Lea Bailey Light Railway

Lea Bailey Light Railway The Lea Bailey Light Railway Society was formed in 2012 with plans to develop the 2' gauge line from

An industrial light railway based on the former trackbed of the Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Junction Railway at the site of an old gold mine. Operated by enthusiasts and home to a collection of artefacts relating to railways and mining.

This morning, as our volunteers arrived to get our little railway ready to welcome visitors to our Open Day, we were sur...
28/09/2024

This morning, as our volunteers arrived to get our little railway ready to welcome visitors to our Open Day, we were surprised to find a fallen tree blocking our way.

Could it be storm damage? Or hungry beavers?

Sadly, an uninvited visitor had decided to cut down this tree, in what we believe to be a deliberate act., due to the fact it was perfectly positioned to block our only road vehicle access.

Luckily we were able to clear the way — never go into the woods without your trusty chainsaw — and start the day's activities after only a short delay.

Our Chairman has made a personal donation to in order to have 13 trees planted. Unlucky for whoever decided to cut this one down, but good luck for the birds and insects which make the trees their home.

A big thank you to everybody else who visited us today. Your generous donations and revenue from t-shirt sales are what keeps the railway running.

Today's forecast is dry with sunny spells.Our Open Day will still be taking place, so come and see us between 10am and 3...
28/09/2024

Today's forecast is dry with sunny spells.

Our Open Day will still be taking place, so come and see us between 10am and 3pm.

📅 OPEN DAY — Saturday 28th September 2024 — 10am to 4pm🌲 Come and join us in the Forest of Dean for a day of industrial ...
21/09/2024

📅 OPEN DAY — Saturday 28th September 2024 — 10am to 4pm

🌲 Come and join us in the Forest of Dean for a day of industrial narrow gauge railway action. In conjunction with Alan Keef Ltd. just up the road at Lea Line (2½ miles) there will be two events on the same day for you to enjoy.

🛤 Fundraising at our 2023 open day allowed us to purchase a wagon turntable, and in the last 12 months our volunteers have been shifting stone, pouring concrete, and laying track to connect it to the rest of our running line.

⛏ Our resident locomotives will be hauling demonstration trains at intervals throughout the day to transport stone from the stockpile to the new section of track beyond the turntable.

💷 Admission by suggested donation of £5 per person, or come and join us as a volunteer to be part of the railway's future.

The bear rides again!Who knew he was that colour? After many years riding the Simplex locomotive at Lea Bailey Light Rai...
24/09/2023

The bear rides again!

Who knew he was that colour? After many years riding the Simplex locomotive at Lea Bailey Light Railway the bear was looking a little grubby to say the least. Some unwanted visitors soaked him in dirty oil and he was certainly looking the worse for wear. After a long hot bath in biological laundry powder and a gentle cycle in the washing machine the bear is ready to roll.

We are now on our way to set up for the Open Day at Lea Bailey.

If you are visiting us for our Open Day this Sunday (24th September) we will have some T-shirts for sale including the n...
23/09/2023

If you are visiting us for our Open Day this Sunday (24th September) we will have some T-shirts for sale including the new Eimco Rocker Shovel design.

Sizes M, L and XL in black or L, XL and XXL in green.

£15 each or £10 for members of the Lea Bailey Light Railway Society. Cash only.

Supplies are limited but if there is sufficient demand we may make these available to order from our website in the future.

All proceed will go towards our new wagon turntable appeal.

📅 OPEN DAY 🍂 Sunday 24th September.🔨 Come and see the progress we have made in the last year. Talk to the volunteers...
17/09/2023

📅 OPEN DAY 🍂 Sunday 24th September.

🔨 Come and see the progress we have made in the last year. Talk to the volunteers about our plans for the future.

🛤 Various wagons and locomotives on display. Motor Rail 21282 in operation throughout the day.

💷 Admission by suggested donation of £5 per person. This year we are raising funds for a wagon turntable.

👕 We will also have T-shirts for sale including a new design for 2023.

💻 Official Website: http://www.lblr.fod.uk/

💻 Membership Site: https://membermojo.co.uk/lblr

To coincide with the 50th Anniversary Open Day at Alan Keef Ltd. we will be opening the site at Lea Bailey for visitors ...
15/09/2022

To coincide with the 50th Anniversary Open Day at Alan Keef Ltd. we will be opening the site at Lea Bailey for visitors between 10am and 5pm on Saturday 24th September.

Our resident Simplex 21282 will be operational on the day, with other locomotives and items of interest on static display.

Our volunteers will be on-hand to answer queries, and to give information about the history of the site and our heritage activities.

See also: https://www.alankeef.co.uk/open-day

⛏ NEW PROJECT!Lea Bailey Light Railway Society is pleased to announce that work will start today on an exciting new proj...
01/04/2021

⛏ NEW PROJECT!

Lea Bailey Light Railway Society is pleased to announce that work will start today on an exciting new project — Rail Loop F — which will see a newly-discovered outcrop of Coprolite being mined in the Forest of Dean for the first time, before being transported by rail for processing.

http://www.lblr.fod.uk/miscellaneous/new-project-rail-loop-f/

💉 During the COVID-19 Lockdown the Railway has not been in operation but volunteers have been making regular visits to c...
19/07/2020

💉 During the COVID-19 Lockdown the Railway has not been in operation but volunteers have been making regular visits to check the safety of the mine and the site in general.

🔥 Today during one of the regular inspection visits we found the remains of a fire on top of the old mine tip in an area now used for car parking.

🛑 We would like to remind everybody that fires are not permitted anywhere on the site. This is outlined as one of the terms on our licence agreement with Forestry England.

💉 COVID-19 UPDATE 💉During the lockdown, individual volunteers have been visiting the railway for regular site checks, an...
01/07/2020

💉 COVID-19 UPDATE 💉

During the lockdown, individual volunteers have been visiting the railway for regular site checks, and so far no problems have been found.

Travel restrictions are being eased in Wales from Monday 6th July, and as some of our core group of volunteers travel to us from over the border, the Chairman is considering re-starting volunteer working parties from Sunday 12 July 2020.

We are currently consulting Government guidelines and drawing up a risk assessment and a set of guidelines for the various tasks that can be carried out on the railway whilst maintaining appropriate social distancing.

💉 COVID-19 UPDATE 💉In order to help combat the spread of Coronoavirus, Lea Bailey Light Railway will be following the ex...
21/03/2020

💉 COVID-19 UPDATE 💉

In order to help combat the spread of Coronoavirus, Lea Bailey Light Railway will be following the example set by other Heritage Railways around the UK and suspending all volunteer working parties until further notice.

Some members of our team of volunteers are already self-isolating due to underlying health conditions or because they have elderly relatives living at home.

This means that there will be no Spring Open Weekend as has been the case in previous years. If the situation improves in the coming months we may be in a position to plan an event in September.

The Forest of Dean currently remains accessible to visitors on foot, but if you do choose to take a walk around the area surrounding the railway, please take care of the potential hazards to be found at this active mine site and make sure you do not block the gate with your vehicle as emergency access could be required at any time without warning.

🐛 Calling all Pokémon GO players!Did you know that the "Lea Bailey Gold Mine" is a Pokémon Gym?Pokémon GO is an Augmente...
23/02/2020

🐛 Calling all Pokémon GO players!

Did you know that the "Lea Bailey Gold Mine" is a Pokémon Gym?

Pokémon GO is an Augmented Reality (AR) game which can be used on a number of devices but most commonly on smartphones running Apple (iOS) or Android Operating Systems.

The game's map is based on the real world with places of interest designated as Pokéstops or Pokémon Gyms where players can collect items and take part in battles.

Pokémon (named for "Pocket Monsters") come in many types and today's visit during rainy weather saw a number of water and grass Pokémon in the area.

As with any activity of this type it is important to stay aware of your surroundings and for any children to be supervised by a responsible adult.

📷 Next time you visit make sure to share your Pokémon snapshots with us!

Address

Bailey Lane End
Ross On Wye
HR95TY

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About the Railway...

The Lea Bailey Light Railway Society maintains the railway to support the operation of the Bailey Level mine. Our volunteers restore and operate vintage mining machinery in order to educate the public and preserve these items for the future.