Middleton Railway Gala. Saturday 4th September 2021.
(Also, Midland Road Freightliner Depot).
I have an old Nissan Micra that I rarely use these days, mainly because I’m no longer a lover of driving, I get bored especially on motorways. Due however, to Mr Beechings hatchet jobs in the 1960`s, many locations are now difficult to get too by rail or indeed public transport and a car does come with certain advantages under such circumstances. My little car however is a little run down, and the clutch has been slowly disintegrating for the last 12 month, however, I’ve learned that if you accelerate very gently and take your time going up hills, you can get away without slipping the clutch too much, albeit you are slower than everyone else on the roads, and pavements sometimes, I guess really I should get a new clutch fitted.
The Middleton Railway gala in Leeds was looming and I decided to chance it with the old girl, so took a ride over the mighty Pennines via the M62 Motorway to visit the gala, and amazingly the car survived the journey. In truth, its an ideal car for my lifestyle at the moment, because I can drive down into Manchester to catch ridiculously early train, park the car for free in a dodgy location and no one in their right minds would want to pinch it and even if they did start it up, the slipping clutch would soon put a stop to anything about a 1 to 60 in one hour start.
My first port of call when visiting the Middleton Railway is Midland Road freightliner depot which is quite close by. For this the added weight of a pair of steps was added to the vehicle to enable me to obtain a few photographs from above the over bridge.
A great select of locos on shed, including a class 59 005, “Kenneth J Painter”, in aggregate liver, albeit minus its bogies, class 66, and 70`s, most of the 59/1 and 2 fleet has visited Midland Road depot for work recently according to the websites. Midland Road is a great location for a few photographs through the fencing and in places you can get quite close to the locos.
In the week I had experienced an attempted scam on my bank card while internet shopping, fortunately the bank was able to stop the attempt going through, but advised me to cancel my card, which I did, but I also asked them to cancel it in a half hour to give me chance to fill up the car and get some shopping in for the weekend. So, I drove down to the garage, which was ten minutes away and fuelled up the car ready for my drive over to Yorkshire the following morning, my bank however was a bit sharp off the mark at closing my card down, for when I went to pay for my petrol, my card had already been stopped and I couldn’t pay.
It was in a Tesco garage and the staff were very good, they simply took my details, and said it happens all the time, and gave me a week to pay up. I still however needed some cash for my trip the following day as this was late on Friday evening, so I drove home and phoned the bank again and told them what they had done, so they advised me of a bank near the Middleton Railway that would be open on Saturday morning at 09.00 in a shopping centre, (the White Rose Shopping Centre, which was only a 10-minute drive from the Middleton Railway. It all went to plan, I secured some cash for the day and thus avoided starving, and also allowing me to pay for my petrol once I returned home, and I was at the Middleton Railway just before the doors opened.
The Middleton Railway is always an enjoyable visit, what it for lacks in size, it certainly makes up for in many other ways. Most preserved railways are friendly, some preserved railways are friendlier than others, the Middleton Railway is very unique however and staff really do go up and beyond to accommodate visitors.
I was stood at the side of the tracks waiting for the first recreated freight train to come through the tunnel, before it set off however, I noticed around 6 staff members walking towards me and through the tunnel, I was expecting a telling off, once they reached my side of the tunnel however, they stopped to inspect the tunnel and discussed something about the overhanging vegetation. The freight train was due however and I though Ill lose the shot, but suddenly one of the staff members turned around and pointed at me and then amazingly asked all the members of the team to move away from the tunnel mouth so that I could get a good photograph, I didn’t prompt this in anyway, they are just extremely courteous people and aware of visitors needs, incredibly nice people. Even in the café the prices are very low and I’m always more than happen to pay that bit extra and leave a few donations.
The event was up to the Middleton Railways usual excellent standards, with plenty of action through the day and trains running the full length of the line and over the road crossing on the Balm Road Branch, an amazing day and for only a tenner all class. The event was called the First and Last Chance Weekend, a first chance to see the newly-overhauled "No. 6".and a last chance to see NER 1310 before it retires from service.
I left after the last freight train run and the car again survived the drive back over the hill, I also called in at the Tesco garage from the night before and paid my petrol bill before driving home, Id been up since 05.30 and arrived back at 18.30, so it had been a relatively long day. A big well done to the Middleton Railway for laying on another fantastic event, thank you.
Middleton Railway website,
https://www.middletonrailway.org.uk/
Midland Road depot, Leeds,
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4301440473236772&type=3
Middleton Railway gala.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4301535159893970&type=3