The Amerton Railway had its beginnings in 1987 when the Staffordshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society Ltd. was formed with intention of creating a 2 foot narrow gauge railway in the Borough of Stafford. W.G. Bagnall, a Stafford company had constructed a small steam locomotive, an 0-4-0ST, for the Cliffe Hill Mineral Railway way back in 1897. It was the Society's intention to have this Stafford built steam locomotive, Isabel, running on a narrow gauge railway. The problem was, where could they obtain land to construct such a line. The society came to an agreement with Amerton Farm at Stowe-by-Chartley for use of their farm land thereby permitting railway construction to commence in June of 1990.

In Phase 1 of construction volunteers completed a 1/2 mile of track and a station area. Track components were scrounged from various collieries in the area that had closed. By 1992 a shed for Isabel had been built and Her Majesty's Railway Inspector gave permission to begin with the very first train arriving at Top Loop on 19 Jul 1992.

Expansion of the railway, Phase 2, began in 1994 with the construction of Bridge No. 1 across Amerton Brook. As expansion occurred the Society obtained the old wooden Great Northern Railway Chartley Station which had been built in the 1880s. Reconstructed by Staffordshire Industrial Archaeological Society and railway volunteers plans call for it to become a museum next to the main platform.

1997 saw more expansion with a plan to increase the total mileage to a one mile circuit. Bridge No. 2 was erected and volunteers laid all the new track including a passing siding (loop) at Chartley Halt. In December 2001 the complete mile long line was opened for traffic.

Between 2001 and 2011 an imported signal box, many structures, and sheds were added about the property when out of the blue the land on which the railway was built was unexpectedly put up for auction! Luckily no immediate buyer came forward so after 9 months the Society, through fundraising, were able to purchase all 17 acres of the site by 2012.

Work to maintain and improve buildings, track, and structures plus a fleet of steam locomotives continues to this day. In 2021 the Society members received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award any group of volunteers can receive in the United Kingdom.