Welcome to the new Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway website
The Railway was set up originally as a joint venture between QE2 Country Park Railway Society and Wansbeck District Council in 1993.
Over the next few years, the Society changed it’s name to Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway Society and worked with Woodhorn Charitable Trust and Northumberland County Council. In 2018, the Railway ceased to operate and eventually closed in 2020, during which time it was abandoned and further deteriorated.
In 2023 a small new group of skilled volunteers got together to establish if the Railway could become operational once again, as the track, infrastructure, engines and rolling stock had become unsafe in it’s abandoned rotten condition. They ascertained it could be achieved with a large funding requirement and a time scale of 3 to 5 years. They created the new group “Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway (WNGR)” and working with Woodhorn Charitable Trust and Northumberland County Council have begun this journey. With support, and the drive and determination of the volunteers,” the Phoenix will rise from the ashes!”
By far the biggest job we have to do is completely re-lay the track and this is a considerable cost as the whole line from the Museum Halt to the Lakeside Halt needs to be lifted and new sleepers laid then new track laid to conform to the current rail safety standards.
The challenge now is to raise the considerable sum of money to allow us to do this essential work before we can run any trains.
Other tasks we are continuing to work on are the upgrading of the electrical installation to the ticket office to ensure safe operation, recommissioning of the 3 available engines and various electrical modifications. Repairs to the passenger carriages including electrical systems and the replacement of various signals and lights which have suffered from vandalism during the railways dormant era.