Golden age of steam comes to life at Leighton Buzzard Railway Autumn Gala
It was full steam ahead for rail enthusiasts who enjoyed a real treat at Leighton Buzzard Railway’s Autumn Gala last weekend. (Sept 28/29)
As well as the usual line-up of serviceable steam locomotives on display the event hosted several other significant highlights.
Enthusiasts got the chance to ride a special service, ‘The Leedon Flyer’, as well as riding behind a varied selection of motive power on passenger trains.
Interest in the return to passenger service of the ‘Chaloner’ 1877 De Winton-built vertical boiler locomotive, which hauled special trains to Leedon Loop and back, proved a real draw as it was the first time it had hauled scheduled passenger trains for decades.
The 90hp O&K ‘Pedemoura’ carried a headboard celebrating its 100th anniversary, and various locos hauled the loaded forestry logging set along the full length of the line.
A spokesperson for LB Railway, said: “At the Stonehenge Works end of the line, Industrial train demonstrations were operated by a selection from the LBNGRS heritage diesel collection, believed to be the second largest collection of two-foot gauge diesels in the UK. A special appearance from Kerr Stuart ‘Wren’ class ‘Peter Pan’, also delighted visitors.
“The Fordson Go-Go Tractor Locomotive made several trips up the line, but without a doubt the highlight was the appearance of the First World War collection, with Baldwin 2-10-D class locomotive no. 778 of 1917 operating public service trains on the main line while two World War One Simplex locomotives (the armoured and protected bodied locos) ran parallel on the demonstration track, something that can only be seen at Leighton Buzzard.”
> The Leighton Buzzard Railway, based at Page’s Park, is an accredited museum with a history linked with the sand quarrying industry around the town. In addition to equipment from that era, the railway has built up a significant collection of Great War vintage narrow gauge equipment.
The National Railway Museum has placed its ‘protected’ type Simplex No. 3098 (MR1377/1918) on loan to the railway, and LBR is the base for the Greensand Railway Museum Trust’s Baldwin 4-6-0T WDLR No. 778 and the fully armoured Simplex locomotive 2182.
The Leighton Buzzard Railway is based at Page’s Park, and the line runs to Stonehenge Works adjacent to the sand quarries which the original industrial railway was built to serve.