To celebrate Railway 200, the Middleton Railway at Leeds in West Yorkshire, the world’s oldest working railway run entirely by volunteers, is holding a series of History Talks.

Railway 200 is not just commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, it is marking the milestones in railway history that contributed to creating the modern world we live in.

Amazingly, it was the railways that led to package holidays, commuting, and even standardised time.

This is an ideal year to celebrate all the achievements of the railways.

The History Talks will take place at the Moor Road headquarters of the Middleton Railway.

The illustrated talks start at 7 pm and end at approximately 8.15 pm on the following dates:

• Wednesday, 17th May – Middleton Railway, A Preservation Pioneer – speaker Ian Smith
• Wednesday, 21st June – Blenkinsop, Murray and Leeds Loco building –speaker Anthony Dawson
• Wednesday, 19th July -The 1811 Model of Salamanca – what the CT scan Revealed – speaker Dr Michael Bailey.

In 1812, the Middleton Railway’s engineers Matthew Murray and John Blenkinsop carried out pioneering work that led to George Stephenson building his Locomotion No 1, which in 1825 successfully hauled the world’s first public passenger train between Stockton and Darlington.

When the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened in 1825, it caught the public’s imagination, catapulting railways into the limelight and creating so much excitement we are still talking about it today.

The Middleton Railway was the first railway to be authorised by an Act of Parliament. It was built in 1758, and in June 1812 it was the first to successfully use steam locomotives commercially.

In June 1960, it became Britain’s first standard gauge preserved railway and has the record of operating trains every year since it opened in 1758.

The Middleton Railway is just one of 173 heritage railways in the UK and Ireland, which according to the UK’s Heritage Railway Association, collectively have 460 stations covering 560 miles, and for the local communities they serve, they bring huge economic benefits worth an estimated £600 million.

Last year, the National Trust transferred ownership of its historic Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0 Saddle Tank Hawarden to the Bahamas Locomotive Society, which placed it on display at the Middleton Railway.

In 2023, the railway’s Youth Team was shortlisted for a Rising Stars Award in the Heritage Railway Association’s annual awards.