PEOPLE are being given the chance to have a look behind the scenes of a world-famous heritage railway.
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is staging a Grand Tour initiative.
Over two weekends, passengers buying Day Rover tickets are being offered special free access to several areas of the five-mile line – where the classic 1970 film version of The Railway Children was shot.
The opening part of the venture will be held this weekend (September 7 and 8), and visitors can take advantage of the scheme again on September 14 and 15.
A one-mile section of the railway – between Haworth and Oxenhope – is currently closed whilst work is carried out to replace 135-year-old Bridge 27, which carries the line over Bridgehouse Beck, one of the River Worth’s main tributaries.
But services are continuing to operate between Keighley and Haworth.
The full route is expected to reopen on September 21, once the bridge replacement scheme – the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway's biggest-ever volunteer-led project – is complete.
Tom Marshall, marketing officer on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, says: "We want to make sure that our visitors don’t miss out on full value whilst the section of line from Haworth to Oxenhope is closed for work on Bridge 27.
"Our passengers will have an almost unique opportunity to ride behind our diesel trains as well as step behind the scenes at the railway’s key centres.
"The Grand Tour represents a fantastic opportunity for all the family to see what it takes to make a heritage railway tick, and our volunteers are looking forward to showing off the locomotives, rolling stock, stations and services.
"Passengers will have access to the branch line’s inner-most workings, including being up-close and personal with the locomotive giants of steam.
"On offer is the opportunity to take a guided tour around Haworth shed and engineering centre, where steam locomotives are prepared and maintained for their daily lives climbing from Keighley to Oxenhope.
"Then there is the chance to see where porter Mr Perks from The Railway Children worked in the Edwardian-era themed station at Oakworth, step back in time at the two museums at Ingrow West – admission is free to Day Rover ticket holders – and be guided around the railway’s terminus at Keighley, including the newly-opened water tower visitor centre and the station’s signal box."
For further information about the Grand Tour, go to kwvr.co.uk
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