Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineering company which manufactures, overhauls, and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment.
History The limited company was formed in 1975 at Cote, Bampton, Oxfordshire, continuing what Alan Keef had already been doing for some years as an individual. The first new locomotive was built in 1976.
In 1986 the company moved to larger premises at Lea, near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire. In 1987 it took over the production of Motor Rail locomotives.
Production , the company had built more than eighty locomotives – steam, diesel and electric. Most have been miniature or narrow gauge except for two standard gauge steam locomotives for Beamish Museum: the replicas of "Steam Elephant" and "Puffing Billy". In 2008 the company built the frames, running gear and mechanical parts for two Parry People Mover railcars for use on the Stourbridge Town branch (139001 and 139002). A number of Alan Keef's locomotives are replicas of steam locomotives but with diesel power. These are referred to as steam outline (s/o) in the listing below.
In addition to the replicas for Beamish, the company has also helped restore a number of historically significant engines including both UK preserved Baldwin Class 10-12-D locomotives – No. 778 – which now works at Leighton Buzzard Light Railway and more recently No 794 (referred to as No 590)http://test.whr.co.uk/stock/steam/baldwin-794 Baldwin 794/590 Loco description from the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. However, this project was eventually paused and the WHHR moved the locomotive to the Vale of Rheidol's Aberystwyth workshops for completion in 2020.
During the annual Open Day in September at the company's premises, the company welcomes the public to see and ride examples of rail equipment brought by visiting exhibitors, and its own in-house rail equipment, on the facility's tracks, which accommodate rolling stock of , , , and gauges.
New and rebuilt locomotives Works No.Plated YearNumber/nameWheelarrangementGaugeClassToNotes 11974"Trixie" OCTrixieFirst steamed at Cote on 05/09/1974, sold to Meirion Mill Railway in January 1975. Returned to Alan Keef in 1976 and resold to Rail Rebecq in Belgium where it was renamed "Paula". Now located at the Tacot des Lacs railway in France.Alan Keef Ltd did not build Trixie, though they were involved in the design. The builder was Trevor Barber, former manager of the Whipsnade and Umfolozi Railway.21976SkippyMotorised skip wagonRichardson's Moss Litter Co. Ltd31978Richardson's Moss Litter Co. LtdRebuilt from AK 2Keef 2022, P8-1241979Wilmslow Peat Farm; donated to Moseley Railway Trust, 2020Available for service on Apedale Valley Light Railway51979William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd, now at The Highland Light RailwayOut of Use61981Private Location71982BARBIEPleasure Beach Railway, Blackpool81982T2 SALLYWilliam Sinclair Horticulture LtdOut of Use91982Leemspoor Narrow Gauge Museum, Netherlands1019835 ALISONGartell Light Railway111984IVOR steam outlineThorpe Park Treasure Island Railway closed 1993121984SIR GEORGE steam outlineGreenlea Light Railway13R1984Ruston & Hornsby 452280 rebuiltEvesham Vale Light Railway141984 steam outlineJohn Redden's Scrapyard, Wellingborough151984India161985WEASEL steam outlineReplica of Wisbech & Upwell Tramway locomotiveWells & Walsingham Light Railway1719853 steam outlineCotswold Wildlife Park Railway18198505 581William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd191985JEFFREYWilliam Sinclair Horticulture Ltd20R1986Ruston & Hornsby 283513 rebuiltWilliam Sinclair Horticulture Ltd, now at The Highland Light RailwayDismantled21198705/582Chemring Energetics UK Ltd22198705/583Chemring Energetics UK Ltd2319883 JACK steam outlineEast Hayling Light Railway241988DHU-seriesKyung Dong Coal Mine, Korea251988DHU-seriesKyung Dong Coal Mine, Korea26198840SDWilliam Sinclair Horticulture LtdOut of use271988Bo'Bo'-DHJ. Hall-CraggsKeef 2022, P8-12281989T940SWest Fife Munitions Railway29198860SNigeria301990"Taffy" VCAlan KeefDe Winton replica31Chassis (AKL) 1990 Body, Tender and Mechanical (RVM) 2012Princess Swee' Pea steam outlineHastings Miniature RailwaySubstantially reconstructed; currently out of action at Bickington Steam Railway 3219904wDMFNigerian Coal Corporation3319904wDMFNigerian Coal Corporation341991 steam outlineSingapore Zoo RailwayGarden ornament351991 steam outlineSingapore Zoo Railway36199060SNigeria37199085SChemicals & Fertilisers of Port Harcourt, Nigeria381991"Trijntje" OCDe Efteling B.V.Efteling Steam Train Companyhttp://www.industriespoor.nl/Hoofdstuk29.pdf ALAN KEEF, Ross-on-Wye GB Keef K38 type Bt bwj. 1991 spw. 600 mm, 1991- De Efteling Kaatsheuvel391992SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL steam outlineBlenheim Park Railway401992AKL Hire Loco411992 steam outlineHaigh Railway421992 steam outline431992 60SPGuyana Sugar Corporation441993Peatlands Park Railway451993India461993Woodhead Tunnel; donated to Moseley Railway Trust For service on Apedale Valley Light Railway471994T5 SANDRAWest Fife Munitions Railway481994TPC, Moshi, Tanzania491994John Muir Country Park Railway501994India511995 steam outlineCricket St Thomas Railway521996PAMWotton Light Railway531997Rail LorrySub-contracted from Severn Lamb, delivered to Dream World, Cairo Egypt541998DENSIL steam outlineWells Harbour Railway551998Walton Water Treatment WorksScrapped December 2010562000K80 tramRainforest Ecological Train, Iguazu Falls, Argentina 572000K80 tramRainforest Ecological Train, Iguazu Falls, Argentina581999CHARLES steam outlineFerry Meadows Railway, Peterborough59R199980 BEAUDESERTMotor Rail 101T018Leighton Buzzard Light Railway602000Edward MilnerBuxton Miniature Railway612000SIR WALTER RALEIGH steam outlineBicton Woodland Railway6220024Lartigue MonorailListowel & Ballybunion Railway632001JAMES GORDON steam outlineAlford Valley Railway642001POMPEYB-B DHWotton Light Railway652001MARGAM CASTLE steam outlineMargam Country Park Railway6620022 THE EARL OF OAKFIELDDifflin Lake Railway672003Morwellham Quay6820034 BELLA steam outlineCotswold Wildlife Park Railway69R20039 MARK TIMOTHY OCWinson 20 rebuiltBure Valley Railway702004LADY ALEXANDRA steam outlineGreat Woburn Railway712004"PUFFING BILLY" VCReplica of 1813 locomotiveBeamish Museum72R2004313 POLAR BEARWingrove & Rogers 5568001 rebuiltGroudle Glen Railway732005Private owner, north Devon; later Statfold Barn Railway742005HOWARD steam outlineWells Harbour Railway75R20072 BICTONRuston & Hornsby 213839 rebuiltBicton Woodland Railway;76200615001 s/oLithuanian Railways, Ignalina, now at Vilnius Railway Museum772007LYDIA OCPerrygrove Railway78R20076Motor rail 102T007 rebuiltDifflin Lake Railway7920077 FLYNNLongleat Railway802007BORISHotham Park Miniature Railway 812008139001British Rail Class 139Parry People Movers for West Midlands Trains822008139002British Rail Class 139Parry People Movers for West Midlands Trains832008ERICLappa Valley Steam Railway 842008SIR PETER GADSDENBlists Hill Victorian Town85R2010BUNTY OCConstruction started by Neville Smith and Sid Ford. completed by Alan Keef Ltd.Heatherslaw Light Railway862010MERLINWicksteed Park Railway872009Claus4wBEMønsted KalkgruberK20E type882009Svend4wBEMønsted KalkgruberK20E type892010No 1 Eagle/Helang4wBE RailcarBrunei Liquid Natural Gas902010No 2 Sparrow/Layang-Layang4wBE RailcarBrunei Liquid Natural Gas912022Corris No. 10Replica of Corris Railway "Falcon" locomotiveCorris RailwayUnder construction in 2018, a replica of one of the Corris Railway's original Hughes locomotives.922012E762 LYN"Lyn" ReplicaLynton & Barnstaple RailwayVarious components and final assembly of replica of 1898 Baldwin loco93R2013"STEAMPLEX"Motor Rail 5877 rebuiltGroudle Glen Railway942013WinstonBlenheim Park Railway operating in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England.952014THE DUKEWells Harbour Railway96R2015CUMBRIARebuilt and regauged from Clayton B4227B/2006.South Tynedale Railway972016Ree Park – Ebeltoft Safari, Denmark98R2021Isle of Wight Steam Railway992018VER 4Extensive rebuild of the original car.Volk's Electric Railway1002017Arthur0-6-0DH(so)Wellington Country Park, Reading101R2018VER 6Extensive rebuild of the original car.Volk's Electric Railway102R2018VER 10Extensive rebuild of the original car.Volk's Electric Railway1032018HOWARDBeale Park10420188 JOHN THYNNB-B DHLongleat Railway1052019B DHCentre de Culture Scientifique, Technique et Industriel, Beauport, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe1062020Bo-Bo BESonoma TrainTown, California10720204wDMAK40 typePakistan10820204wDMAK40 typePakistan1092021LloydAyton Castle, Scottish Borders1102021Jill0-4-2BEDelamont Miniature Railway11120214wBEMorwellham Quay11220219 HENRY THYNNB-B DHLongleat Railway1132023tbaB-B DHLappa Valley Railway60SD757198660SGhana BauxiteOrdered by Ghana Bauxite from Simplex Mechanical Handling Ltd but delivered by Alan Keef Ltd.40SD5301987Motor Rail 40SVolks Electric RailwayOriginally for Butterley Building Materials Ltd, ordered by them from Simplex Mechanical Handling Ltd but delivered by Alan Keef Ltd.M0011988MonorailMrs. Whites Garden Ltd, WiltshireM0021989M002 IVORMonorailSkip wagonAlan Keef LtdStoredM0031989MonorailSkip wagonAlan Keef LtdStored1977PW 3 REDGAUNTLETRomney, Hythe and Dymchurch RailwayOriginally built by Michael Jacot, rebuilt on new frames 1976.1979"Thomas"Telford Development CorporationFrames built by Kierstead Systems & Controls; boiler and steam engine by Peter Bridges; wheelsets by Allens of Tipton; bodywork and final assembly by Keef. To Telford Horsehay Steam Trust c.19871988Motor rail 9932 rebuiltChilmark Mine & Teffont Quarry19888Baguley 2w-2DM RailcarLeighton Buzzard Light RailwayRebuild of railcar to unpowered carriage.19931 DROMAD OCKerr Stuart 3024 rebuiltCavan & Leitrim Railway1995Drewry Cars 1495 rebuiltCavan & Leitrim Railway2001STEAM ELEPHANTJoint construction with Dorothea Restorations, replica of Steam Elephant.Beamish Museum 2004COL. FREDERICK WYLIEHunslet 9349 rebuiltBeeches Light Railway Line being reconstructed at new location 20043 ENTERPRISEMotor rail 60S382 rebuiltWaterford & Suir Valley Railway2019NancyAvonside 1547 of 1908. Rebuilt between 1999 and 2019Cavan and Leitrim Railway
See also British narrow gauge railways Lea Bailey Light Railway
References
Keef 2022, P8-12
External links Official website