Saturday 27 August

Grand Re-Opening Ceremony

SOME OF THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS STLL TENTATIVE AS THE FINAL DETAILS OF SOME EVENTS ARE STILL BEING ARRANGED. PLEASE CHECK BACK HERE IN AUGUST TO RE-CONFIRM FINAL TIMINGS

The first day of the 'Stainmore 150' weekend will begin with the formal re-opening of Kirkby Stephen East for public train services.

09:00 Kirkby Stephen East Heritage Centre is open to visitors.

10:00 Kirkby Stephen Silver Band will play for visitors.

10:30 Mr. Steve Davies MBE, the Director of the National Railway Museum, will officially re-open the railway for public traffic. Mr. Mike Thompson, Chairman of the Stainmore Railway Company, will respond on behalf of the Directors and Shareholders of the Company

11:15 (approx) The first train, to be hauled by 2MT No. 78019 will be driven by Mr. Steve Davies. Afterwards there will be a train service for visitors to ride to the end of track operating until 17:00. Kirkby Stephen Silver Band will play for visitors.

12:15 Bus Excursion departs for Smardale to visit the Cumbria Wildlife Trust Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve (picnic lunch available for sale on site and parking available). Bus returns to Kirkby Stephen East at 14:30, arriving back at 15:00

13:00 Bus Excursion departs for Belah Viaduct and to see the unveiling of the replica Stainmore Summit Sign. We are only able to operate one double decker bus on this trip so places will be allocated by lottery. If you want to enter for a place on this excursion please go here to register.

13:00 Bus Excursion departs for Hartley for Northern Viaducts Trust conducted walk. Arrive back on foot at Kirkby Stephen East about 15:00. If you wish to make this walk independently later in the afternoon you can ask any bus returning to Kirkby Stephen Town Centre car park to continue to Hartley to drop you at the beginning of the walk.

14:00 Second bus excursion departs for Smardale for the Cumbria Wildlife Trust Guided Walk.

17:00 Kirkby Stephen East Heritage Centre closes for the day

 

Attractions on site will include railway society, trade and craft stalls. There will be a vintage children's playground offering rides. Caterers will be serving a variety of food and drink and there is a Beer Festival planned at the 'Railwayman's Pub' - the Croglin Castle Hotel adjacent to the Heritage Centre entrance.

There will be very limited parking available on site reserved for disabled badge holders only; all other visitors should park in one of the following locations

• The Auction Mart Car Park 1000 yards away in Faraday Road behind Kirkby Stephen main street. After you park the stewards will direct you through a passage to the High Street where you should wait for a Cumbria Classic Coach shuttle bus service at the bus stop outside the Pennine Hotel. This will run at approximately 10 minute intervals.

• Overflow car park at Kirkby Stephen Grammar School. The shuttle bus will pick you up on the road outside.

• Coaches should park in the Rugby Club Car Park in Westgarth Road. Please contact Stainmore Railway Company on (017683) 71700 if you are bringing a coach. Parties should arrange to be dropped outside the Croglin Castle and picked up by their driver at an agreed time

• If Faraday Road is full stewards will direct to overflow car parking

All these car parking areas are illustrated on the map below. There will be a fleet of Will Hamer's Cumbria Classic Coaches and Buses providing a free bus service between these sites and the Kirkby Stephen East Station site. There will also be a free bus service connecting with trains arriving and departing on the Settle-Carlisle line for visitors who wish to travel to Kirkby Stephen by train.

Photo: NRM Pictorial Collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connections with trains

Cumbria Classic Coaches will be running a shuttle service between the Kirkby Stephen East Heritage Centre and Kirkby Stephen West Station on the Settle-Carlisle line to meet the arriving trains and to take passengers for the departing trains shown in the table below. If you are planning to use the bus to catch a returning train please be at at the bus pick-up point opposite the Croglin Castle Hotel no later than 30 minutes before the train departure time. For full service details consult National Rail Enquiries. Kirkby Stephen West Station is about a 25 minute uphill walk from Kirkby Stephen East Heritage Centre, there is an off-road all weather footpath that is signposted near to the entrance to Jubilee Park.

 

On Saturday 27 August Cumbria Classic Coaches will provide free bus connections between Kirkby Stephen East Heritage Centre and Kirkby Stephen West station with the following trains
TRAINS TO KIRKBY STEPHEN		TRAINS FROM KIRKBY STEPHEN
From	arrives Kirkby Stephen West	departs Kirkby Stephen West	To
Carlisle (dep. 07:52)	08:47
Carlisle (dep. 09:26)	10:21
Leeds (dep. 08:49)	10:34
Leeds (dep. 09:47)	11:22
Leeds (dep. 10:49)	12:30	12:30	Carlisle (arr. 13:29)
Carlisle (dep. 11:51)	12:46	12:46	Leeds (arr. 14:57)
Leeds (dep. 12:49)	14:32	14:32	Carlisle (arr. 15:27)
Carlisle (dep. 14:26)	15:22	15:22	Leeds (arr. 17:07)
		16:29	Carlisle (arr. 17:28)
		16:39	Leeds (arr. 18:17)
		17:14	Leeds (arr. 19:07)
To catch departing trains please be sure to  be waiting for the bus on the main road opposite the Croglin Castle Hotel no later than 30 minutes before the train's departure time. For full details of all services to and from Kirkby Stephen West see the rail timetable.