Industrial Railway Society Events and Visits
We do organise visits to industrial and heritage railway sites during the year for members and usually guests as well. Once details are confirmed they will be announced here.
Sales Stand
The Sales Stand is scheduled to attend the following events:
Summer Spectacle of Steam, Statfold Barn – 6th and 7th June (in the IRS Archive building, near the Arena)
Amberley Museum Rail Gala, Amberley – 18th and 19th July
Garden Railway Show, Lymington Community Centre, Lymington – 8th and 9th August
Other Links & Events
From time to time members of the Industrial Railway Society and the IRS emailing list send in details of various events and open days around the country. As a service to members and other visitors to our website we can list these below, or in our bi-monthly newsletter, together with the sender’s name and email address (when known).
However please note that the IRS cannot take any responsibility for the accuracy of these announcements or even be sure whether they will actually take place. If you have any queries, please address them to the relevant society, NOT the IRS.
If you would like your event listed please email the Bulletin Editor.
Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway, Skegness
Narrow Gauge at Work Photo Charter – Friday 19th June
Narrow Gauge at Work – Saturday 20th June
Industrial narrow gauge enthusiasts are invited to sign up for the Photo Charter on the Friday. Those who sign up will also be entitled to free rides and lineside access on Saturday should they wish to stay overnight in the area. Lineside access on Saturday should be also be possible.
On Friday there will be 3 train consists and 5 locos (steam and diesel) available to haul them.
Consist One – skip wagons behind Peckett JURASSIC (ex-Southams Cement Works) or Simplex ‘Fred’ (ex-Skegness Brick Works) – with Trixie the horse to provide some horse haulage (Skip wagons and Trixie provided by the Silverleaf & Poplar Railway)
Consist Two – ex-Nocton Potato Railway wagons (ex-WW1 D and P wagons) with dummy potato load behind MotorRail Simplex ‘Nocton’ with its new replica Nocton wooden cab
Consist Three – PW train with rail wagon, sleeper wagon and ballast wagon hauled by ex-Bolton Fell Peat Railway Simplex T3 or SARK
If you wish to sign up for this charter, please make a bank transfer of £20 to the following Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway account. Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway Historic Vehicles Trust Account number: 11579450 Sort Code: 16 20 28. When doing so, please let Geoff glhankin36@hotmail.co.uk and Stuart Stuart_92@yahoo.co.uk know you have done this so Geoff can confirm payment and Stuart can keep in touch with you about arrangements for the day, including access to the Skegness Water Leisure Park where the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway is located and free parking or public transport from Skegness Railway Station.
On Saturday passenger trains will operate from around 11 am to just before 4 pm using steam and diesel. Freight trains will be run between passenger trains to Seathorne Bank. This will be the first chance to see PAUL in her newly restored 1960 condition and hopefully the first chance to ride behind Simplex 8905. JURASSIC is expected to be in use if a steam crew is available. All trains will be top and tailed or double headed and we hope to have all 10 locos run in cavalcade at the end of the day.
Other 2026 Services
The LCLR will operate trains on the following dates in 2026:
Steam: 18th & 25th July; 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th August.
Diesel: 27th May; 6th, 13th & 27th June; 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th July; 3rd, 5th, 10th, 12th, 17th, 19th, 24th, 26th & 30th August; 2nd, 5th, 12th, 13th, 19th & 26th September; and 24th October.
Please note that on Steam Days the first trains will be Diesel hauled, with the steam loco taking over about 11.30. Final train may also be diesel hauled.
On all days the first train departs at 10.30 – final train 15.45.
Fares: Adults & Children over 3 years old £2. Family ticket (2+3) £5. Dogs free.
Apedale Simplex Gala Weekend
110 years ago, in 1916, a Bedford engineering company created the first Motor Rail locomotive. Trading as “Simplex”, they went on to become one of the UK’s most prolific builders of narrow gauge internal-combustion locos. The Apedale Valley Light Railway are staging a Motorail Mania event on the 27th and 28th of June. This will be a special weekend celebrating that heritage through the significant collection of such locos at Apedale, supplemented by some visitors, including MR 5226 ” Bambridge Hall” and MR 4724 “Agwi Pet 2” courtesy of the Statfold Barn Railway. Frequent trains will operate using Motor Rail diesel and petrol locos. The event will run from 11.30 until 4pm on both days. If you own a Motor Rail and fancy bringing it to join the fun, get in touch! Passenger trains begin at 11.00 each day with demonstration freight trains running on the mainline in-between passenger services. Fares for this event will be –
Admission and one ride – Adults £8, children £1; Day Rovers – Adults £25, children £12.
The planned loco roster is as follows,
Saturday 27th
11:00 No.13 ‘Pilk’ (11142) and “Campbell’s” (60s 364)
11:30 No.6 (7066) No.21 (8669)
12.00 No.7 ‘The Wade’ (8663) 25/35 “Bambridge Hall” (5226)
12:30 “No.30” (8695) No.20 (8748)
13 00 No.98 ‘L5’ (21520) 20/28 “Pioneer” (8739)
13:30 No.75 (22235) No.60 ‘ Lord Austin ‘ (6035)
14:00 No.47 (1369)
14:30 No.3 (8878) 20/26 “Agwi Pet 2” (4724)
15:00 “43” from Leighton Buzzard (10409) No.42 (7710)
15:30 No.87 (5213) No.43 ‘G series’ (104G063)
Freight “43” from Leighton Buzzard (10409)
16:00 No.20 (8748), No.36 (8540) & “No.30” (8695)
Sunday 28th
11:00 No.101 (60SD754)
11:30 No.81 (2197) No.39 (1111)
12.00 8540 , No.21 (8669)
12:30 No.87 (5213) 25/35 “Bambridge Hall” (5226)
13 00 “43” from Leighton Buzzard (10409)
13:30 No.75 (22235) No.14 ‘Knothole Worker’ (22045)
14:00 “Campbell’s” (60s 364)
14:30 20/26 “Agwi Pet 2” (4724 ) “No.30” (8695)
15:00 No.40 ‘Sludge’ (40SD516) 20/28 “Pioneer” (8739)
15:30 “Campbell’s” (60s 364) 20/28 “Pioneer” (8739)
16:00 No.61 ‘Block of Flats’ (1320)
There is also a “Simplex’s and Sand” photo charter on the Saturday morning, an early start to the day running from 07.00 to 11.00. Entry to the charter includes site access during the gala on the 27th and a return train ride. For more info please contact operations@avlr.org.uk
Drive a Diesel
The Stephenson Steam Railway Museum, North Tyneside
Saturdays 9 May, 20 June, 19 September and 17 October.
Step into the cab of 03078 and take control in this hands-on driving experience as you operate and learn all about this classic British Rail Class 03 shunter, under expert tuition from our qualified instructors. You’ll learn how to prepare, start up and operate this powerful machine before collecting some wagons and taking a freight train for a run out on the line.
Click on the image for more information.
LORD GRANBY Open Day
The Eastwell Heritage Centre, Sunday 16th August.
3ft gauge 0-4-0ST LORD GRANBY (Hudswell Clarke 633 of 1902) will be on display at Eastwell Heritage Centre, Cross Roads Farm, Eastwell, Leicestershire LE14 4EF from 10:00 to 16:00 hours. Also on display will be a truck used to carry the ore and artefacts from times past and classic cars, with audio-visual and static displays to explain the origins and the activities of the ironstone workings. Free entry (donation appreciated) free parking, refreshments available.