Following the successes of previous years, our "Steampunk - A Return to Middleton" event will be held on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July 2019, in collaboration with the Leeds and Bradford Steampunk Markets. The train operations for this will be as follows.
- Our usual train services will operate to the normal timetable;
- Steam trains will be operating on each day; and
- Rides in the locomotive cab will be available: more details of this are given below.
As well as our train services, the "market stall" part of the event, which will be staged in the Engine House, will feature at least the following activities:
- authors;
- artists;
- clothing stalls;
- birds of prey (we hope that the owl will be flying again, but unfortunately this will only on Saturday);
- hot and cold food stalls, including "The Golden Grail Tavern";
- fire eating displays;
- some table-top gaming;
- coffee jousting (and if you are not sure what that is, see the Leeds Steampunk Market website), but probably only on one day (which day is still to be confirmed); and
- a charity tombola in aid of Wheatfields Hospice in Headingley, which is one of the Sue Ryder homes.
The owl preparing to fly at the 2016 event.
Picture © Tony Cowling, 2016.
The charge for entry to the market fair (and to our museum) will be £2.00p per person (adults or children). Normal train fares will apply, and will be additional to this entry charge.
We had hoped to provide some tours of our workshops for those who were interested, but we regret that this will not be possible.
The owl on top of Mirvale's cab.
Picture © Tony Cowling, 2016.
Footplate Rides
A footplate ride gives you the opportunity to ride in the cab of a steam locomotive, for one return journey from Moor Road to Park Halt and back again. See for yourself just what has to be done to make these historic machines work!
There are a number of special conditions that do have to apply to this, however, and these are as follows.
- For a footplate ride you must be at least 18 years old, and not older than 76 years.
- You also need to be in reasonable health - at least up to the level that is required to drive a motor car - and at the time of the experience you must not be under the influence of either drink or drugs.
- No prior booking is needed: rides will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.
- A special charge will apply of £20.00p, in addition to the usual fare, and this special charge will go towards our appeal to help return "No. 6" to steam. If you are willing to make a donation on top of this minimum charge, this will be much appreciated.
- You will need to wear suitable clothes. Elaborate costumes are not recommended - they are really not compatible with steam locomotive footplates!
- In particular, you will need to wear reasonably stout shoes. Trainers are not sufficient - they would not protect your toes if a lump of coal dropped on them!
General Conditions
Whilst every effort will be made to provide the advertised services, The Middleton Railway Trust Ltd. reserves the right to amend or cancel any service without prior notice and accepts no liability whatsoever for any inconvenience, loss or disappointment caused, including travel expenses.
More Information
Other pages of our web site will provide more information about:
