Alan Keef

Who is Alan Keef?

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.

The Limited Company was formed in 1975 at Cote, Bampton, Oxon, continuing what Alan Keef had already been doing for some years as an individual. In 1986 the company moved to larger premises at Lea, near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.

The first new loco was built in 1976. To date over eighty locos have been built – steam, diesel and electric. Most have been miniature or narrow gauge except for two standard gauge steam locos for Beamish Museum – the replicas of "Steam Elephant" and "Puffing Billy". In 2008 Alan Keef Ltd built the frames, running gear and mechanical parts for two Parry People Mover railcars for use on the Stourbridge Town branch. A number of Alan Keef's locomotives are replicas of steam locomotives but with diesel power. These are referred to as steam outline in the listing below.

In 1987 the company took over the production of Motor Rail locomotives.

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 Narrow Gauge Railway and more recently No 794 from the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway.