The locomotives and rolling stock used on the South Tynedale Railway have been obtained from a wide variety of sources, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. Much of the equipment is second-hand, and many of the items have been rebuilt, or have undergone considerable modification, before being used on the railway. Some of the vehicles have been built new for the Society, partially in the railway’s own workshops at Alston.

The gauge is 2 feet or 610 mm, and the maximum line speed is 15 miles per hour or 24 kilometres per hour.

• The locomotives are painted in several different liveries as described individually.
• The coaches and passenger brake van are painted maroon, with an orange band lined out in cream below waist level, on which the railway’s name is written in cream letters with black shading.
• Works vehicles are generally painted grey.

In all cases the chassis and running gear are painted black.

All of the passenger vehicles are fitted with automatic Willison buckeye centre couplings, without side buffers. Locomotives used on passenger trains, and all of the passenger coaches are fitted with the single line, automatic, air braking system.