Gauge: 3ft (915mm)
The Kettering Iron and Coal Company operated an extensive tramway system conveying iron ore to the furnaces at Kettering in the Midlands.
The Midlands counties of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire are rich in ironstone which was exploited by many different companies. Ironstone narrow gauge railways became as well known as their Welsh slate counterparts.
The ironworks of Kettering Iron and Coal Ltd stood on the outskirts of Kettering. Ore was provided by several quarries in the ironstone rich vicinity. To transfer the ore to the furnaces the Company operated an extensive 3ft gauge tramway system – the longest in the ironstone fields. The furthest quarry was at Rothwell, three miles distant from the furnaces.
Wherever practicable, the rails were laid along the edge of fields so as not to interfere with agriculture. It was often almost invisible to anyone who did not know it was there.
The Kettering Company had two small Black, Hawthorn locos of 1879 and 1885, as well as well as several built by Manning, Wardle. Until 1932 at Thore Malsor Quarry it ran a Sentinel 0-4-0+0-4-0 double-ended articulated locomotive with a vertical boiler at each end. Ore wagons were of wooden construction, side-tipping, and were built in the Company’s own workshops.
The tramway ceased operating in 1962.
| Number / Name | Manufacturer | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettering Furnaces No.2 | Black, Hawthorn & Co. No.501 of 1879 | 0-4-0ST | Scrapped 1963 |
| Kettering Furnaces No.3 | Black, Hawthorn & Co. No.859 of 1885 | 0-4-0ST | Preserved at the Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum |
| Kettering Furnaces No.4 | Black, Hawthorn & Co. No.893 of 1887 | 0-4-0ST | Withdrawn 1924. Scrapped 1927 |
| Kettering Furnaces No.6 | Manning, Wardle & Co. No.1123 of 1889 | 0-6-0ST | Scrapped 1963 |
| Kettering Furnaces No.7 | Manning, Wardle & Co. No.1370 of 1897 | 0-6-0ST | Scrapped 1963 |
| Kettering Furnaces No.8 | Manning, Wardle & Co. No.1675 of 1906 | 0-6-0ST | Preserved by the Welland Valley Vintage Traction Club |
| Sentinel No.6412 of 1926 | 4wG+4wG | Articulated geared steam locomotive. Scrapped 1960 |
