Keighley and Worth Valley Railway will be hosting its Diesel Gala in June and hopes to deliver a trip down memory lane as the incredible locomotives thrash out their iconic sounds. Diesel locomotives have worked Britain's railways from the end of steam right up to recent memory with some still out in action today.
The Diesel Gala will take place from Friday the 23rd through to Sunday the 25th of June.
Visiting Locomotives include:
26038 British Railway Class 26 ‘Tom Clift' was built in 1959 (numbered D5338) and worked the majority of her life at Inverness before being withdrawn from service in 1992. 2013 saw her named ‘Tom Clift 1954-2012' to honour lifelong railwayman Tom Clift who shortly before his unexpected death was appointed head of Hull Trains as it was one of his personal favourites in preservation. Tom's family raised enough money to buy and maintain the locomotive to keep his memory alive.
26038 Will appear courtesy of The Scottish Railway Preservation Society and the 6LDA Group subject to the locomotive's full engine overhaul being complete.
37403 British Railway Class 37 'Isle of Mull' was renumbered in 1974 at 37307 and was one of twenty-five locos selected during 1984 to be converted to work passenger services in Scotland. The refurbishment process saw the replacement of the locomotive's main generator with an alternator which allowed the provision of electric train heating. After the modification work, the locomotive was renumbered as a class 37/4 becoming 37403. The locomotive worked out of the Glasgow Eastfield depot and work the West Highland and Oban lines and was fittingly named ‘Isle of Mull' in 1986.
37403 appears courtesy of The Scottish Railway Preservation Society
Meanwhile, the Keighley and Worth Valley Railways Diesel Home Fleet include:
- 20031 British Railways Type 1, Class 20 BO-BO Diesel Electric
- 37075 British Railways Type 3, Class 37 CO-CO Diesel Electric
- D2511 British Railways/Hudswell Clarke Diesel Mechanical Shunter
- D0226 Experimental Prototype English Electric Diesel Shunter ‘Vulcan'
- D32 Mersey Docks & Harbour Board/Hunslet Diesel Mechanical Shunter ‘Huskisson'
Anyone purchasing tickets online three or more days in advance will benefit from a 10% discount.
A Three Day Rover ticket provides all-day travel over the entire gala alongside entry into the Museums at Ingrow West. One and two-day tickets will also be available alongside return tickets for the full line length.
To Book tickets for the Diesel Gala please click here.
The Diesel Gala has a difficult act to follow the snow of the March Steam one !