Leiston Works Railway

Planning permission granted for relaying of track along the route I hear

 

One more that nobody has mentioned - bizarrely, because it's arguably the most famous of the lot.

How about 10 of the 13-strong RH&DR loco fleet?

 

Interesting things going on at the long shop, the LWR already have a brake van that they've been restoring, sirapite is in excellent condition and the track will be going down not too far into the future, so all they need is an appropriate carriage for passengers. And they have one:

An 1869 GER 514 5 compartment third, withdrawn in 1906, LWR purchased it from a private owner, quite a survivor I'll say, it's grounded at the moment but they have an appropriate chassis for it I believe. Good on them, it'll look fantastic once restored.










Photos shamefully nabbed from Friends of leiston facebook page

 

Thought I would revive this thread with some fantastic news:



You read that right, the LWR are planning to have the track relaid in time for summer for the 160th anniversary of the railway, an ambitious timescale but the trackbed has been stripped and retaining walls made safe, it is certainly going to be a unique piece of industrial railway heritage having sirapite and its sister blue circle leaving the long shop and snaking down the narrow passage between people's back gardens. More info in the latest addition of steam railway and heritage railway magazine!

 

Called in at Leiston this afternoon to see what the current state of the tracklaying. Eventually found the section of track, but it wasn't where I was expecting it to be, as it is not visible from anywhere near the Long Shop museum!



The clear trackbed continues north-west behind where I was standing up to a gateway adjacent to Station Road - possibly about another 150-200 yds. The Long Shop museum is just visible in the distance, behind the trees. A rather recent looking fence panel can be seen blocking access any further south..........

 

I had a quick look at this railway project again whilst making a visit to the Long Shop Museum this morning to look at their latest restoration project - a 1926 Garrett single-deck trolleybus used in Ipswich until 1945.
Could not get clear access down to where I took the photo back in 2019, but it looked as though a further short length of track had been laid, but there is still just empty trackbed in view from the where it crossed the public road. Other than a sign on a noticeboard stating "Leiston Works Railway" accompanied by some 1970's BR posters (why...?) non-local passers by wouldn't know the line was there. A fairly freshly painted metal short signal post was lying on the ground by the entrance gate to the trackbed, so one assumes a signal will be erected there at some stage.

Over in the Long Shop Museum, the former Works shunter "Sirapite" was on display in its shed.....

 

Halesworth to Southwold Narrow Gauge Railway attended the Works Railway's model and promotional show in Leiston on Saturday 23rd October. A very good show indeed (especially considering it's their first effort), with most of Suffolk's nascent and operational heritage railways (well -- OK - two) in support. (We don't have many HRs, unlike Norfolk!)
The stallholders and exhibitors were very well looked after, lots of people came - and the setting, at the Sizewell Sports Club, within sight of the loading area gantry, was appropriate. Impressive, for a small organisation. Our thanks to LWR. (the pic is Stewart Green's latest - he's HSNGR's expert modeller)