Statfold Barn Railway

Founded (heritage operation)	2005
Length	Multi-circuit private system
Gauge	Narrow (multi-gauge: 2 ft, 2 ft 6 in, 1 ft 11½ in)
Headquarters	Statfold Barn Farm, Ashby Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire B79 0BU
Principal stations	Statfold (private collection)
Annual visitors	~10,000 (limited open days only)
Website	statfoldbarnrailway.co.uk

Statfold Barn Railway is a privately-owned narrow-gauge railway and locomotive collection near Tamworth, Staffordshire, established by industrialist Graham Lee on his Statfold Barn farm. The site has become internationally renowned among narrow-gauge enthusiasts as the home of one of the largest and most varied collections of working industrial narrow-gauge steam locomotives in the world.

The railway is multi-gauge, with circuits laid in 2 ft, 2 ft 6 in and 1 ft 11½ in, allowing engines to be run on the gauge for which they were originally built. Locomotives represented include British, European, Indian, African, Antiguan and Java sugar-cane railway veterans, many of which were rescued from working industrial use overseas and rebuilt to operating condition at Statfold's on-site workshops.

Statfold is not generally open to the public, but a limited number of open days are held each year (typically a small number of weekends), and these regularly attract visitors from across Europe and beyond.

History

The collection was assembled from the early 2000s by Graham Lee, founder of the Hunslet Engine Company in its modern form. The site grew from a private hobby into a large operation including locomotive building and overhaul facilities, drawing in engines rescued from sugar-cane railways in Java, tea estate lines in India, slate quarries in Wales and other industrial settings worldwide.

Stations and infrastructure

The site comprises a multi-gauge demonstration railway, large locomotive sheds, and the Hunslet Engine Company workshops where new and rebuilt narrow-gauge engines are constructed. A small museum building is open to visitors during open days.

Route and stations

Special events and operations

Open days are the primary public events. Each typically features visiting engines from other UK heritage lines, line-ups of working steam, and behind-the-scenes workshop tours.

Visitor information

Statfold is reached via the A513 from Tamworth. Open days require pre-booked tickets via the railway's website; the railway is not a regular tourist railway and is closed to the public outside advertised events.