Volunteers at Haworth’s Keighley & Worth Valley Steam Railway (KWVR) are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their society’s first ever train with a special recreation of the service.
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society was formed in early 1962 to save the Worth Valley Branch following closure by British Railways (BR).
On June 23, 1962, the society organised a special train, which ran from Bradford Forster Square to Oxenhope and back.
The six-coach train was hauled by a Manningham-based Class 3F locomotive No. 43586 and was full to capacity with railway enthusiasts and locals keen to have a last trip on the line.
The society’s efforts to rescue the line succeeded, and 50 years on the railway will be remembering the pioneering work of the early volunteers by recreating the historic train as part of its normal timetabled steam service on Saturday, June 23.
Midland Railway Class 4F No. 43924 – a locomotive similar to the one which hauled the 1962 special – will haul the train which will carry a replica of the original headboard and train reporting number board, and will carry the original ‘express’ headlamp code.
KWVR volunteer Jim Shipley said: “This train is particularly special as it allowed the infant society to demonstrate to local people that it meant business. It was also the last passenger train to run before goods traffic ceased and BR stopped maintaining the line.
“Sadly, the 50th anniversary train will only run from Keighley rather than Oxenhope. However, we hope that many people who were on the 1962 train will join us in celebrating this significant anniversary.”
The original 1962 train passed through Keighley at 2.52pm – 50 years on the train will be recreated on the regular timetabled Keighley departure at 2.45pm.
