Closed Middletonoperates its 60thanniversary train
INAnightmareyearwhen heritage railwaysbig and small have cancelled landmarkanniversaryevents, the MiddletownRailwaystill managed to runaspecial train to mark its DiamondJubilee.
The first standard- gauge train to be operated by unpaid volunteers left Moor Road, Leeds, at 4.45pm on Monday, June 20, 1960, hauled by Hunslet diesel No. 1697, built locally in Leeds in 1932.
The railway’s June 20- 21 anniversary gala, along with other special events that it had planned for July and August fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, on Saturday, June 20, at 4.45pm, the same locomotive, now in black livery as LMS No. 7051 and carrying new John Alcock nameplates in memory of the designer and one- time Hunslet managing director, hauled the private 60th anniversary train from Moor Road to Middleton Park and return - with just a handful on onlookers in attendance.
Charismatic founder
The trainwasceremoniallywaved away byMatthewYouell, the son of the railway’s charismatic founder, the late physics lecturerDr FredYouell, who led a teamof Leeds UniversityUnion Railway Societymembers in saving the line.
Inspired by the Talyllyn and Ffestiniog revivals, Fredwas keen to join the railway preservation movement and the Middleton, the oldest operating railway in the world, became‘ his’project.
The railway has remained closed sinceMarch because of Covid- 19 restrictions. However, while preparing to reopen in August, several trains had to be run to reassess train crews in order to satisfy requirements of the Office for Rail and Road. The special doubled up as one of those trains.
Middleton ward councillors Judith Blake ( the leader of Leeds City Council), KimGroves and Paul Truswell issued a joint statement.
“We congratulate the Middleton Railway Trust on reaching this historic anniversary. We take great pride in having such an internationally significant piece of history on our doorstep. It is a powerful reminder of our area’s rich industrial heritage and a tribute to the generations of dedicated volunteers who have made it such a valued part of our community. It is not only a brilliant educational asset, but also great fun!
‘ Great attraction’
“Wehavebeen delightedtosupport the MRTover the years and look forward toacontinuing that closeworking relationship. Wewant tohelp it to cement its place as one of the city’sgreat attractions, and perhaps one dayeven extend the line to its original starting point in Middleton Park.”
Built in 1758, the Middleton Railway was the first railway authorised by an Act of Parliament ( and has operated ever since), the first to have commercially successful steam locomotives, in June 1812, and also the first standard- gauge preserved railway, predating the Bluebell Railway’s first public services on August 7, 1960, but unlike that line, it was always a private concern and never part of the national network.
That first train, marking the start of the university’s 1960 rag week, comprised one of the most unusual combinations in preservation history: No. 1697 hauling the enormous double- deck tramcar No. 2 from the Swansea& Mumbles Railway, which had controversially closed on January 5 that year.
Indeed, the students took over the railway with the aim of housing or maybe running the historic Leeds street tramcars that they had preserved. Sadly, the Mumbles tramcar, a sole survivor, was scrapped in 1969 after it was declared unsafe and no other home for it was found.
That first week of services saw around 7700 passengers carried, showing that a heritage railway could attract paying customers. The society had not set out to run regular services, but this initial success led to the reinstatement of freight traffic on the line.
Threemonths later, it reopened to goods, trains being worked by students between lectures.
➜ TheMiddleton Railway has launcheda£ 25,000emergency appeal inabid to cover overheads while the linewas closedduring lockdownand unable to generate vital income. Donationsmaybemade at: www. gofundme. com/ f/ covid19safeguarding- the- future