THE end of June saw the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway celebrate 50 years of steam operations with an eight-day steam spectacular that featured a blend of original pioneers, returning favourites and visiting ‘royalty’.
The royalty in question was LMS ‘7P’ 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot, which together with newly overhauled Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 41241 led the celebrations of half a century of high achievement.
The commemorations kicked off on June 24 with the official relaunch of No. 41241 into traffic. Fresh from overhaul and carrying the striking crimson ‘house’ livery as applied in 1968 (the fledgling KWVR not being permitted to run locomotives in BR livery), the ‘2MT’ took part in a special members’ day in which all KWVR members enjoyed free travel.
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The presence of Royal Scot for the first few days of the gala not only gave the railway a high-profile visitor, but also paid tribute to one of the railway’s first locomotives – No. 46115 Scots Guardsman – which was resident on the line, albeit
non-operationally, between 1966 and 1969.
Read more in the August issue of The RM – on sale now!
