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Can you help us in our research into Colonel Stephens Works?
Articles on Aspects of His Railways
'The editors intend that this section will have regular articles on individual Colonel Stephens Railways, how they came about and how they were run. The Museum is in being to promote interest and research into his railways. Should you wish to contribute original, suitable and well researched material we will be happy to consider it, just E-mail us.'
The list of Topics Articles is below.
30th October 2009
MELVERLEY BRIDGE
Brian Janes explores the lengthy saga of Melverley Viaduct and is key importance to Shropshire and Montgomeryshire and subsequently the local community.
20th April 2009
The Ford Railmotors
Holman Stephens passionately believed in light railways to serve the needs of rural communities and that to succeed they must be built and run at low cost. However, even the smallest conventional steam engines were expensive items to buy and run. Stephens on building his first independent railway, the Rye and Camber, told the responsible authorities that he wished to use ‘an oil motor on a bogie passenger car' to operate the service.19th February 2009
Reflections on the K&ESR's Pickering Steam Railcar
In 1905 the railway technical press was filled with the latest development in economical transport - the steam rail motor (later called railcar). The Locomotive Magazine in that year carried news of a new railcar every month. Most of these were bogie carriages with a small engine conventionally built on the same chassis.
16th December 2008
The Last Days Of The Weston, Clevedon And Portishead Railway
In 1942, perhaps as an intellectual exercise to clear his mind, the WC&P’s last Receiver, Henry Edward Fulford, set down on paper his recall of the circumstances surrounding the shut down of the line. These passed, with other papers from the Excess Insurance Co, via a house loft to the Colonel Stephens Museum.
8th November 2008
STEPHENS' OTHER RAILMOTORS
Much attention is always directed in the Stephens’ cannon to the back to back railmotors derived from Ford and Shefflex road vehicles. However Stephens’ first effort at a petrol railmotor for the WC&P came from a very different, railway based, tradition, was very successful and, together with a second hand railmotor from the same source kept that railway going. Their success has perhaps been unfairly overlooked.
15th August 2008
Standing Alone: Stephens' Policy Of Independence And Its Cost - Parts 1 & 2
Long acknowledged as the champion of light railways, Colonel Stephens was probably largely responsible for ensuring that light railways were given the option of retaining their independence from the Grouping of railways in 1923. With changing economic circumstances this proved unviable and closure and nationalisation became the only way out. Brian Janes outlines the behind the scenes politics and its effects.
23rd June 2008
A Narrow Escape On The Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway
As has been described elsewhere, the new 0-6-2Ts built for the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire were sold off in somewhat obscure circumstances to the Government during World War I. The author of that Topic speculated that their sale might have been precipitated by an accident, which took place on 22nd July 1915 which, but for fortune, might have been disastrous for the new railway.
9th June 2008
Carriages and Wagons of the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire
Brian Janes attempts to unravel the mysteries of the Rolling Stock used on the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire.
6th February 2008
Dismantling A Colonel Stephens Line
The photographs in this photo feature show the dismantling of the EKR mainline and were a series taken by David F B Kevan in 1958 which have been deposited in the Colonel Stephens Railway Archive. They evoke a way of doing things as far removed from today as building the original railway.
11th December 2007
The S&MR In World War II - Parts 1 & 2
With the outbreak of war the S&MR was seen, unlike for instance the WC&P, as a railway that was important to the nation and was accordingly taken into government control.
A new article by Brian Janes. Part 2 slightly amended in the Light of Further Research, March 2008
19th October 2007
Ticket Issue And Collection On The RVR
When Stephens built the Rother Valley he followed true light railway principles and kept everything to a minimum. This included not only small four wheeled carriages but also the absence of manned ticket offices at stations.
15th June 2007
Holman Stephens' Family Tree
This is a revised version of a talk given by Philip Shaw at the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Holman Stephens’ death, which was subsequently published in The Colonel, the journal of the Colonel Stephens Society.
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