[Aug 24, 2013] Festival of Transport (Leeds)

The Leeds Festival of Transport at the Middleton Railway in conjunction with Armley Mills Industrial Museum will be taking place over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

An intensive timetable will be in operation with our three resident Leeds built steam locomotives Matthew Murray, Sir Berkeley and Slough Estates No.3 joined by pioneering Hunslet LMS Diesel "John Alcock".

Also in service for the first time in preservation will be the newly restored Leeds horsedrawn tramcar No.107 (Sunday and Monday only, small charge applies).

A real ale bar and hot food will be available all day.

Other attractions around the site will include traction engines and classic cars.

Workshop tours will be taking place, an ideal opportunity to see the locomotives we are currently restoring.

Driver for a Fiver will also be in operation.

However it dosn't stop there! A vintage bus service will be running, enabling visitors to see the historic Leeds locomotive building sites, along with connecting the railway with Leeds City Centre and Armley Mills Industrial Museum where "Jack" the resident Hunslet (and the only 18" gauge steam locomotive in working order) will be operating.

For more details keep an eye on our website, facebook, or twitter pages. We hope to see you there!

 

Is 1310 in regular use at Middleton? I'd like to visit one weekend when she's working...

 

Its one of four engines in traffic which we alternate around. It is due to be out on Sunday 9th June and then Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June for the Model Railway exhibition. On the latter weekend it will spend half the day on service trains and half on "Driver for a Fiver" sharing the duties with Sir Berkeley.

Hope that helps,

Andy

 

Many thanks for the info'! I'll plan in a visit for one of the days you've mentioned above.

 

The Model Railway Exhibition is usually a cracking weekend, and the opportunity to drive a loco for £5 is not to be missed!

Andy

 

Are Sir Berkeley and 1310 still the scheduled engines for next weekends event? Let's hope for decent weather for it...?

 

Yep both these are still booked (unless anything unforeseen comes up) to operate both days. Plan is Sir B will haul the first four timetabled trains, then an extra train has been slotted in with both locos topping and tailing, then 1310 hauls the last 4 timetabled trains with an extra at 16.30 that will be doubleheaded to Park Halt. The loco not on the service trains will be on Driver for a Fiver duties. Im the driver of 1310 on Sunday, if your down come and say hello.

Andy

 

Thanks for the detailed info, I'll be there Saturday with my nephew

 

Just a bit more info on the event, it is now likely that both John Alcock (our pioneering Hunslet diesel) and Fowler 42200033 will be in operation at various times during the weekend. The latter will be on it's first public trains in preservation and as a previous resident of British Sugar it has never hauled a passenger train. More details on when locos will be in operation will be available on our website/Facebook/here in due course! We will also be operating the Balm Road branch with a fright only service to add some variety to the timetable and of course the star attraction, Leeds horse tram 107, will be in operation on the Sunday and Monday. The free bus service timetable is available on the 'events' section of our website too if you wish to come and sample our real ale selection too!

 

Time for another update!

A brand new timetable has been written wich sees an intensive timetable of trains to both Park Halt and Balm Road. Both passenger and freight sets will be in operation and a few double headers have been included.

Trains depart to Park Halt ever 40 mins from 10.00 until 16.40 with trains to Balm Road leaving every 40 mins from 11.15 until 16.15. Driver for a Fiver will be in operation at Moor Road using all the different steam locos during the day.

The event will see 3 Steam (Slough Estates No,3, Matthew Murray and Sir Berkeley), 1 diesel (LMS 7051 and hopefully newly restored Fowler 4220033 of 1965 on the Saturday) in operation all three days. Trains over the whole line including the Balm Road branch - passengers WILL be able to ride on the branch.

Horse tram rides in newly restored Leeds Horse tram Sunday and Monday ONLY but on all three days there will be traction engines, hot and cold food, real ale bar and indoor transport displays.

Vintage buses in operation between Moor Road, Leeds Bus Station, Railway Station and Armley Mills museum (where Hunslet ‘Jack’ will be in steam).

Adults £8
Child £2
Family £18

Horse Tram rides an additional £2 per person whatever the age.

 

Im pleased to say that Fowler 4220033 "Harry" will be operating trains on the Saturday of the event, with LMS 7051 "John Alcock" working the diesel diagram on Sunday and Monday.

Our three working Leeds built steam locos will be in operation with regular trains on the Balm Road branch and the regular passenger line to Park Halt along with each spending some time on "Driver for a Fiver" duties.

Many thanks,

Andy

 

Another update,

This week a few runs have test taken place with the newly restored Fowler diesel and unfortunately a few small issues have arisen that mean the locomotive will not be complete in time for the Festival of Transport weekend. The turn will be covered by LMS 7051 John Alcock which will now run all three days.

The Fowler will be on display in the Engine House museum during the event.

Many thanks,

Andy