in a month.

The railway operates Sundays and Bank Holidays from April to October and Santa Special trains during December.

The Foxfield Railway has the largest collection of standard gauge steam locomotives in Staffordshire, most of which are of industrial origins. Also a reasonable sized collection of industrial diesels.

Diesel locomotives undergoing overhaul or restoration

This section does not cite any sources. (March 2024)

More information Builder/class, Number/Name ...

Builder/class	Number/Name	Wheel arrangement	Notes	Photograph
Thomas Hill	103C	4wDH	Undergoing restoration off site. Originally converted from a Sentinel 4wWBT steam locomotive, like Sentinel 9535.
Andrew Barclay	486 Clive	0-6-0DH	In process of being returned to working order. Bodywork repaint in BR warning yellow as per Central Electricity Generating Board livery completed 5 November 2016. Lettering saying CEGB, Meaford Power Station and varnishing to take place and the frames will be blacked with red wheels. New engine mounts have been fitted and the engine run up a number of times (latest February 2021) and in order.
English Electric/Drewry Car Co.	WD820	0-4-0DM	Used on the D-Day landings in 1944. Undergoing overhaul.
Janus class	2868 Ludstone	0-6-0DE	Restoration started in 2015, which mainly focused on cosmetics, and the prevention of further corrosion to the locomotive. Mechanical work is now underway.
Ruston and Hornsby 88DS	408496 Shanks No. 444	4wDM	Undergoing long term overhaul which began in February 2017. Engine lifted out in November 2017 along with most of the cab. Gradual reassembly underway.
Ruston and Hornsby 165	424841 Roman	0-4-0DE	New generator bushes fitted along with new batteries. New starter motor sourced and waiting to be fitted. Bodywork has also received some attention.

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The railway has a collection of carriages from a wide range of years which are used to take passengers up and down the line.

• • Mk 1 Corridor Second (SK) No. M25607. (Operational, overhauled in 2019).
  • Mk 1 Brake Corridor Second (BSK) No. M34672, named 'Eric Swift' after a member who left a legacy which financed the overhaul of the railway's coaching stock. Operational following a major in-house rebuild, including conversion of the luggage area to a on train bar in 2021
  • Mk 1 Tourist Second Open (TSO) No. M4762. Operational following overhaul and completion of accessible conversion at the Llangollen Railway in 2020
  • Mk 1 Tourist Second Open (TSO) No. M4243 undergoing major rebuild following discovery of major corrosion, Privately Owned.
  • Mk 1 Corridor Second (SK) No. M25225. Stored at Dilhorne Park awaiting major restoration. Privately Owned.
  • LMS Theatrical Scenery Van No. 37519 (converted to the passenger carrying Bass Belle Observation Bar Car). On static display but eventually planned to be overhauled to working order.
  • LMS third class gangwayed vestibule coach No. 27249. (Stored awaiting overhaul).
  • LTSR PMV No. 1 (rebuilt by MR in 1920 from Composite vehicle). (Stored out of use. Previously used as Kitchen vehicle).
• The NSR Rolling Stock Restoration Trust

In 2008 a small group was formed with the aim of restoring the two surviving North Staffordshire Railway 4-wheeled coaches, with a long term aim of recreating a proto-typical Victorian train that would have once operated in the local area. The Knotty Trust, as it has become known as, was registered as a charity in 2009 and in 2012 received a £30,000 grant for the completion of the first vehicle (no. 127).^[7] This was completed at Stanegate Restorations, who have become a major supporter in the recreation of a Knotty Train.^[8] Since then the collection has grown to include other former 'Knotty Coaches' that have been discovered, as well as other historically important vehicles.