Leighton Buzzard Railway

Description

The Leighton Buzzard Railway is believed to be the only substantial survivor of the hundreds of 2 foot (610mm) gauge light railways built in Britain for industrial use, and the only remaining line built from surplus materials and equipment from the First World War battlefield supply lines.

Opened by Leighton Buzzard Light Railway Ltd in 1919 to transport sand, the line has carried a steam-hauled passenger train service since 1968, and now houses one of the largest and most important collections of narrow-gauge stock in the country.  Both the collection and the railway itself are covered by our Accredited Museum designation.

In typical light-railway fashion, the line features sharp curves, steep gradients -- up to 1:25 (4%) -- numerous level crossings of roads, and a long stretch of roadside running, as it follows the local geography, rather than imposing itself on it.  There is always something new around the next corner.

Today's Leighton Buzzard Railway offers a 70-minute round trip from Page's Park to Stonehenge Works, which is in the Bedfordshire countryside to the north of the town.  The current track in just under 3 miles (4.8km) long.  The original line continued for another 0.75 mile (1 km) to Double Arches, and restoration of this section is a long-term objective.

All children receive a free Rail Trail activity and information pack, and while stocks last, a pack of wildflower seeds to take home and sow.  This is part of our own Vandyke Curve restoration project, where the trackside has been transformed into a wildflower meadow.  More information about the route of the railway can be found in the Souvenir Guide, which is on sale in the shop.

The railway is managed and operated by the volunteer members of the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway Society, which is a non-profit organisation with charitable status.  You are very welcome to come and join us, and help preserve this unique piece of industrial history.

 

Please support the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway
Englands Friendly little Line for Operations see www.buzzrail.co.uk 

Vintage bus departures from LB Library to  
Page's Park station on Saturday and Sunday at:

10.20, 11.00, 11.40, 12.20,  1.20, 2.00, 2.40, 3.20 (3.10 on Sunday), 4.00.

Station car park will close no later than 4.30.

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LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

 

Page’s Park Station, Billington Road

Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 4TN, England

TEL: (01525) 373888  EMAIL: station@lbngrs.org.uk   WEBSITE: www.buzzrail.co.uk

Exempt charity XN31863. Registered as an Industrial Friendly Society No 20830R. 

Accredited by the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council No 1631

 

 

Media Release

   Issued 6th May 2013

 

INDIAN EVENT SUCCESS DESPITE VIP NO-SHOW

 

The Leighton Buzzard Railway’s Indian Extravaganza event, on 5th & 6th May, was an outstanding success, with very few spare seats on the trains on either day.

 

The big attraction was the on-loan steam locomotive No 19, originally built for the legendary Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in northern India. Passenger trains were also hauled by resident No 778, built for the First World War battlefield supply lines, and later used on Indian sugar plantation railways.

 

Page’s Park station was decorated with banners and prayer flags by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society, and renamed “Darjeeling” for the duration. Genuine Indian cuisine, by Mum’s Kitchen of Watford, proved to be very popular in Dobbers buffet.

 

Among the special visitors were a group of Gurkhas with their families, and London-based author Monisha Rajesh, who signed copies of her book “Around India in 80 Trains”.

 

At Stonehenge Works station, the newly laid miniature track was host to working scale models of Darjeeling Himalayan steam locomotives, which gave free rides to passengers who had arrived on the full-size railway.

 

The big disappointment of the weekend was the late cancellation of a VIP party, led by the Minister of State for Railways, which should have arrived from India, with Leighton Buzzard as the first stop on a tour of heritage railways. A political crisis meant that the Minister was required to stay at his desk instead.

 

Railway spokesman Mervyn Leah commented: “We were delighted with the public response to our event, which brought in hundreds of people, from all over Britain and beyond, who would not otherwise have visited Leighton Buzzard. The crowds were much bigger than expected, and almost made up the shortfall from the Arctic Easter.”

  • The final working appearance of the Darjeeling Himalayan locomotive will be on the next Bank Holiday weekend, 26th & 27th May, after which it will be returned to its owner.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

Page’s Park Station, Billington Road
Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 4TN, England

TEL: (01525) 373888  EMAIL: station@lbngrs.org.uk   WEBSITE: www.buzzrail.co.uk

Exempt charity No XN31863. Registered as an Industrial Friendly Society No 20830R.
Accredited by the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council No 1631

Issued 1st May 2013

A SCENE FROM LEIGHTON BUZZARD’S PAST

People travelling this morning to the schools on Vandyke Road, Leighton Buzzard, will have found that a piece of the town’s industrial history had suddenly appeared on their doorstep.

The narrow-gauge railway, that is such a distinctive feature of Leighton Buzzard, originally carried sand from Eastern Way, Heath & Reach, to Billington Road sidings. The sand was brought out of the quarries on branch lines, but all have now vanished—except one!

Chamberlain’s Barn quarry, off Heath Road, was opened in 1910 by the Joseph Arnold company, and was one of the first to be connected with the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway when it was built nine years later. The branch line was later extended to New Trees quarry, off Shenley Hill Road, and both are still in production using road transport.

The first part of the branch, joining the Light Railway alongside Vandyke Road, avoided being sold for scrap because it was leased to the Society which now runs the remaining track as a working museum.

Not going anywhere useful, the branch was neglected for many years, until it was incorporated in a project to turn the whole area into a wildflower meadow, which won a CPRE award in 2010.

What was missing was a sand train, so a group of volunteers recently set about providing one. They removed all valuable and dangerous parts from a diesel locomotive which had once worked in the quarries, and painted up a short train of wagons, of the type once used in their hundreds, all over the Leighton Buzzard area.

Yesterday, 30th April, they installed the train on the Chamberlain’s Barn branch, where it will stay as a continuing reminder of the importance of the narrow-gauge railway to the town’s development.

The locomotive, No 24 (no names!), was built in 1934 by the Motor Rail & Tramcar Company, at their works in Elstow Road, Bedford. It was a development of a design which had gone into production in 1916, to provide power for the massive network of supply lines in the First World War battlefields. Many hundreds were built in Bedford for this purpose, one of the unsung achievements of a grim conflict.

 

 

 

 

LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

Media Release

   Issued 29th November 2011

    GRIDLOCKED SANTA?

The volunteers who run Leighton Buzzard’s narrow-gauge railway are concerned at possible gridlock on the approach to their Page’s Park station, caused by roadworks over one of the busiest weekends in the run-up to Christmas.

Signs have gone up on the A505 Leighton Buzzard southern bypass, advising that the road will be closed on 10th and 11th December, between the Billington Road roundabout and the junction for Stanbridge village. The proposed diversion route will take traffic through the centre of Leighton Buzzard, on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

Although the railway is well outside the town centre, it is feared that the resulting snarl-up will spread right along Billington Road, preventing families from catching their trains to see Santa.

Railway spokesman, Mervyn Leah, commented: “There was absolutely no consultation by Central Bedfordshire Council, before they agreed to the closure request, which appears to be for non-urgent repairs that could be put off for a few more weeks.

“Not only is the timing wrong, but the proposed diversion of the bypass traffic through the town centre suggests that not enough research was done on the likely effects, which could bring the entire area to a standstill. We hope that common sense will prevail.”

  • The Leighton Buzzard Railway’s Christmas season gets under way this Saturday, 3rd December. Santa Special trains will run every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday until 21st December, and also on the 22nd and 23rd. Mince Pie Specials will operate on 27th and 28th December.

     

 

 

 

 

Media Release

Issued 2nd May 2011

BIG BANK HOLIDAY BOOST

The recent glut of Bank Holidays has been good news for the Leighton Buzzard Railway, which has recorded a 25% increase in passenger numbers over the two weekends, compared with 2010.

Railway spokesman, Mervyn Leah, commented: “The good weather and the feel good factor of the royal wedding undoubtedly helped get people out of their back gardens, and the Kids Go Free offer we put on our website also contributed.

“Another factor is almost certainly the price of fuel. Bedfordshire has not yet established itself as a ‘staycation’ destination, which people visit instead of going abroad. But there are millions living nearby, who are starting to discover attractions like ours, almost on their doorsteps.” 

  • An exempt charity. Registered as an Industrial Friendly Society No 20830R. 

    Accredited by the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council No 1631

     

    LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

     

    Page’s Park Station, Billington Road

    Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 4TN, England

    TEL: (01525) 373888  EMAIL: station@lbngrs.org.uk   WEBSITE: www.buzzrail.co.uk

    An exempt charity. Registered as an Industrial Friendly Society No 20830R. 

    Accredited by the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council No 1631

     

     

    Media Release

      Issued 17th September 2012

    STEAM WEEKEND SUCCESS

    “Still one of the best narrow-gauge railways, with plenty of character.”

    This is typical of the feedback received by the Leighton Buzzard Railway, from the hundreds of people who visited over the weekend, for its Great Slate Quarry Fest.

    The star of the show was undoubtedly “Chaloner”, the 1877-built steam engine, resident at Leighton Buzzard for over 40 years. It was appearing in public for the first time with a replica of its driver’s cab, the original having been removed over 120 years ago.

    “Chaloner” had spent its working life in the slate quarries of North Wales, where British narrow-gauge railways were born in the 19th century. At the weekend, it was supported by three visiting steam engines, all with slate industry backgrounds.

    In total, nine full-size engines were in steam, plus several working scale models, operating on the miniature railway at Stonehenge Works, which has become a popular feature of special events.

    Leighton Buzzard Railway spokesman, Mervyn Leah, commented: “Once again, we have put on a spectacular event which has attracted people from all over Britain and beyond.

    “Underlining our status as one of the country’s top narrow-gauge railways, over the weekend we had a visit from a TV production team, shooting footage for a new BBC4 series on railway preservation. This comes only a few weeks after our brief appearance in “Escape to the Country”.

     

LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

 

Page’s Park Station, Billington Road

Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 4TN, England

TEL: (01525) 373888  EMAIL: station@lbngrs.org.uk   WEBSITE: www.buzzrail.co.uk

An exempt charity. Registered as an Industrial Friendly Society No 20830R. 

Accredited by the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council No 1631

 

 

Media Release

   Issued 1st October 2012

 

   THE PARK WAS ROCKING!

 

With over 250 motor-bikes gleaming in the sunshine, a busy train service on the narrow-gauge railway, vintage bus rides, and a live rock band on the station, there was plenty happening at Leighton Buzzard’s Page’s Park yesterday (30th September).

 The railway was using some of its museum collection of diesel locomotives on the passenger trains, giving a rare opportunity to ride behind the engines which used to haul sand trains over the same line.

 At the railway’s “country” terminus at Stonehenge Works, there were more museum locos busily shunting, as well as the preserved quarry digger loading sand into tipping wagons.

 One of the day’s highlights was the railway’s first-ever public electric train service, hauled by the newly restored battery-powered locomotive. This was built originally for a top-secret underground weapons store in Wiltshire.

 The railway will be operating on Sundays until the end of this month, plus half-term Wednesday, 31st October.

 Advance booking for December’s “Santa Specials” started today, online through the website (www.buzzrail.co.uk/christmas.html) or by calling 08444 77 1000.

 For photo requests and other media enquiries, please contact Mervyn Leah on marketing@lbngrs.org.uk . Public enquiries are on 01525 373888, or station@lbngrs.org.uk. For the full story, visit our website at www.buzzrail.co.uk.


  ON THE AIR AGAIN!

 The Leighton Buzzard Railway today provided the setting for a BBC Radio 4 interview with author Monisha Rajesh, which is expected to be broadcast in the “Saturday Live” magazine programme on 15th or 22nd December.

 Ms Rajesh has recently published her first book, “Around India In 80 Trains”, about a voyage of discovery to her roots, having lived almost all of her life in the UK. The programme makers wanted a location which could provide authentic steam-train noises, and Leighton Buzzard, being a convenient distance from London, was selected on the first day of its Santa Specials services.

 What came as a surprise to the visitors was the connection that already existed between LBR and the narrow-gauge lines of India, especially the Matheran Hill Railway, near Mumbai, which is recommended in the book. This led to a further interview with the Railway’s media spokesman, Mervyn Leah, which is expected to be included in the package.

 The Leighton Buzzard Railway will also feature in the two-part series “The Golden Age of Steam Railways”, to be broadcast on BBC4 television on Mondays 10th & 17th December, with repeats later each week.

 This tells the story of the pioneers who rescued and restored locomotives, rolling stock and entire railways which would otherwise have gone for scrap. One of these was Max Sinclair, who bought a collection of narrow-gauge steam engines in the 1950s, some of which are now resident at Leighton Buzzard. Filming took place at the Railway in September.

 Finally, our French twin railway, Froissy-Cappy-Dompierre, will be featured in the final part of the “Great Continental Railway Journeys” series, presented by Michael Portillo and broadcast tomorrow (Thursday 6th) on BBC2 television.

 Having journeyed around Europe following the 1913 edition of Bradshaw’s railway guide, our host moves on a year to the start of the First World War with all its horrors, continuing through to the flawed peace treaty of 1918.

 The Froissy-Cappy-Dompierre line, in the Somme region, is the last surviving fragment of the thousands of miles of narrow-gauge railways built to supply the front lines during the years of military stalemate. The Leighton Buzzard Railway was built in 1919 from war-surplus materials and equipment, for the peaceful purpose of transporting sand.

 For photo requests and other media enquiries, please contact Mervyn Leah marketing@lbngrs.org.uk . Public enquiries are on 01525 373888, or station@lbngrs.org.uk. For the full story, visit our website at www.buzzrail.co.uk. 

 

LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

 

Page’s Park Station, Billington Road

Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 4TN, England

TEL: (01525) 373888  EMAIL: station@lbngrs.org.uk   WEBSITE: www.buzzrail.co.uk

An exempt charity. Registered as an Industrial Friendly Society No 20830R. 

Accredited by the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council No 1631

 

 

Media Release

  Issued 28th December 2012

 

A TOUCH OF AFRICAN STEAM SUNSHINE!

 At the end of the wettest year on record—and it’s still raining—what better than a touch of African sunshine to warm things up?

Down on the Leighton Buzzard Railway, the New Year Cheer train services, on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th December, are scheduled to be hauled by steam locomotive “Elf”. This spent many years working on a rubber plantation railway in Cameroon, West Africa, before being brought to Leighton Buzzard for restoration in the 1970s.

Trains will be leaving Page’s Park station, Leighton Buzzard, regularly from 10.40am to 3.00pm. As well as the 25-minute return journey on a festively decorated train, there will be complimentary seasonal refreshments in the warmth of the buffet.

It’s a great way to finish the festive season, in the company of family and friends.

2013 EVENTS PROGRAMME 

  • 5th & 6th May: Indian Extravaganza
  • 19th May: Teddy Bears’ Outing
  • 26th & 27th May: Big Engines Weekend
  • 16th June: Fathers’ Day
  • 30th June: Vintage Vehicles Rally
  • 14th July: Bob The Builder
  • 7th & 8th September: Steam-Up Weekend
  • 29th September: Motor Cycle and Internal Combustion Rally
  • For photo requests and other media enquiries, please contact Mervyn Leah marketing@lbngrs.org.uk . Public enquiries are on 01525 373888, or station@lbngrs.org.uk. For the full story, visit our website at www.buzzrail.co.uk.

    Media Release

       Issued 27th September 2013 

     

    PARLIAMENTARY REPORT STRESSES ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF HERITAGE RAILWAYS

    If you have a heritage railway near you, support it and look after it!

    That is one of the conclusions of a report to Parliament, which follows a major study by the All-Party Group on Heritage Rail, to which Leighton Buzzard’s narrow-gauge railway gave evidence.

     

    There are over 100 heritage railways in Britain, and the Group estimated that together they contribute over £250 million every year to the British economy.

    Even a small operation like the one at Leighton Buzzard brings in hundreds of thousands of pounds, from the money its customers and volunteers spend locally, and its own expenditure on goods and services to keep the railway running.

    The report also pointed out that, despite their importance to the economies in which they operate, heritage railways receive no regular financial support from either national or local government. It recommends in particular that their potential role in providing public transport should be studied further, with the possibility of financial assistance for viable schemes.

    The Department for Transport is studying the report’s recommendations.

    Sunday 29th September

    REMINDER—MOTOR-CYCLES, SAND QUARRY LOCOS, A ROCK BAND AND A NAMING CEREMONY

    For their final big event of the year, the volunteers of the Leighton Buzzard Railway have come up with something for nearly everybody!

    In Page’s Park, motor-cycles of all ages, shapes and sizes will gather, to recall the pre-telephone days, when contact between the different sand quarries around Leighton Buzzard was by motor-cycle courier. There will be more nostalgia from local band Eastfield Rock, who have a repertoire of songs about railways.

    On the railway itself, both steam and diesel trains will be in action, the diesels being originals to the line, built in nearby Bedford to haul sand trains.

    At 1.00pm, there will be a short break at Page’s Park, as diesel locomotive 43 is named “Trotter”, after the nickname of Bob Turney, its driver for many years, who died last November at the age of 79. The party, led by his widow Sylvia, will travel on the next departure from Page’s Park, hauled by 43 and its twin No 44.

    Bob Turney started work on the narrow-gauge railway in 1948, holding up the traffic with his red flag. On return from National Service, Bob became a driver of the armour-plated locomotives—First World War surplus—which were still in service.

    No 43 was built in 1954, by Motor Rail Ltd in Bedford, and Bob became its regular driver a few years later. It was bought for preservation after the end of sand traffic through Billington Road sidings in 1969, and in nearly 60 years of service has never left Leighton Buzzard.

    There is an interview with Bob Turney in the book, “Dobbers & Loco Drivers in the Sand”, which is on sale in the railway shop at Page’s Park.

 

 

 

Documents

LEIGHTON BUZZARD RAILWAY

 

Page’s Park Station, Billington Road

Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 4TN, England

TEL: (01525) 373888  EMAIL: station@lbngrs.org.uk   WEBSITE: www.buzzrail.co.uk

An exempt charity. Registered as an Industrial Friendly Society No 20830R.

Accredited by the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council No 1631

 

 

Media Release

   Issued 4th March 2013

 

GIVING EVIDENCE TO PARLIAMENT

One of the Leighton Buzzard Railway’s Vice-Presidents, Tony Tomkins, has been invited to give evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail, on 12th March.

The topic of the session will be the value of heritage railways to the economy and community of the places which are fortunate enough to have them. Recent research by the Heritage Railway Association has shown that these benefits can be considerable, with lines in some parts of the country underpinning a large amount of tourism activity which would otherwise not take place.

While Leighton Buzzard’s narrow-gauge railway operates in a more diverse economy, its importance both nationally and internationally are recognised both as Leighton
Buzzard’s leading tourist attraction and, among the Museum sector, for its direct links to the aftermath of the First World War.

A further report will be issued after the meeting.

 

 

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