Leeds 2’ gauge line
Abbey Light Railway
11 May 2003
A regular service of electric trains runs along the Aire valley
route from Leeds to Skipton. About 3.5 miles out of Leeds,
close by the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey (perhaps 200 yards from
that railway), is another much smaller
railway. Essentially the results of the efforts
of one man and his family, the Abbey Light
Railway is a short 2' gauge line, with an
interesting and varied selection of ex-
industrial diesels - and a solitary battery-
electric.
I had been aware of its existence for some time
- "must have a look one of these days". Today
was one of "these days" (it started out more like one of those
days - I'd forgotten the OS map, and it was the Leeds marathon -
lots of road closures, and none of the road signs seemed to
mention Kirkstall...).
A service of trains operates at frequent intervals (there is no
formal timetable) from about 2pm on Sundays and bank holidays,
along the wooded route from Bridge Road, where the depot is
located, to Kirkstall Abbey station. Our train consisted of three
covered coaches and a locomotive at each end - Odin, a Motor
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
Rail (5859 of 1934, ex Arnolds, Leighton Buzzard) and a Ruston -
RH 235654 of 1946 (ex Goxhill tileries, near the Humber Bridge).
Other locomotives, in varying states of repair, include the
products of Hunslet, Hudson, Lister, Baguley (the oldest
locomotives on the line), Muir Hill and Orenstein and Koppel -
quite a collection! An "old friend" was Druid, MR 8644 of 1941,
much rebuilt from the state in which I snapped it while at
Hemingbrough Brickworks near Selby.
It doesn't take long to sample the delights of this most attractive
and friendly little line, but it deserves support - if you're in the
area, do it!
Footnote: Sadly, the Abbey Light Railway’s owner, Peter Lowe,
died in 2012. The rolling stock has gone to other railways, the
track has been lifted, and the railway has gone.
