Clayton West revival
A quick look at Kirklees
2 December 2001
The Kirklees Light Railway is a 15" gauge
line, built on the trackbed of the former
L&YR Clayton West branch which closed
to passengers in 1983. I'd been aware of
its existence for a year or two, and
intrigued by the locomotives detailed in
the IRS handbook 12EL - mostly built by the line's owner Brian
Taylor. The 0-4-4-0T sounded interesting...
...so when we left York that Sunday morning in December, with a
leisurely journey home in mind via Holme Moss and Buxton, we
decided to look in. The line operates every weekend throughout
the year - in December these would all be Santa trains, so there
would be no ride for us today, just an opportunity to see the line
in action.
The Santa service was being operated "topped and tailed" by
two locomotives - 0-6-4ST "Badger" and the aforementioned
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
0-4-4-0T "Hawk". Hawk is described on the railway's website as a
"Kitson Meyer 0-4+4-0 articulated loco based on a design built by
Andrew Barclay Sons & Co for the 2' 5½" Anglo Greek Magnesite
Company in 1903" . Without a doubt this is one of the most
impressive 15" gauge locos I've ever seen, making a quite
staggering contrast with the charming "Effie" I'd seen on the Rhyl
Miniature Railway. Also present that morning was diesel "Jay",
presumably on standby duty. The other locomotives were in the
workshops, and not available for inspection.
We watched the arrival and departure of a Santa train - very
well patronised - and the watering of the locomotives, before we
took the road again, determined to return and take a ride on
this super little line.
Links:
•
Kirklees Light Railway
•
Friends of the Kirklees Light Railway
