The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

For their Spring Enthusiast Weekend in 1984 the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway had the S&D 7F 13809 visiting.
In this recording made on 8th April 1984 the 2-8-0 is heard leaving Oakworth and passing through Mytholmes Tunnel.

The 24th March 1985 was the second day of an enthusiast event on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
A mid afternoon departure from Keighley saw 4F 43924 piloting 34092 'City of Wells' on a 6 coach train and I was rather surprised (and delighted!) to be offered a footplate ride. Not just that, but given a choice of engine as well.
I chose the 4F as being more likely to provide the better sound recording with it's more open cab and low tender.
We had on the footplate a trainee fireman who was allowed to fire the loco and being given instruction by the fireman and soon after we get under way he is told to spread a few shovels of coal down the front of the firebox. A little later the trainee was obviously somewhat concerned at the sight of the water level descending almost as rapidly as the pressure gauge until the fireman reassures him that the driver will ease the loco when we get onto GN Straight. The fireman adds that he will be able to add more water when we stop at Ingrow.
In the early stages 'City of Wells' is almost inaudible, being worked gently to avoid a slip but once the aforementioned straight is reached the driver on the Bullied Pacific opens it up. Quite an impressive sight seen at such close quarters.
The Ingrow stop isn't far away and soon the blower goes on, the regulator is closed and, to the sound of the brake being applied we come to a stop.

In Autumn 1999, once again, the railway managed to arrange an Enthusiast Weekend without risking any undue excitement by having any visiting engines to liven things up!
On 9th October 1999 the Vintage Shuttle to for Ingrow was hauled by L&Y Pug 51218 and Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST 'Sir Berkeley'.
The pair sounded like this departing from Keighley.

The railway held an Enthusiast Weekend on 13th/14th May 2000 and, breaking with tradition, had a visiting engine. What is even more remarkable is that it was an interesting visiting engine!
The Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 20 from the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway was in use on a 2 coach vintage train between Keighley and Ingrow.
Early on the afternoon of Saturday 13th May the 0-4-0 takes its train along GN Straight heading for Ingrow. Can we have a Fairburn Tank next time please?

The Spring 2003 Enthusiast Weekend on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway presented the rare opportunity to have a ride behind the L&Y Pug 51218 actually working a passenger train by itself. This, of course, had to be recorded!
The loco was booked to work a Vintage train from Keighley to Ingrow once each day. 'Train' is perhaps overstating the case as all that the loco was trusted with was a single coach. In this recording the 0-4-0 is heard soon after departing from Keighley with this massive load on 8th February 2003!

Having made it to Ingrow behind the Pug the next train was double headed by ex LMS 0-6-0T 47279 and the Ivatt 2-6-2T 41241.
These locos are heard in this recording having departed from Ingrow emerging from the tunnel and heading up the 1 in 56 gradient towards Damems on just 4 coaches.

A relatively recent addition to the K&WVR loco fleet is ex-Taff Vale 0-6-2T No. 85.
On Good Friday 29th April 2002 this loco was at work on the railway and is heard in this recording departing from Keighley.
With just a four coach train to cope with No. 85 makes a fairly gentle start to try to avoid a slip on the sharply curved 1 in 58 gradient away from the platform.

On Sunday 29th September 1985 one of the two locos in service that day was Ivatt 2-6-2T 41241, a favourite of mine.
This locomotive is heard in this recording made from the lineside mid way between Haworth and Oxenhope.

On the last day of 2002 Ivatt 2-6-2 Tank 41241 is heard in this on train recording departing from Oakworth and climbing the 1 in 90 gradient heading for Haworth.