bvr-15in

The Bure Valley Railway is a 15 in (381 mm) gauge miniature steam railway in Norfolk, running for approximately nine miles between Wroxham (on the Broads) and Aylsham through the Bure valley, opened in 1990 on the trackbed of the former Wroxham–County School branch of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway. The Bure Valley Railway operates a fleet of purpose-built 15 in gauge steam and diesel locomotives, several of which are based on famous full-size locomotive types or represent original designs built specifically for this scenic Norfolk railway.

The 15 in gauge — a scale approximately 1:4 of standard gauge — is the classic gauge for the serious miniature railway tradition established by Sir Arthur Heywood in the 1880s and subsequently popularised by Henry Greenly and the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (RHDR) in Kent from 1927. The BVR uses similar motive power philosophy to the RHDR, with its steam locomotives giving a genuine steam railway experience on a significant journey length that fully tests both the locomotives and crews. Several of the BVR's steam locomotives originated as surplus or transferred RHDR locomotives, while others were purpose-built for the BVR fleet.

The Bure Valley Railway's steam fleet includes Wroxham Broad (No. 1), Blickling Hall (No. 6), Spitfire (No. 7), and Mark Timothy (No. 9), all preserved and operated on the railway.