View source for Davington Light Railway

{{Short description|Former narrow gauge railway in Kent, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{coord|51.318|0.885|display=title|region:GB_scale:50000}}
{{Infobox rail
|railroad_name=Davington Light Railway
|image=Davington Light Railway - No.1 - 0-6-0ST - metre gauge - built 1916 by Manning Wardle & Co., works No.1914.png
|image_caption=Locomotive No.1, {{whyte|0-6-0|ST}}, built 1916 by Manning Wardle & Co., works No. 1914
|gauge={{RailGauge|1000mm|allk=on}}
|start_year=1916
|end_year=1919
|length={{convert|3|mi|km|1}}
|hq_city=Davington
|locale=[[England]]
|successor_line=Abandoned
}}
The '''Davington Light Railway''' was a [[narrow gauge railway]] built to serve the armaments factories near [[Davington]], in [[Kent]], [[England]]. It ran between Davington and [[Uplees]].
==History==
Munitions have been produced at Faversham since 1561. Three [[gunpowder]] factories had been established by 1786, though a serious explosion in 1847 put a temporary end to production. In 1873, the Cotton Powder Company built a factory to produce [[gun cotton]] on Uplees Marsh. In 1912, a second factory was built by the Explosives Loading Company, with a third by Eley Brothers Ltd. established nearby at Harty Ferry.<ref name=Lyne/>
The outbreak of the [[First World War]] saw a massive increase in the need for munitions. The mills in the marshes near Faversham were a major production centre, sending their output by river barges to the [[Royal Arsenal]] at Woolwich. Hundreds of workers were travelling daily across the marshland from nearby villages and towns to work in the mills. 1916 was a particularly wet year, and these journeys became intolerable. In order to efficiently move workers to and from the factories, the Davington Light Railway was laid between Davington and between Uplees.<ref name=Lyne/>
The carriages were all open sided, with curtains to keep the weather out. As well as the terminus stations, there was also a halt at [[Oare, Kent|Oare]]. Separate trains were provided for men and women, on account of the coarse language the men used.<ref name=Fav>{{cite web | url = http://www.faversham.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=35814| publisher = Faversham.org| title = Davington Light Railway| accessdate = 2008-04-08}}</ref>
Freight was also carried, including acid, coal, cotton, detonators, mines and shells.<ref name=Under>{{cite web|url=http://www.undergroundkent.co.uk/davington_light_railway.htm |publisher=Underground Kent |title=The Davington Light Railway |accessdate=2008-04-08 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313064151/http://www.undergroundkent.co.uk/davington_light_railway.htm |archivedate=2008-03-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Four wagons from the Davington Light Railway were purchased by [[H. F. Stephens|Colonel Stephens]] for use on the [[Rye and Camber Tramway]].<ref name=Rye>{{cite web|url=http://www.hfstephens-museum.org.uk/pages/topics/camber_tram/camber_tram_wagons.htm |publisher=The Colonel Stephens Museum |title=The Camber Tramway Wagons |accessdate=2008-04-08 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020013208/http://www.hfstephens-museum.org.uk/pages/topics/camber_tram/camber_tram_wagons.htm |archivedate=2007-10-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The line closed at the end of [[World War I]], and the line and its equipment were sold by auction. During [[World War II]], the tunnel at Oare was used as an air raid shelter.<ref name=Under/> The station sites at Davington and Uplees have been obliterated by development, but the route of the trackbed at Oare can be traced, and the tunnel under the road at Oare still exists.<ref name=Fav/>
== Route ==
The southern terminus of the railway was at Davington, where there was a station with goods yard and locomotive shed. The line headed northwards across the marshes. The first station was about {{convert|1000|yds|m}} north at [[Oare, Kent|Oare]], where a halt was provided. The line then entered the {{convert|80.5|ft|m}} Oare Tunnel, passing under a minor road. The line was climbing through the tunnel and continued to the low summit. From there it dropped down towards [[The Swale]] as it crossed Uplees Marches. The northern terminus of the passenger line was at Uplees Station.<ref name=Lyne>{{Cite book |first=R.M. |last=Lyne |title=Military Railways in Kent |publisher=North Kent Books |isbn=0-948305-04-5 |date=1983|location=Ramsgate}}</ref>
== Locomotives ==
{|class="wikitable"
!Number
!Builder
!Wheel Arrangement
!Date built
!Works number
!Notes
|-
|1
|[[Manning Wardle]]
|{{whyte|0-6-0|ST}}
|1916
|1914
|Sold after the railway closed; exported to [[Brazil]]
|-
|2
|[[Manning Wardle]]
|{{whyte|0-6-0|ST}}
|1916
|1915
|Sold after the railway closed; exported to [[Brazil]]. Was used at [[Imbituba]] Docks.
|-
|3
|[[Manning Wardle]]
|{{whyte|0-6-0|ST}}
|1916
|1916
|[[File:The Davington Light Railway. A World War I Narrow Gauge Railway in Kent. Locomotive No 3.jpg|150px]]<br/>Sold after the railway closed; exported to [[Brazil]]. Was used at Imbituba Docks.
|}
One of the locomotives is believed to be still in existence. Often quoted as works number 1916, the actual locomotive would appear to be works number 1915, carrying the worksplate of its sister.<ref name=Brazil>{{cite web | url = http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/brazil37.htm| publisher = Eddie Edmunson| title = Survey of steam locomotives spotted outside the North East of Brazil. January 2002. | accessdate = 2008-04-08}}</ref>
==Gauge==
According to Taylor,<ref>Taylor, M. Minter, see sources</ref> the gauge was {{convert|3|ft|3|in|mm|abbr=on}} but some other sources give {{RailGauge|1m}}. The exact gauge will probably never be known.
The Davington Light Railway was built to the gauge that was already in use at the explosives factories. The first locomotive there was a [[Germany|German]]-built [[Deutz AG|Deutz]] petrol locomotive, delivered just before the start of [[World War I]]. Possibly this was of {{RailGauge|1m}} gauge and the track was built to fit it. The Deutz locomotive was later supplemented by five [[Ruston, Proctor and Company|Ruston Proctor]] petrol/paraffin locomotives, one of which is owned by the [[Vale of Rheidol Railway]] and  stored at Aberystwyth, where it is shown as ex-Cotton Powder Company Ruston Proctor 4wPM, works no 51168 of 1916; it was built to {{RailGauge|1m}}.
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==Sources==
* {{cite book|author1=Mitchell, Vic  |author2=Smith, Keith| title=Kent Narrow Gauge| publisher=Middleton Press| year=2000| isbn=1-901706-45-1}}
* {{cite book |author=Taylor, M. Minter |title=The Davington Light Railway |publisher=The Oakwood Press |edition=Locomotion Papers No. 40 |year=1968 |isbn=0-85361-002-9}}
==See also==
* [[British industrial narrow gauge railways]]
* [[British military narrow gauge railways]]
* [[Faversham explosives industry]]
[[Category:Industrial railways in England]]
[[Category:Metre gauge railways in England]]
[[Category:Transport in Faversham]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Faversham]]
[[Category: Railway lines opened in 1916]]
[[Category: Railway lines closed in 1919]]