Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

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Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T 41241 at Haworth station

The Platform, Oxenhope Railway Station, terminus of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (photo by Nigel Homer, 2006)

Damems Junction signal box

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a five-mile (eight-km) long heritage railway line in West Yorkshire, England, that runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the national rail network line at Keighley.

1 History
2 Stations and facilities
3 Special Events
4 Operational Steam Locomotives
5 Steam Locomotives under Overhaul or Restoration
6 Stored Steam Locomotives
7 Operational Diesel Locomotives
8 Diesel Locomotives under repair
9 Operational Diesel Multiple Units
10 Diesel Multiple units under Overhaul or Restoration
11 Locomotive Notes
12 Use In Film and Television
13 External links

[edit] History

The line was built in 1867 by local mill owners, but operated by the Midland Railway, which owned most of the rail network in the area, and was eventually bought by the Midland.

After becoming part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, ownership passed to British Railways following nationalisation in 1948. As a part of the rail cutbacks in the 1960s, British Railways closed the line at the end of 1962.

However a preservation society was formed who bought the line from BR and reopened it in 1968 as a heritage railway. The line is now a major tourist attraction operated entirely by volunteers and carries more than 110,000 passengers every year. The KWVR is the only preserved railway that operates a complete branch line in its original form.

The line and its bridges and tunnels including a deviation were built as single track but with provision for duplication, should the need arise.

[edit] Stations and facilities

Keighley
- Mainline Connections to Leeds, Bradford, Skipton, Carlisle, Lancaster, Morecambe and London King's Cross
- Railway Shop and Buffet
- Turntable
- Picnic Area
- Station restored to BR 1950s condition complete with cast-iron platform canopy
Ingrow West
- Access to the Vintage Carriages Trust's Museum of Rail Travel
- Access to the Bahamas Locomotive Society Museum "Ingrow Loco"
- Car parking
Damems
- The smallest standard-gauge railway station in Britain, complete with Waiting Room, Booking Office, Signal Box & Level Crossing
- Lit by gas and heated by coal stoves
- Featured as "Ormston" in the BBC's Born and Bred
Oakworth
- Famous as the location for the filming of the 1970 film The Railway Children, starring Jenny Agutter, Dinah Sheridan, Bernard Cribbins, Sally Thomsett and Gary Warren
- Restored to Edwardian condition, the station is lit by gas lamps
- Heated by up to four open coal fires in winter (around eight months each year)
- Car Parking (or 'Horseless Carriages')
Haworth
- Railway shop
- Picnic area and engine shed viewing area
- Access to Haworth Village and the Brontë Parsonage
- Gas lit platform
- An example of a 1950s country station
Oxenhope
- New Heritage Lottery Fund-supported Exhibition Shed, contains locomotives and carriages not currently in use and explains their history and that of the line as a whole
- Railway shop and buffet
- Car parking
- Bus connections to Hebden Bridge
- Gas-lit platform, car park and waiting room

[edit] Special Events

- For the Autumn Steam Gala in October 2007, S&D 7F no.53809 will be visiting the line for the first time in over a decade.
- During Summer 2008, 45212 is expected to return for the final of its 3 visits permitted during it's 10 year boiler certificate, to participate in an event to mark 40 years since the end of steam on BR.

[edit] Operational Steam Locomotives

- BR 2-6-4T Class 4MT no. 80002 (Used regularly, especially in summer)
- L&Y 0-6-0 Class 25 "Ironclad" no. 957 (later BR Class 2F no. 52044) (Used on summer vintage trains and during special events)
- LMS 2-6-2T Class 2MT no. 41241 (Used regularly)
- LMS 0-6-0T Class 3F "Jinty" no. 47279 (Used regularly)
- Taff Vale Railway 0-6-2T no. 85 (Used regularly)

[edit] Steam Locomotives under Overhaul or Restoration

- BR 2-8-0 Austerity no. 90733 (Currently very near to completion of its restoration at Crewe and due to begin running-in on the KWVR in summer)
- BR 4-6-0 Class 4MT no. 75078 (Undergoing a ten year overhaul. The tender axelboxes are to be removed soon. Completion is due for 2014)
- Midland Railway 3835 Class 0-6-0 (LMS Class 4F) no. 43924 (Stripped down for restoration. Good progress is being made on the overhaul, which is focusing on the frames presently. Completion is expected in 2012)
- LNER 0-6-0ST Class J94 no. 68077 (Undergoing overhaul at the Spa Valley Railway where the loco's dismatling is nearly done)
- SR 4-6-2 West Country Class no. 34092 "City of Wells" (The boiler cladding is being fitted to ensure it fits; it will then be removed so the boiler can be finished. The engine is expected to steam in 2009)
- USATC S160 Class 2-8-0 no. 5820 "Big Jim" (Under restoration; the frames are making good progress and the overhauled tender bogies have been reassembled)
- LNWR Webb Coal Tank 0-6-2T no. 1054 (Undergoing restoration at the East Lancs Railway)

[edit] Stored Steam Locomotives

- BR 2-6-0 Class 2MT no. 78022. Withdraw for ten year overhaul in 2002 and is currently on display in the museum at Oxenhope. It is expected that the overhaul will begin in 2010.
- GWR 0-6-0PT 5700 Class no. 5775. On display at Oxenhope. Not expected to enter the workshops before 2019.
- L&Y 0-4-0ST Class 21 "Pug" no. 68 (later BR Class 0F no. 51218). Recently withdraw and is currently stored in Haworth yard.
- LMS 4-6-0 Class 5XP Jubilee no. 45596 "Bahamas". Awaiting overhaul. Funding is being arranged by the Bahamas Trust, and work will begin upon completion of the 'Coal Tank'.
- LMS 2-8-0 Class 8F no. 48431. On display in the museum at Oxenhope.
- SR 0-6-0T Class USA no. 30072. On display in the Oxenhope museum, requires extensive firebox repairs. Not expected to enter the workshops before 2019.

[edit] Operational Diesel Locomotives

- BR 0-6-0 Hudswell Clarke (British Rail Class D2/12) shunter no. D2511. In use as the Works train shunter after a recent engine and cylinder liner repair.
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 no. 13336 (ex-08266). In use but resricted to Haworth yard duties as the Locomotive is currently suffering from worn tyres.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 20 no. D8031 (ex-20031). Retured to traffic in July 2006 after a generator replacement. In regular use on summer weekend diesel ervices.
- Port of Bristol Port Authority Diesel Mechanical 0-6-0 no. 23 "Merlin". In use, currently at Oxenhope station as it is the carriage and wagon shunter.

[edit] Diesel Locomotives under repair

- BR 0-6-0 Prototype EE shunter no. D226 "Vulcan". Suffered a main generator failure in June 2006 and has also developed bearing problems. A group have now started the Overhaul of the engine.
- Mersey Docks & Harbour Board Diesel Mechanical 0-6-0 no. 32 "Huskisson". Currently undergoing a long delayed axelbox overhaul.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 25 no. 25059 (ex-D5209). Currently under test. Suffered damage in a flood in August 2004, however after some work it seems most of the damage wasn't as bad as first thought. Initial test runs are very positive and it is expected the engine will be running by the Deisel Gala in the summer 2007.

[edit] Operational Diesel Multiple Units

- BR Class 108 unit 50928+51565. Both are in regular use but when the 101 set is in traffic this set will be withdrawn for overhaul.
- BR Railbuses No 79964. In regular use on moring diesel services.

[edit] Diesel Multiple units under Overhaul or Restoration

- BR Class 101 unit 51803+51189. Under restoration. Both vehicle's mechanical restorations have been done and both are shortly going to be painted in BR blue. The unit is expected to start carrying passengers in 2007.
- BR Railbuses No 79962. Currently stored and sheeted over in Haworth yard, the engines restoration has been finished and once shed space is available the body, wheels and frames will be restored. It is expected to be finished in 2008 which is the railways 40th anniversery of when it was first preserved.

[edit] Locomotive Notes

- 'Black Five' no.45212 is operational but currently based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, as part of a deal which will see it running there until it has covered 70,000 miles. This could take the entire 10-year duration of the boiler ticket.
- 'Coal Tank' no.1054 is currently undergoing overhaul at Ingrow. Once it's owning group have completed the repairs, attention will be focused on returning "Bahamas" to traffic.
- The Austerity 2-8-0 no.90733 will be the next engine to return to steam on the line. It is currently anticipated that this will be during mid 2007.
- Other engines in line for a return to steam before the end of the decade are no.34092 "City Of Wells", and no.43924, which was the first engine salvaged from Barry Scrapyard in South Wales to be returned to steam on a heritage line, back in the 1970s.
- Somerset & Dorset Railway 7F 2-8-0 no.53809, currently based at the Midland Railway Butterley, is due to visit the K&WVR in Autumn for their second steam gala of the year. This will be the locomotive's second visit, as it spent time on the railway during the 1980s.
- Class 101 vehicle No 51803 is operational but out of service awaiting a repaint in BR blue livery, 51189's interior and mechanical restoration is nearing completion and it to is awaiting a reapaint. The unit will hopefully be ready for service in 2007 allowing the 108 set to be withdrawn for repairs.