Fife Heritage Railway

Fife Heritage Railway is a heritage railway run by The Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society, formed in 1992, which aims to showcase the heritage of the railways of Fife and restore locomotives and rolling stock that once worked in Fife. They are based in Levenmouth, Scotland which has been their base since 2003.

Fife Heritage Railway
Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society
Commercial operations
Name	Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society
Original gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Owned by	The Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society
Length	0.5 miles (0.80 km)
Preservation history
1992	The Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society is formed to safeguard the Lochty Private Railway stock and find a new home.
1994	Last of the rolling stock at Lochty is moved to the Methil Power station until a permanent home can be found
2001	The KFRPS acquires Kirkland Yard.
2003	The stock is moved to its new home after being based at Methil Power Station since 1994
2008	Opened to public
2016	First steam locomotive completed

Overview

Following the closure of the Lochty Private Railway in 1992 due to falling passenger numbers and increased public liability premiums, the Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society was quickly formed in May of that year to take over the former Lochty fleet and find a new home for them. In 1994, the last of the fleet was moved from Lochty to the now defunct Methil Power Station until the society could find a permanent home for its collection.

Various locations around Fife were looked at which included the former Crail Aerodrome, Lochore Meadows, Bowhill Colliery, part of the former Auctertool branch line, the former Wemyss Private Railway site at Scott's Road and even the former Kilconquhar railway station, all of which proved unsuitable for various reasons.^[1] In 2001 the society acquired the former Kirkland railway marshalling yard on the outskirts of Leven and in 2003, the rolling stock were moved from the Power Station to their new home. Since then the KFRPS have constructed half a mile of track plus substantial sidings, along with a two-track engine shed which is used for restoration work.

In 2016 the Fife Heritage Railway fired the first steam engine to run on a Fife heritage line since the closure of Lochty in 1992. Forth gained its boiler certificate in August which will run until 2020 when it is due for overhaul, after a brief "running in" period, Forth was brought into service during the last days of the 2016 working season. Painted in Wemyss Coal Company livery to match sister locomotives that once worked in the area, an official renaming ceremony was carried out at the start of the 2017 season by clan chief Michael Wemyss.

Rolling stock

With the society's purpose of preserving locomotives and rolling stock that either worked in Fife or have a Fife connection of some kind, the society uniquely, in its certain location, has the status of having its collection being based in a fifteen-mile radius of where they were first working during their early days in Fife.

Steam Locomotives

Number & name	Description	History	Status	Build Date	Photograph
10 'Forth'	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST	Ex Granton gas works, after being removed from service it spent a short spell at Strathspey Railway before moving again to Lochty Private Railway. Upon the dissolution of Lochty Private Railway it moved into the hands of KFRPS along with other rolling stock. Restored to steam in 2016 on a short ticket, certification expires in 2020.	Operational	1926
21	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST	Built to the Fife Area amended design for the NCB, it is one of few Barclay saddle tanks with higher water capacity, larger boiler and backhead injectors. Spending its working life around many collieries in Fife and a spell at Kinneil, finally leaving service at Frances Colliery in Dysart where it was brought into preservation at Lochty Private Railway in 1983. After spending many years out in the open, work has started with the locomotive now undergoing a major overhaul back to working order.	Under Overhaul, anticipated to take 8–10 years.	1951

Diesel Locomotives

Number & name	Description	History	Status	Build Date	Photograph
4 'North British'	Ruston and Hornsby 88DS 0-4-0DS	Spending most of its working life at the North British distillery in Edinburgh it came into preservation at Lochty Private Railway until dissolution in 1992 where it came into the hands of KFRPS. Currently working as part of permanent way train.	Operational	1958
7	Ruston and Hornsby 165DS 0-4-0DH	Ex-Rosyth Dockyard and shares permanent way duties with ‘North British’.	Operational	1952
2 'The Garvie Flyer'	Ruston and Hornsby 165DE 0-4-0DE	Ex-Scottish Power Methil and recently returned to passenger services	Operational	1960
1 'Largo Law'	Ruston and Hornsby 165DE 0-4-0DE	Ex-Scottish Power Methil and is being used as spare parts for 'Garvie Flyer' though will likely become a static exhibit in future.	Stored, currently being cosmetically restored, stripped for parts for 'The Garvie Flyer'	1961
400 'River Eden'	North British 200BHP 0-4-0DH	Operational at RAF Leuchars until it was moved to Lochty Private Railway for preservation in 1986. Works as the main shunter and used on 'Driver for a Fiver' runs on open days	Operational	1955
10	North British 440DH 0-6-0DH	Serving at the Michael, Wellesley and finally the Bowhill Colliery. It was brought out of service in 1974 and moved to the Lochty Private Railway. Long-term plan to restore to working order.	Stored	1957

Coaching Stock

Number & name	Description	History	Status	Build Date	Photograph
5010	Norges Statsbaner Full Brake	Originally preserved at Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway, in the early days serving as a brake coach for the continental stock. It came out of use after line extensions causing gauging issues and the acquisition of BR Mk1 stock. Purchased by KFRPS in 2014 it was retrofitted with windows, vacuum breaks and Mk1 seating for use on passenger service. It is nicknamed "the Norwegian" by volunteers.	Operational	1914
14010	British Rail Mark 1 Brake First Corridor	Privately owned. Used as storage but remedial work being done to ensure possibility of restoration.	Stored	1959
4223	British Rail Mark 1 Tourist Second Open	Privately owned and being converted to house a model railway. Removed seating now used in coach 5010.	Converted	1956

Other Rolling Stock

Number & name	Description	History	Status	Build Date	Photograph
DB993875	BR 20-Ton 'Shark' Brake Van	The shark brake van was used to evenly spread ballast on the running line, in conjunction with a Dogfish ballast hopper. Formerly used for passenger services to work with vacuum stock.	Operational	1957
DB987132	BR ZCV Plaice Wagon	One of the society's first restoration projects, it finds good use with the p/way team.	Operational	1979
7948	SGD 20-Ton grain wagon	Serving the Scottish Grain Distillers at Cameron Brig, it is now being having a cosmetic overhaul for eventual museum display.	Under Restoration	N/A
7926	SGD 20-Ton grain wagon	Serving the Scottish Grain Distillers at Cameron Brig, it is being converted into a ballast hopper.	Under conversion	1937
202.DB47112	William Briggs & sons 14-Ton Bitumen Wagon	Built by Hurst Nelson of Motherwell for Briggs Camperdown refinery in Dundee. Donated to the Fife Railway Preservation Society (later KFRPS) at Lochty in the 70's. It moved with other stock on relocation to Kirkland yard. Recently has been converted to being a water carrier for steam locomotive working	Operation	1955
21117	NBR Non-Vent Van	The oldest item of rolling stock on site, privately owned. Requiring some restoration work but stored inside for safety with the plans to be restored for museum display.	Stored	1901
313121	British Rail Class 313	Formerly used by Network Rail to test and assist in the installation of European Rail Traffic Management System on the Hertford Loop line, it was acquired in 2023. It seldom appears publicly at open events, but is planned to be converted into an public exhibition.[2][3]	Under restoration	1976

Future Plans

The current object for the society is raise its profile by introducing steam trains on their current branch along with Kirkland built up as a museum for Fife's railway heritage which looks to include a display building to be built in the not too distant future, along with a second steam locomotive. Work has started to restore a second steam locomotive to work alongside the current working locomotive, Forth. With recent developments of the reopening of the Levenmouth rail link in 2024, the society hope to become a larger tourist attraction for the Levenmouth area and Fife as a whole.