21st JUNE 2025: KEIGHLEY & WORTH VALLEY DIESEL GALA.

 Another early start for me as I was going to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for a day out experiencing a day of diesel locomotives along with wagons and Mark 1 coaching stock.  This would be my first visit to a Heritage railway, so was unsure what to expect.

D0226 Vulcan Experimental Prototype English Electric Diesel Shunter

Class 14 D9520.

Class 37 508 Diesel loco at P4.

Deltic 55009 Alycidon & Brake Van 56287 Keithley station.

Esso Petroleum Tanker Wagon.

ZFV Dogfish Wagons DB992926 & DB983230.

Already the weather was warm and it would get warmer as the day progressed! There was certainly a large crowd there, even at this time (10am) in the morning!

At P3, Class 14 & Class 20 with a rake of Mark 1 Coaches head out from Keighley. 

The above 5 photos show the view from a Mk1 coach as we travelled along the line.

43834, inside Drivers cab.

At the Buffer 43484 Oxenhope Station.

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (KWVR) heritage railway has a single 5-mile line, with passing lines, from Keighley to Oxenhope and is located adjacent to Keighley BR Station.

After looking around, I boarded a Mk1 coach being hauled by a HST unit 43484 in grey livery.

43484 at Oxenhope Station at the end of the line.

At the Buffer 43484 Oxenhope Station.

Inside cab HST PU 43468 at Oxenhope station.

 On show were various diesel locomotives, Mk1 coaching stock and various wagons and tankers. I also had a jouney behind a class 47 diesel, 47714. It was a great day out and a shame that I didn't spend more time there.

47715 Loco details.

47715 at Oxenhope station.

47414 at Haworth station.

I have promised myself to visit in 2026 for the Steam Gala.

• D0226 Experimental Prototype English Electric Diesel Shunter ‘Vulcan’
• Class 37 (Colas Rail) – A modern-day icon best known for working Network Rail’s test trains. It’s set to arrive on Friday and will be running over the weekend.
• Class 47 No. 47714 – Visiting from the Wensleydale Railway, this loco adds some classic Type 4 grunt to the event.
• Class 55 No. 55009 ‘Alycidon’ – A proper showstopper! One of the legendary Deltics, famous for their speed and sound. Not to be missed.
• Class 50 No. 50021 ‘Rodney’ – Another fan favourite, bringing big loco vibes and plenty of power. ‘Watcha Dave’
• Class 47 No. 47715 – Another Brush Type 4 joins the party, giving double the 47 action for Type 4 fans!

Outside Harworth station.

M50928 Derby Lightweight DMU Class 108 stored OOU Harworth.

Class 185 135 Doncaster Rail Station.

Class 185 135 Doncaster Rail Station.

Class 225 91124 Kings X to Leeds Doncaster Rail Station.

It felt good and much, much cooler to get aboard a modern coach at Keighley National Rail station. From there, a short trip to home.

RJC

END.

14th JUNE 2025: 1Z63 - THE JOLLY FISHERMAN at SLEAFORD with 60163 TORNADO.

 This in part two of my excursion to chase a couple of  Rail-Excursions. Having got to Nottingham from Sheffield with 10 minutes spare, I boarded the East Midlands service to Sleaford. It would get me there with 30 minutes before 60103 'Tornado' rolled alongside platform 1. Platform 2 would be the place to view it.

60163 'Tornado' arrives with '1Z63 The Jolly Fisherman' at Sleaford Rail Station.

Sleaford is basically similer to other small countryside railway stations; two lines of track, and two or three platforms and not much else! In fact there is only one toilet and that's unisex! The only place to get a drink of anything or food, is outside the station opposite! There's so few trains that run through here, the weeds and grasses are waist-high! The only good thing about Sleaford Rail Station is the fact that 60103 will arrive!

When the steam loco arrived, I could see it about a mile away down the track. It pulled alongside the platform and as there were so many coaches, continued much further down the line. The diesel at the rear was clas 47 802. This would provide the 'muscle' to move the coaches and 60163 over to Skegness via Boston.

47802 at the rear of '1Z63 The Jolly Fisherman'.

A small country rail station, Sleaford.

My train from Nottingham arrived at Sleaford in good time. In fact enough time for me to get a coffee and snap a few photos of the station and signalbox.

EM 170420 Sleaford Rail Station.

Looking north at Sleaford Rail Station.

Looking south from Sleaford Rail station.

Plaque at Sleaford Rail Station

Sleaford East Signalbox.

A good day out at Sleaford railway Station. Small and 'out-of-the-way', but what you'd expect from a country station. But it's a new station to add to the list.

Looking east to Sleaford from Nottingham Rail Station.

170417 to Sleaford at Nottingham Rail Station. 

Signal NN4001 Nottingham Rail Station.

Signal NN4002 Nottingham Rail Station.

RJC

END