Rolling Stock

There are currently eleven locos that run regularly on the BMR, with more planned for the future. The locomotives are not all exact models of prototypes. The BMR was known for its house style; freelance-outline stock has always been a feature and experimental designs often pre-empted prototypes on the full-sized railways of the ‘real’ world.  With the exception of the Bassett-Lowke “Brighton class” tank loco, all stock has been built by Bekonscot.

The majority of coaching stock is represented by Bekonscot-built scale models of BR mk1 carriages; like the pannier tanks they are not strictly 1930s but generate the right image. There are some very unusual pieces of rolling stock that see regular service on the BMR. These include the somewhat noisy Bekonscot-patented track cleaners, cleverly housed within one of the box wagons and one of the Mk1 carriages.

We also have a coal train, breakdown train and a rake of sponsored wagons. If you own a small business and would like to sponsor one or two of the wagons in this train, then do contact us.

Locomotives

GK Chesterton (1953)

• Freelance 4-6-0 tender loco
• A favourite with visitors, this is usually at the head of the ‘Bekonian’ express. Named after the famous Beaconsfield writer.

Kew (1989)

• SR ‘Q’ Class 0-6-0 tender loco
• Mid-range loco on longer passenger trains.

Brighton (1929)

• Bassett-Lowke 4-4-2 tank loco
• An original loco from 1929, restored with matching Bassett-Lowke coaches. Not bad for an 80 year old model running 2,000 real miles a year!

Dan’s Van (1987)

• GWR steam railmotor
• Often mistaken for a diesel, the front bogie would have been powered by a small steam engine in the cab. They regularly ran the services through Beaconsfield.

Settle (1993)

• GWR 0-6-0 94XX class pannier tank
• Designed by the GWR in 1947, these were some of the last steam locos built in Britain. The last of the class was built incredibly as late as 1956.

Peter B (1993)

• GWR 0-6-0 94XX class pannier tank
• Sister to ‘Settle’. A real class 94XX is preserved and based at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre north of Beaconsfield. Find out more at http://www.9466.co.uk.

Radstock (1949)

• Freelance 0-6-0 tank loco
• Based vaguely on the LMS ‘Jinty’ class, this little loco is usually found at the head of a coal train.

Bruton (1949)

• Freelance 0-6-0 tank loco
• Almost identical to ‘Radstock’, ‘Bruton’ is often mistaken for Thomas the Tank Engine due its bright blue livery and pair of coaches!

Wells (1949)

• Freelance 0-6-0 tank loco
• A chunky industrial tank loco, this is usually found hauling the goods train of sponsored wagons, or shunting at Splashyng goods yard.

Blandford (1949)

• Freelance 0-6-0 tank loco
• Sister loco to ‘Wells’, it was formerly an 0-8-0 but has had a new chassis so that it can negotiate the tight curves of the branchline. Often seen hauling the breakdown train.

Eastbourne (1999)

• SR 2BIL EMU
• Technically EMUs (Electric Multiple Units) can only run on tracks with a 3rd rail pickup, but we have our “2BIL” unit to demonstrate suburban stock of the period.

Warwick (1965)

• Freelance Bo-Bo diesel
• Originally built as a 3-rail 4-6-4 mechanical diesel, we have rebuilt ‘Warwick’ as a bogie diesel so it now has a passing resemblance to a Clayton Class 17 diesel.

Other

Current

There are two static shunting locomotives on the Bekonscot Model Village, both made from brass kits. ‘Bertie’ is an 0-4-0 tank loco waiting in the coalmine, whilst the un-named 0-6-0 saddle tank is in the loco yard at Hanton station.

Past

You can find more locomotives in the archive. We have recently rediscovered a collection of some 15 steam and diesel locomotives, plus 30 wagons and coaches, from Bekonscot’s 3-rail era, dating from between 1950 and 1980. These include Deltics, class 37s, “Blue Peter” named by the staff of that BBC TV programme, two streamlined express locos, several petrol mechanical shunters and some further freelance outline diesels.