All Aboard! Why Families Will Love This Special Train Ride at Heatherslaw Light Railway
This summer the most northerly steam railway in England is welcoming the first visiting locomotive in its 35-year history
Ford & Etal is one of rural Northumberland’s best kept secrets and amongst many other treasured assets, it’s home to the most northerly steam railway in England: Heatherslaw Light Railway. This narrow guage (15 inch) railway spans a distance of two miles between Heatherslaw and Etal Village along the River Till.
‘Heatherslaw gives wonderful views of the countryside alongside the river and the Cheviot hills,’ says senior driver and operations manager at the railway, Carl Fairless. ‘It was first opened in 1989 by two friends, Sid Ford and Neville Smith. The first locomotive was Lady Augusta which was commissioned from Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, as well as Clive, our diesel locomotive which was built by Neville and Sid themselves. Sid still works at the railway to this day.’
Carl has worked as a driver at Heatherslaw for the last three years, and has been interested in trains all his life. ‘My interest, like many, started with Thomas the Tank Engine and model railways,’ he says. ‘When I was 13 I started my journey on the heritage steam railways on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, where I became a driver. I have volunteered at many railways including the Bluebell Railway and Severn Valley Railway. I’m now a paid member of staff doing a job that I love and many would love to have.’
This summer (1st–4th August) the team at Heatherslaw Light Railway are excited to welcome Katie, a visiting locomotive from Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. ‘Katie originally came from Cheshire, she was built in 1896 by Sir Arthur Heywood and ran on the Eaton Hall Railway,’ Carl explains.
Katie is a prized asset of The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society and Ravenglass Railway Museum Trust. ‘It is unusual to see her visit other railways,’ Carl continues. ‘Katie will be loaded onto a flatbed lorry with a crane and transported from Ravenglass to Heatherslaw where she will then be craned onto our own tracks for the exciting four-day event. During Katie’s visit there will be an intensive timetable running, operating two trains. Katie will be running pulling three of our carriages whilst Bunty (our own locomotive) will be pulling eight carriages.’
Whilst Lady Augusta, Heatherslaw’s original steam engine, is unfortunately unable to steam at this event, she will be positioned for photograph opportunities, and passengers travelling in Katie will receive a special goody bag. On the Thursday evening the train will stop at various points along the track for an opportunity to get some never-before-seen shots. On the final train on the Sunday of Katie’s visit, Heatherslaw will be running a double-header train (being pulled by both Katie and Bunty).
‘Katie’s visit to Heatherslaw is extremely important because it is the first time we have had a visiting locomotive in the 35-year history,’ Carl explains. ‘Katie is important to us as she comes to us from Ravenglass who were commissioned to build our very first steam engine, Lady Augusta. It cements our relationship with Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway as well as the preservation trust and the museum.’
Since the pandemic and the cost of living crisis Carl and his team have seen a decrease in visitor numbers, whilst the cost of overheads including electric and coal continue to rise. The recent unruly weather has also had an impact on the railway due to the rise and fall of the River Till, with an increase in rainfall occasionally flooding parts of the track and making it dangerous and difficult to run at full potential. ‘I have always worked along the lines of trains and transport so being paid to drive a steam train is a dream come true,’ Carl says. ‘It would be silly to think with rose-tinted spectacles that we do not face challenges, however we pull together as a team to overcome these as they arise. We have a small team of dedicated staff and volunteers who make the working environment a pleasant and enjoyable place to be.’
‘Katie’s visit to Heatherslaw is extremely important because it is the first time we have had a visiting locomotive in the 35-year history’
There’s plenty to get involved in at the Ford & Etal estate throughout the year, and Carl shares just a few ideas for your visit this summer. ‘Why not jump on the 11am train to Etal, explore the castle and pop along to the Lavender Tearooms or The Black Bull (the only thatched pub in Northumberland) in Etal?’ says Carl. ‘Then take a walk back down to the station to return on the train to Heatherslaw where visitors could pop along to the Heatherslaw Corn Mill and shops to explore.’ Carl also recommends visiting the Hay Farm Heavy Horse Centre, Ford Castle and grounds and the Lady Waterford Hall in Ford.
Later in the year, they will be holding a dark skies event in conjunction with Kielder Observatory (5th October), a Halloween ghost train (31st October) and their popular Santa Specials (7th, 8th, 14th and 15th December). For now, Carl has high hopes for the future of the railway to ‘continue to run and become a working asset to Northumberland and the Ford and Etal estate’.
Booking is essential for Katie’s visit at heatherslawlightrailway.co.uk. To find out more about Ford & Etal Estates, and to keep track of events taking place later in the year, visit ford-and-etal.co.uk.
