DarloRich
Veteran Member
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a 5-mile-long branch line running from a station shared with national rail services at Keighley which climbs through Bronte country to Oxenhope. The line, which opened in 1867, was funded by local mill owners after the valley was bypassed by the Midland Railway. Very soon after this date the Midland Railway absorbed the line and worked it until grouping in 1923. Then it became part of London Midland and Scottish Railway who looked after the line until it passed to the newly nationalised British Railway is 1948. In 1962 the line closed despite a fierce local campaign to save it. This zeal was not in vain as in 1968 the railway reopened as a preserved line under the auspices of Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society. Yeah!
According to the KWVR website the sale of the Worth Valley branch was the first privatisation of any part of British Railways network and that the new railway did not have to raise the thousands of pounds ‘up front’ to buy the Line from BR. Instead they paid the price in 25 yearly instalments with no interest paying the final instalment in 1992!
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is perhaps most famous for its role in the 1970 film version of Edith Nesbit’s story ‘The Railway Children’. The film was shot at Oakworth station and many of the railway volunteers of the time were involved.
On 8th April my partner & I visited the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for a journey behind Flying Scotsman. Our day started early as we had to be at Keighley for 0920 to make our allotted Flying Scotsman run at 10:00. We boarded the 0806 from Woodlesford (formed of super pacer 144012) to Leeds, crossed to platform 1 and got on a 322 unit ( with free wifi) for the run up the Aire Valley. On arrival at Keighley we grabbed a cup of tea and waited for our 0920 rail replacement service to Haworth, the boarding point for our FS trip. I assume this rail replacement bus was required as Flying Scotsman was above the passing loop at Damems and so no other train could enter the top section of the line. (This means this report is a bit back to front as you would usually start your journey at Keighley)
At 0915 a vast green Daimler double decker pulled up and we pilled aboard for the slow run up the steeps roads to Haworth. Here we alighted and combatting the slightly over officious station master (although with some many people milling about I can well understand his motivations) we awaited the arrival of the main event.
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
Along with all the stations on the line Haworth opened in 1867 and closed in 1962 before reopening in 1968. It now serves as the commercial and engineering headquarters of the railway but the station has been restored to former glories and is a very smart little branch line station. This station like many of the others on the line has been completely restored to Edwardian splendour, being gas-lit and heated by coal fires.
At about 0945 a column of steam could be seen and a whistle heard in the distance as War Department (WD) Austerity 2-8-0 no. 90733 backed the train into the platform. FS was tied onto the front and would pull the train uphill. We boarded and found our allotted seats in the sold out train. The passengers were a mixture of ages and family groups with a lot of very excited children ( and several very excited big kids!) Breakfast was being served in the two Pullman cars directly behind the famous locomotive while for those of us in the back the buffet was doing a roaring trade. Today the nearby Bronte Parsnip Museum would have to play second fiddle to a visiting icon of British engineering.
Haworth by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
At 10:00 on the dot the whistle sounded and we were away passing under the vast crowds hanging onto the foot bridge over the station and past the locomotive depot where work seemed to have stopped for some reason! The first duty of the day was for FS to haul the train to the terminus of the line at Oxenhope. Here the crowds were also in evidence as even more people boarded the train. Pictures were not an option and the time available was very limited. As the 8 carriage train ( and two locomotives) was too long for the run round loop the train would be hauled, non-stop, back down to Keighley by the big Austerity on the rear with Scotsman taking a breather.
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
Interestingly the locomotive on the rear was something of an imposter. Built in January 1945 by The Vulcan Foundry Ltd., Newton-le-Willows, for the war effort, the locomotive was shipped to the continent on completion and never worked in the UK. At the end of the war it was sold to the Netherlands State Railways but In 1953 it was sold on to the Swedish State Railways who made some alterations (fully enclosed cab; electric lighting; shortening of tender ) entering service in 1954. In 1956 it was placed in reserve and was repatriated to the UK by KVWR in 1973. It ran until 1976 but was then out of traffic until 2007 when it returned to service as 90733 the number subsequent to the last UK BR owned WD 2-8-0.
Damems by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
The same could be said, quietly, for the star of the show. For those of you who don’t know Flying Scotsman is an LNER Class A3 pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster in February 1923. It was employed on high speed, long-distance express trains on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh including the Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named. The locomotive set two world records for steam traction, becoming the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at reaching 100 miles per hour on 30 November 1934 and then setting a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles on 8 August 1989 while in Australia. Retired from regular service in 1963 after covering 2.08 million miles the locomotive was owned by (and helped to ruin) 3 men before being rescued for the national collection in 2004. The recent protracted overhaul of the world’s most famous locomotive almost ruined the National Railway Museum and took nearly 10 years and £4.6m to complete. How much of the original locomotive remains after countless overhauls is open to debate but painted in BR green livery, fitted with German style smoke deflectors, wearing number 60103 and pulling sold out trains on preserved railways and on the main line I doubt many people care!
Damems by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
The run down the line was quick and apart from a short pauses in the loop at Damems to allow us to cross with the service train we ran non-stop through each station. The crowds were out in force both on the stations and in the fields. People were enjoying picnics in the spring sunshine and lots of excited people were waving at the train with the locomotives responding via cheery peeps on the whistle. Lineside was an army of high viz clad photographers capturing the moment. Soon we were passing the Timothy Taylor brewery and running into Keighley station where pour train paused for about 20 minutes. Sadly Flying Scotsman was someway off the platform so once again pictures were at a premium.
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
Keighley station has four platforms and is owned by NR with leases of platforms 1 & 2 to Northern Rail for Skipton and Carlisle services to and from Leeds ( and a daily VTEC London service) while the KWVR lease platforms 3 & 4 for their heritage operations. These platforms have restored to BR 1950s condition complete with enamel signage & cast-iron platform canopy on Platform 4 which once covered the whole station. Some ingenuity has bene used ot help recreate the right atmosphere: the booking office on platform 4 started life as a Findlay’s tobacco kiosk at the old Manchester Central station while the ticket collector’s hut was originally a telephone box at Wakefield Kirkgate! To complete the period feel there is a turntable that came from Garsdale on the Settle & Carlisle line and a signal box that came from Shipley.
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
With both locomotives fed and watered it was soon time for the return journey, this time non-stop to Haworth with Flying Scotsman leading all the way. Those of you who know the KWVR will have noticed both the steep gradient, low speed limit and the tight, twisty curves. You might also know about the weight limit on the line and have worked out that these might not be a great proposition for such a high speed thoroughbred, especially one so highly strung and so recently rebuilt at vast expense.
The steep gradient up the Worth Valley from the Keighley terminus has been a challenge ever since the line opened so the immediate priority was to get the 8 carriage train away up the 1:56 grade and round the tight 90 degree curve without slipping. This would be a test of any locomotive and to avoid the risk of damaging a precious national icon KWVR bent their rules and provided a steam banker to shove us up the hill – hence the big WD on the rear – and shove it did giving a spectacular departure.
Haworth by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
There was a sure footed, steady beat from both locomotives as we slowly climbed up the valley. We would need to keep that steady progress going as the line runs at an average of 1:72 all the way to the terminus at Oxenhope 650 feet above sea level. The first station on the line is a at Ingrow West and has a lovely building, transported stone by stone from Foulridge in Lancashire to replace the original station that had been badly vandalised. Ingrow is also home to two : RAIL STORY - Museum of Rail Travel, operated by the Vintage Carriages Trust and Ingrow Loco run by the Bahamas Locomotive Society.
Both are well worth a visit but that would have to wait as Flying Scotsman dived into Ingrow Tunnel and attacked the 1:56 climb from here to the next station at Demems – said to be the smallest standard gauge station in the country. The tiny station the tiny station which has space for just one carriage alongside the gate keeper’s box but looks really smart and well cared for and the few walkers on the platform got a grandstand view as Flying Scotsman rolled slowly through the station over the level crossing and into the passing loop just beyond. Here we waited for the service train to pass before we could continue our journey.
Haworth by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
Once the tokens were exchanged we were again slowly away, and with help from the rear, began to climb towards Oakworth .This station might look familiar to passengers after it shot to international fame by featuring in Lionel Jeffries iconic 1970 children’s film The Railway Children. Today there were no red bloomers to slow us down as we passed through but lots of waving form the people on the platform. Sadly this meant that very soon our journey would be at an end as we were only entitled to one round trip behind Flying Scotsman and it was with sadness that we disembarked back at Haworth.
Oxenhope by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
However, all was not lost as our special tickets gave us unlimited travel on the other train in service that day. That was a scratch rake of carriages hauled by British Railways Standard class 4MT 4-6-0 No.75078. This locomotive was built at Swindon in 1956 for use on the Southern Region and was withdrawn after only 10 years’ service in 1966 when it went to Barry scrapyard before being rescued by the KWVR in 1972. It returned to service in 2015 after over 16 years out of traffic. We decided to spend the afternoon pottering about the line, visiting some of the stations and enjoying the fine weather.
I know many people can be a bit sniffy ( for some reasons) about Flying Scotsman but it clearly scores with the public if the sold out trains and happy faces on the passengers is anything to go by. I can’t imagine another locomotive would draw people to sit in a field and watch it pass so well done to the NRM and KWVR for putting on such a good week long spectacle that drew in the punters and hopefully helped the railway earn much needed revenue for further investment.
rh1 (197) by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
According to the KWVR website the sale of the Worth Valley branch was the first privatisation of any part of British Railways network and that the new railway did not have to raise the thousands of pounds ‘up front’ to buy the Line from BR. Instead they paid the price in 25 yearly instalments with no interest paying the final instalment in 1992!
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on FlickrThe Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is perhaps most famous for its role in the 1970 film version of Edith Nesbit’s story ‘The Railway Children’. The film was shot at Oakworth station and many of the railway volunteers of the time were involved.
On 8th April my partner & I visited the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for a journey behind Flying Scotsman. Our day started early as we had to be at Keighley for 0920 to make our allotted Flying Scotsman run at 10:00. We boarded the 0806 from Woodlesford (formed of super pacer 144012) to Leeds, crossed to platform 1 and got on a 322 unit ( with free wifi) for the run up the Aire Valley. On arrival at Keighley we grabbed a cup of tea and waited for our 0920 rail replacement service to Haworth, the boarding point for our FS trip. I assume this rail replacement bus was required as Flying Scotsman was above the passing loop at Damems and so no other train could enter the top section of the line. (This means this report is a bit back to front as you would usually start your journey at Keighley)
At 0915 a vast green Daimler double decker pulled up and we pilled aboard for the slow run up the steeps roads to Haworth. Here we alighted and combatting the slightly over officious station master (although with some many people milling about I can well understand his motivations) we awaited the arrival of the main event.
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on FlickrAlong with all the stations on the line Haworth opened in 1867 and closed in 1962 before reopening in 1968. It now serves as the commercial and engineering headquarters of the railway but the station has been restored to former glories and is a very smart little branch line station. This station like many of the others on the line has been completely restored to Edwardian splendour, being gas-lit and heated by coal fires.
At about 0945 a column of steam could be seen and a whistle heard in the distance as War Department (WD) Austerity 2-8-0 no. 90733 backed the train into the platform. FS was tied onto the front and would pull the train uphill. We boarded and found our allotted seats in the sold out train. The passengers were a mixture of ages and family groups with a lot of very excited children ( and several very excited big kids!) Breakfast was being served in the two Pullman cars directly behind the famous locomotive while for those of us in the back the buffet was doing a roaring trade. Today the nearby Bronte Parsnip Museum would have to play second fiddle to a visiting icon of British engineering.
Haworth by DarloRich2009, on FlickrAt 10:00 on the dot the whistle sounded and we were away passing under the vast crowds hanging onto the foot bridge over the station and past the locomotive depot where work seemed to have stopped for some reason! The first duty of the day was for FS to haul the train to the terminus of the line at Oxenhope. Here the crowds were also in evidence as even more people boarded the train. Pictures were not an option and the time available was very limited. As the 8 carriage train ( and two locomotives) was too long for the run round loop the train would be hauled, non-stop, back down to Keighley by the big Austerity on the rear with Scotsman taking a breather.
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on FlickrInterestingly the locomotive on the rear was something of an imposter. Built in January 1945 by The Vulcan Foundry Ltd., Newton-le-Willows, for the war effort, the locomotive was shipped to the continent on completion and never worked in the UK. At the end of the war it was sold to the Netherlands State Railways but In 1953 it was sold on to the Swedish State Railways who made some alterations (fully enclosed cab; electric lighting; shortening of tender ) entering service in 1954. In 1956 it was placed in reserve and was repatriated to the UK by KVWR in 1973. It ran until 1976 but was then out of traffic until 2007 when it returned to service as 90733 the number subsequent to the last UK BR owned WD 2-8-0.
Damems by DarloRich2009, on FlickrThe same could be said, quietly, for the star of the show. For those of you who don’t know Flying Scotsman is an LNER Class A3 pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster in February 1923. It was employed on high speed, long-distance express trains on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh including the Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named. The locomotive set two world records for steam traction, becoming the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at reaching 100 miles per hour on 30 November 1934 and then setting a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles on 8 August 1989 while in Australia. Retired from regular service in 1963 after covering 2.08 million miles the locomotive was owned by (and helped to ruin) 3 men before being rescued for the national collection in 2004. The recent protracted overhaul of the world’s most famous locomotive almost ruined the National Railway Museum and took nearly 10 years and £4.6m to complete. How much of the original locomotive remains after countless overhauls is open to debate but painted in BR green livery, fitted with German style smoke deflectors, wearing number 60103 and pulling sold out trains on preserved railways and on the main line I doubt many people care!
Damems by DarloRich2009, on FlickrThe run down the line was quick and apart from a short pauses in the loop at Damems to allow us to cross with the service train we ran non-stop through each station. The crowds were out in force both on the stations and in the fields. People were enjoying picnics in the spring sunshine and lots of excited people were waving at the train with the locomotives responding via cheery peeps on the whistle. Lineside was an army of high viz clad photographers capturing the moment. Soon we were passing the Timothy Taylor brewery and running into Keighley station where pour train paused for about 20 minutes. Sadly Flying Scotsman was someway off the platform so once again pictures were at a premium.
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on FlickrKeighley station has four platforms and is owned by NR with leases of platforms 1 & 2 to Northern Rail for Skipton and Carlisle services to and from Leeds ( and a daily VTEC London service) while the KWVR lease platforms 3 & 4 for their heritage operations. These platforms have restored to BR 1950s condition complete with enamel signage & cast-iron platform canopy on Platform 4 which once covered the whole station. Some ingenuity has bene used ot help recreate the right atmosphere: the booking office on platform 4 started life as a Findlay’s tobacco kiosk at the old Manchester Central station while the ticket collector’s hut was originally a telephone box at Wakefield Kirkgate! To complete the period feel there is a turntable that came from Garsdale on the Settle & Carlisle line and a signal box that came from Shipley.
Keighley by DarloRich2009, on FlickrWith both locomotives fed and watered it was soon time for the return journey, this time non-stop to Haworth with Flying Scotsman leading all the way. Those of you who know the KWVR will have noticed both the steep gradient, low speed limit and the tight, twisty curves. You might also know about the weight limit on the line and have worked out that these might not be a great proposition for such a high speed thoroughbred, especially one so highly strung and so recently rebuilt at vast expense.
The steep gradient up the Worth Valley from the Keighley terminus has been a challenge ever since the line opened so the immediate priority was to get the 8 carriage train away up the 1:56 grade and round the tight 90 degree curve without slipping. This would be a test of any locomotive and to avoid the risk of damaging a precious national icon KWVR bent their rules and provided a steam banker to shove us up the hill – hence the big WD on the rear – and shove it did giving a spectacular departure.
Haworth by DarloRich2009, on FlickrThere was a sure footed, steady beat from both locomotives as we slowly climbed up the valley. We would need to keep that steady progress going as the line runs at an average of 1:72 all the way to the terminus at Oxenhope 650 feet above sea level. The first station on the line is a at Ingrow West and has a lovely building, transported stone by stone from Foulridge in Lancashire to replace the original station that had been badly vandalised. Ingrow is also home to two : RAIL STORY - Museum of Rail Travel, operated by the Vintage Carriages Trust and Ingrow Loco run by the Bahamas Locomotive Society.
Both are well worth a visit but that would have to wait as Flying Scotsman dived into Ingrow Tunnel and attacked the 1:56 climb from here to the next station at Demems – said to be the smallest standard gauge station in the country. The tiny station the tiny station which has space for just one carriage alongside the gate keeper’s box but looks really smart and well cared for and the few walkers on the platform got a grandstand view as Flying Scotsman rolled slowly through the station over the level crossing and into the passing loop just beyond. Here we waited for the service train to pass before we could continue our journey.
Haworth by DarloRich2009, on FlickrOnce the tokens were exchanged we were again slowly away, and with help from the rear, began to climb towards Oakworth .This station might look familiar to passengers after it shot to international fame by featuring in Lionel Jeffries iconic 1970 children’s film The Railway Children. Today there were no red bloomers to slow us down as we passed through but lots of waving form the people on the platform. Sadly this meant that very soon our journey would be at an end as we were only entitled to one round trip behind Flying Scotsman and it was with sadness that we disembarked back at Haworth.
Oxenhope by DarloRich2009, on FlickrHowever, all was not lost as our special tickets gave us unlimited travel on the other train in service that day. That was a scratch rake of carriages hauled by British Railways Standard class 4MT 4-6-0 No.75078. This locomotive was built at Swindon in 1956 for use on the Southern Region and was withdrawn after only 10 years’ service in 1966 when it went to Barry scrapyard before being rescued by the KWVR in 1972. It returned to service in 2015 after over 16 years out of traffic. We decided to spend the afternoon pottering about the line, visiting some of the stations and enjoying the fine weather.
I know many people can be a bit sniffy ( for some reasons) about Flying Scotsman but it clearly scores with the public if the sold out trains and happy faces on the passengers is anything to go by. I can’t imagine another locomotive would draw people to sit in a field and watch it pass so well done to the NRM and KWVR for putting on such a good week long spectacle that drew in the punters and hopefully helped the railway earn much needed revenue for further investment.
rh1 (197) by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
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