Cadeby Light Railway

Cadeby Light Railway
Overview
Headquarters	Cadeby
Locale	England
Dates of operation	1963–2005
Successor	abandoned
Technical
Track gauge	2 ft (610 mm)
Length	97 yards (89 m)

The Cadeby Light Railway was a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge railway in the garden of the rectory in Cadeby, Leicestershire.

In the early 1960s the Reverend Teddy Boston became rector of All Saints' Church, Cadeby. Boston was a lifelong railway enthusiast and wanted to build a miniature railway in his new garden, but the cost proved prohibitive. Instead he searched for a full-sized narrow-gauge locomotive.

In 1962, he purchased Pixie, a W.G. Bagnall 0-4-0 ST from the Cranford quarry. The quarry owners donated a short length of track and two wagons and the Cadeby Light Railway was opened.^[1]

Over the years, Boston built an extensive collection of ex-industrial narrow-gauge rolling stock, which ran on the extremely short line in his garden. He also maintained an extensive OO gauge model railway at Cadeby.^[2]

Although Boston died in 1986, his widow, Audrey kept the railway open for nearly twenty years, holding regular open days.

The railway finally closed in May 2005.^[3] The majority of the collection has been amalgamated with the Moseley Railway Trust at the Apedale Community Country Park.^[4] As of 2014, Pixie was undergoing restoration.

Collection

In 1982, Boston's collection consisted of:^[5]

Name	Wheel Arrangement	Manufacturer	Works Number
Margaret	0-4-0ST	Hunslet Engine Co.	605 of 1894
No.2	0-4-0WT	Orenstein & Koppel	7529 of 1914
Pixie	0-4-0ST	W.G. Bagnall	2090 of 1919
87004	4wDM	Motor Rail	2197 of 1922
	0-4-0PM	Baguley	1695 of 1928
	4wDM	Motor Rail	4572 of 1929
	4wDM	Hudswell Clarke	D558 of 1930
1	4wDM	Motor Rail	5609 of 1931
New Star	4wPM	Lister	4088 of 1931
24	4wDM	Motor Rail	5853 of 1934
	4wDM	Ruston & Hornsby	179870 of 1936
42	4wDM	Motor Rail	7710 of 1939
20	4wDM	Motor Rail	8748 of 1942