'The Stainmore 150 Weekend' - 27 to 30 August

We now have an outline programme for the main 'Stainmore 150' weekend. Details are being finalised so this may still be subject to some change. Keep checking back as more details will be available for the programme on each of the days during the next few weeks.

Saturday 27 August

Grand Re-Opening Ceremony

Kirkby Stephen East Station will be formally re-opened for public train services by Mr. Steve Davies MBE, Director of the National Railway Museum. The Ceremony will begin at 10:30 AM. Afterwards the first train will leave the station.

Sunday 28 August

Cutting the First Sod

There will be a re-enactment of the events of the original ceremony held on site at Kirkby Stephen on 25 August 1857 when the Duke of Cleveland inaugurated construction work on the railway. Students of Kirkby Stephen Grammar School will also be performing. Further details will be published as they become available.
 

Monday 29 August

Ex-Employees' Day

A reunion day for all those that worked at Kirkby Stephen East and at other locations along the Stainmore Line. The site is open to visitors and there will be train services operating.

Tuesday 30 August

Photo Charter Day

The three veteran locomotives on the site will also be positioned during the day for the benefit of railway photographers who want to take advantage of this unique photo opportunity. The event is being organised by David Tillotson and places need to be booked in advance as attendance will be limitedto give photographers an opportunity for special shots..

 

A place on photo-charter day costs £30 and should be booked by e-mail. Please contact David on dbt1k@yahoo.co.uk for details

 

 

Attractions at Kirkby Stephen East

Thanks to the generous support our event has received from the Heritage Lottery Fund admission to the site will be free. Three former 'Stainmore Line' locomotives will be at Kirkby Stephen East. We are expecting visitor trains to be hauled by former BR '2MT' 78019, a locomotive which began its working life here at Kirkby Stephen shed in 1954. On static display will be ex-North Eastern Railway J21 65033, a class of locomotive used for more than sixty years on trains across Stainmore. Also on display will be Fletcher 901 Class 2-4-0 No. 910 which we will have at our Heritage Centre on a five year loan from the National Railway Museum. North Eastern Railway snowplough No. 18 will be on display. This plough will be reunited with '78019' after fifty six years - the locomotive and plough both featured in the British Transport Films production 'Snowdrift at Bleathgill' in February 1955 when they were sent to the rescue of sister locomotive '78018' stranded in snow drifts on Stainmore. Beamish Museum will also be lending us their 1903 North Eastern Railway clerestory coach.
The Kirkby Stephen Silver band will be providing music on site at both the Saturday and Sunday events. Local organisations and railway preservation groups will be well represented on site over the weekend and there will be a variety of craft and trade stalls available for visitors to browse. Cumbria Wildlife Trust will be conducting guided walks through the Smardale Nature Reserve on each of the three days, and the Northern Viaduct Trust will be organising walks to Merrygill Viaduct. Free vintage bus rides will be available between the Kirkby Stephen East station and Smardale and Merrygill to connect with these guided walks. There will also be free vintage fairground rides for children at the station site.
 

Parking

There will be a limited number of parking spaces available for disabled badge holders at Kirkby Stephen East but otherwise there will be no public parking on site during the weekend. If you are coming from out of town please park at Kirkby Stephen Auction Mart in Faraday Road behind the High Street from where there will be a free shuttle bus service operated by Cumbria Classic Coaches.
Check back here later for more about these events or better still add your e-mail address to our mailing list here and we will send you full details of our programme as information on each event is available.

 

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