The Downs Light Railway is the world's oldest private

miniature railway A ridable miniature railway (US: riding railroad or grand scale railroad) is a large scale, usually ground-level railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are often models of full-sized railway locomotives (powered by diesel or petrol ...

,Tom Banner;
Downs Light Railway response to Downs School merger
, Malvern Gazette, 22 April 2022.(Retrieved 3 Dec 2022) with a track gauge of . The railway is located within the grounds of

The Downs Malvern The Downs Malvern is an independent prep school in the United Kingdom, founded in 1900. It is located on a site in Colwall in the County of Herefordshire, on the western slopes of the Malvern Hills.Independent Schools Inspectorate; The Downs, ...

, a private school in

Colwall Colwall is a civil parish in Herefordshire, England, situated on the border with Worcestershire, nestling on the western side of the Malvern Hills at the heart of the AONB. Areas of the village are known as Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall which sha ...

, near the town of

Malvern, Worcestershire Malvern is a spa town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England. It lies at the foot of the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The centre of Malvern, Great Malvern, is a historic conservation area, which grew dra ...

in the English Midlands. It is owned by the Downs Light Railway Trust. The Downs Light Railway is maintained and operated principally by the school children, aged between 7 and 13 years. It provides a wide range of educational and regular extra-curricular activities, and supports other local schools. As of 2019, it is part of the

Heritage Railway Association Heritage Railway Association (HRA) is an umbrella organisation representing the majority of the heritage and tourist railways, railway museums, steam centres and railway preservation groups in the UK and Ireland. Groups and individuals involved ...

membership.

History

The railway was built and opened in 1925 under the guidance of Geoffrey Hoyland (Headmaster) as a gauge railway, for the principal purpose of education. The railway was regauged during the 1930s to the larger gauge of , to allow for new locos to be used on the line. After Hoyland fell ill and retired from the school, the railway deteriorated until it became unsafe to use by the late 1960s. During the 1970s, restoration work began by former pupils of the school, most notably James Boyd. In 1983, the railway was handed over to the Downs Light Railway Trust, who became responsible for its ownership, preservation and operation. In June 2021 the railway was presented with the

's Small Groups Award.

Locomotives

''Orion'' paid a visit on 24 April 2005 for its first public steaming in many years, following its disappearance, rediscovery and restoration.

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

The Down Light Railway Trust

The Downs Preparatory School
{{Ridable miniature railways in England Miniature railways in the United Kingdom Rail transport in Herefordshire Railway lines opened in 1925 Children's railways