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Narrow gauge railway locomotives and carriages provide a perfect solution for carrying passengers of all ages at leisure, park and farm attractions, whether as a ride or as a transport system.
With 50 years experience in this demanding market, Alan Keef Ltd can guide you through all of the crucial considerations to create a successful attraction or transport system. We can advise on the right locomotive and carriages for a number of track gauges and, as well as traditional steam and modern, 'clean-diesel' powered trains, we can also advise you on the benefits of utilising the latest battery-electric technologies too.
Our experienced team has the expertise and passion to help you create a new narrow gauge railway design to match any styling or site specific requirements. In addition, if you have a railway that now needs upgrading in any way, our extensive experience means we can guide you through all of the issues you need to consider - from passenger numbers, turnaround times, carriage design, motive power, station layout and more besides.
Electric propulsion lends itself particularly to underground applications and we have significant experience in underground narrow gauge railways - take a look through our gallery pages below to see the wide range of railways we've been involved with.
If you’re considering a narrow gauge railway for your leisure, park or farm attraction, there are many factors to take into account. Our friendly and knowledgeable guidance will help you assess and evaluate the most suitable railway for your needs:
Below is a small selection of images of the narrow gauge railways that we have been involved with over the last 50 years. Our complete gallery can be viewed clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
Representing a £500k investment for the park, Lappa Valley has taken a highly timely delivery of its brand new locomotive and carriages.
Representing a £500k investment for the park, Lappa Valley has taken a highly timely delivery of its brand new locomotive and carriages.
Delivered on time for their hugely popular bonfire spectacular weekend that fell over half term in 2023, the new locomotive and set of 5 carriages plus buggy wagon, were immediately pressed into service carrying thousands of passengers from the carpark to the 'secret centre of fun and adventure' that the park is renowned for.
The train joins a fleet of locomotives and trainsets that run at Lappa Valley on various gauges. The new train is 15" gauge with a low emission diesel bogie locomotive and a JCB transmission delivering drive to all wheels to offer reliable traction in all weathers whilst easily coping with the 1:100 gradients over the one-mile route of the train.
The locomotive cab is designed for maximum operator comfort with ergonomic seating, full cab heating, sun visor and even a built-in cup holder! Led headlights and taillights allow for night-time operation and the LED illuminated carriages add a further dramatic night-time display. Each of the five carriages seats 24 passengers and run on the well-proven and unique Alan Keef Ltd bogies that are renowned for offering the ultimate ride comfort. Passengers can leave pushchairs in the dedicated buggy wagon that makes up the transet.
The project was delivered in just under a year and included full design specification by our team of design engineers working closely with the team from Lappa Valley. Whilst the carriages are finished in a traditional chocolate and cream livery, the loco's 1950s styling is reflected in its distinctive green and orange colour scheme.
We were delighted to design and build this completely new railway for the Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park in Scotland.
We were delighted to design and build this completely new railway for the Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park in Scotland.
The project to create a railway for the park coincided with a locomotive and set of carriages becoming available from Thorpe Park and so a major upcycling benefit was realised too.
The locomotive was significantly modified to suit today's requirements, including a new transmission, drive line and much improved driver facilities, whilst the carriages were comprehensively overhauled throughout including new lighting and PA equipment, before the whole trainset was repainted in a stunning and dramatic colourway.
Whilst work was being undertaken on the train, our track team were laying a 1.5km circuit of track around the park's lake. The route of the track needed to accommodate many existing features as well as protecting trees whilst at the same time ensuring the passengers would be able to see the park, its attractions and of course the animals. The 2ft gauge track included two turnouts and a new station with the design allowing passengers to alight and disembark on opposite sides of the train for maximum operational efficiency.
Working closely with the owners of the park and their landscaping team, the project took 18 months to complete with the train entering service in late 2024 and immediately proving to be a hugely popular and successful attraction for Blair Drummond.
Ten years after we built the last two sets of carriages, the railway at Pairi Daiza asked us to build them another set to cope with increased passenger numbers.
Ten years after we built the last two sets of carriages, the railway at Pairi Daiza asked us to build them another set to cope with increased passenger numbers.
Alan Keef Ltd has been involved with the all-steam railway at the stunning and unrivalled Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium since its inception. Awarded 'Best Zoo in Europe' several times, Pairi Daiza is unrivalled anywhere for the quality of the railway, attracting hundreds of thousands of passengers every year.
To cope with increasing passenger numbers and to allow the railway to operate year-round, we designed and built an additional set of carriages with weather protection. Styled along the lines of a Belgian Railway 'L' Type carriage, the set of four carriages can carry 140 passengers in three standard and one guard's carriage with full disabled access.
Hallmarks of all of the Pairi Daiza carriages is the high quality carpentry finishing with hardwood seats and roof lining. Lighting, PA and heating is installed throughout, all controlled from the Guard's compartment along with compressor controls and built-in storage to allow for the efficient running of the train service. All of the carriages on this latest train also feature bespoke aluminium windows.
The carriages went into service in 2024 and the railway now operates a three-trains service on busy days. The new train set has also enabled us to begin a ten year overhaul of the other carriages.
In 2022 we delivered a third new locomotive to Longleat Safari Park whom we're proud to have enjoyed a working relationship with for just short of five decades!
In 2022 we delivered a third new locomotive to Longleat Safari Park whom we're proud to have enjoyed a working relationship with for just short of five decades!
This latest locomotive was delivered along with a new style carriage ready for trials through the summer. Sporting Longleat's traditional deep red livery, the new locomotive has a highly efficient, low-emission, diesel powered engine. The carriage is a prototype featuring improved passenger space and comfort, wheelchair access and colour changing LED lighting.
The 15" gauge track navigates the park, running alongside the Capability Brown designed lake and adjacent woodland, and we continue to work through a scheduled, comprehensive track relaying programme.
Using the latest battery-electric technology, this new locomotive arrived in California in 2021 and has been a great success.
Using the latest battery-electric technology, this new locomotive arrived in California in 2021 and has been a great success.
The new Lithium-ion battery-electric locomotive is shown here operating at the 15" gauge Sonoma Traintown Railroad in California following commissioning in August 2021. The locomotive is highly efficient and capable of carrying around 1400 passengers a day with no need to recharge the battery in-between trips.
The sliding, roll-back cab feature allows the driver to access the driving position with ease. Charging the locomotive is as simple as plugging it into the wall - for this railway this is done just once, at the end of the day and left charging overnight, which ensures a complete charge ready for another day. Careful surveying of the site and the resulting calculations, ensure the battery is calibrated to be as efficient as it can be, saving both time and money.
This was a turn-key project for a locomotive and carriages including the design, supply and installation of over half a kilometre of track through protected woodland.
This was a turn-key project for a locomotive and carriages including the design, supply and installation of over half a kilometre of track through protected woodland.
Against the classic Scottish backdrop of Ayton Castle, an 0-6-0 diesel hydraulic locomotive, ‘Lloyd’ (AK109/20), and two bogie carriages will carry guests through the grounds of the estate to the Castle. Supplied as a turn-key project, this new 800m, 10¼” gauge railway was installed in a particularly sensitive landscape.
The railway’s track was thoroughly planned with extensive liaison with the project’s landscape architects and arboriculturalists. The track was carefully and painstakingly laid through the woodland area to minimise impact on the trees’ root systems. By slighly elevating the track bed and carefully packing the sleepers, the finished result is a railway that treads only lightly in its environment.
Ayton Castle has been newly renovated throughout with careful reference to its listed status. A classic deep blue and red livery was chosen by the client to suit the rest of the Castle’s stunning styling.
Easy-ride bogies ensure the locomotive and carriages offer a smooth and very comfortable ride for operators and passengers. The locomotive itself is fitted with a reliable, low emission, compact Perkins EU Stage V, US Tier 4 diesel engine, coupled to a hydrastatic drive. Together delivering single-lever, highly responsive dynamic control. Overall, the locomotive’s controls have been kept simple and intuitive to use. The engine is designed to require only minimal day-to-day maintenance and checks with just an annual service required to keep it running reliably year after year.
The locomotive and carriages with passengers illustrates the relatively spacious nature of the carriages for children and adults alike. Set low over the easy-ride bogies that are a hallmark of our design, the carriages are highly stable in use, and offer a smooth and very comfortable ride