The Leighton Buzzard "Steam-Up"

It's more than twenty years since we last visited the Leighton Buzzard Railway. Back in the 1980s we made a number of trips to, and on, this nearly three mile narrow gauge line that runs from Pages Park, on the outskirts of Leighton Buzzard, to Stonehenge Works which is..... in the middle of nowhere.
The line opened in 1919 to carry sand from the local quarries, using track and stock left over from the First World War. Since the opening, the town has expanded, engulfing the railway in housing estates for most of its length, but it's this suburban setting which gives this quirky little line much of its charm, with trains threading their way between houses, appearing through gaps in hedges and crossing roads on un-gated crossings.
September 11th & 12th was the steam-up weekend, with six engines in action. Three on the service trains, two giving shunting demonstrations at Stonehenge Works and one on "driver for a fiver" duties at Pages Park.
The video is from the Sunday, when well-broken cloud allowed the early autumn sunshine to give some very nice lighting conditions.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Leighton
• Buzzard
• Steam-Up
• narrow
• gauge

[ShaurntheSheep]

looks like a nice railway and a nice day where is it

[1Z64]

@ShaurntheSheep The Leighton Buzzard railway is located in Bedfordshire, and a nice railway it is.

[EMuksteam]

Very good video nice little railway great for families

[1Z64]

@EMuksteam Thanks for your comment. A nice little railway indeed.

[NwsNoaaChaser]

A truly wonderful production Martyn, and its another one which deserves a very big like!! I'm hoping to visit sometime in the summer of next year, so this is a super way to view this railway before a visit. Well done.

[1Z64]

@NwsNoaaChaser I'm glad this was a very big like for you James. A visit to this railway is very worthwhile. But it is advisable to go in the summer. I once went on the last train of the season in the middle of October. I could hardly walk afterwards being so numb with the cold.

[iantrack]

beautiful filming

[1Z64]

@robmasterman Many thanks for your continued support Bob. I hadn't visited the line since the 1980's either but after a great days filming, gathering three times as much footage than is seen here, I couldn't think why it had been so long. Here's to the next visit.

[1Z64]

@Steamclips Thanks Alan. No excessive speeding on this day, but for a lightly laid line they certainly rattle along at a fair pace in places.

[1Z64]

@collieultimo Thank you very much for your comment. To be appreciated like this makes it all worthwhile.