North Eastern Railway ‘H’ 0-4-0T No. 1310 has just come through the tunnel under the M621 motorway with a passenger train for Middleton Park, as Sentinel No. 68153 waits on the Dartmouth branch on March 27, 1993.
ROBIN STEWARTSMITH
NUMBER CRUNCHING
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: IAN SMITH - VICE PRESIDENT, MIDDLETON RAILWAY TRUST
THE Middleton Railway, as with so many other early waggonways and railroads that survived the ravages of time, does not today sit on its original formation.
■ 1.5 miles of line
■ RM - What challenges and opportunities does the railway’s location bring?
In 1755, when the line was conceived, it had opened on a route in the Rothwell area of Leeds. Having discovered quickly the traffic of coal, transported to nascent industries and the homeowners of Leeds, would be better served by a route through the area known today as Hunslet, the waggonway was rebuilt.
■ 17 steam locomotives
■ IS - We have an amazing market on our doorstep, literally! Many vantage points along the line have the backdrop of the centre of Leeds, with its skyscrapers, and so we have a great urban audience. That said, it can be difficult to communicate with potential visitors so close to home - when was the last time you visited the attraction two miles from your door? We also struggle against mindless vandalism, which always threatens to put our plans back a step or two, but we strive on.
In order to re-route the waggonway, an Act of Parliament was obtained, giving the developer Charles Brandling the permission needed, while tying him to low coal prices for locals.
■ 10 diesel locomotives
■ RM - The railway’s preserved form was 60 years old this year. How did it mark the occasion?
An alternative to literal horsepower had to be found for the route in the early 1810s, well before the arrival of lines such as the Stockton & Darlington, as a result of spiralling prices for horse fodder, horses and labour.