Midland Railway – Butterley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Midland Railway – Butterley
British Railways Standard 5 No. 73129 at Swanwick Junction Station
Terminus	Hammersmith and Pye Bridge
Commercial operations
Name	Ambergate to Pye Bridge Line
Built by	Midland Railway
Original gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Owned by	Midland Railway Trust Ltd
Operated by	Midland Railway Trust Ltd
Stations	3
Length	3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened	1 February 1875
Closed to passengers	23 December 1968
Preserved era	Different era on a different day but normally 19th century
Preservation history
Headquarters	Butterley Station
Website
https://www.midlandrailway-butterley.co.uk/

The Midland Railway – Butterley is a special railway and museum in Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire. It's a "heritage railway," which means old railway lines and trains are kept and run for people to enjoy today. It's like stepping back in time to see how trains used to work!

History of the Railway

The Original Line

The Midland Railway – Butterley is built on part of the old Midland Railway line. This line used to connect different railway routes in the area. It was very important for moving goods and people. The only original station still on the line is Butterley, which opened way back in 1875.

What the Railway Was Used For

In the past, this railway line was super busy! It helped transport coal from many local mines, like Marehay and Swanwick. It also served the Butterley Company, a big ironworks that needed trains to move their products.

There's also a smaller, special railway here called the Golden Valley Light Railway. It's a "narrow gauge" railway, meaning its tracks are closer together than normal ones. It opened in 1991 and runs on the path of an even older railway from 1813! That old railway was built by the Butterley Company to connect its iron works.

Closing Down and Reopening

The original railway line closed in 1968. But people who loved trains wanted to save it! So, in 1973, they started working to bring it back to life. Some parts of the old track were removed when new roads, like the A38, were built. But the first special train rides for visitors started in 1981.

Stations and Cool Places to See

The railway runs for about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) and has three main stations. Let's explore them!

Hammersmith Station

Hammersmith is at one end of the line. It has two platforms where you can get on and off the trains. You can even see the busy A38 road from here!

Butterley Station

Butterley is the main hub of the Midland Railway – Butterley. It's where the railway's offices are. The original station buildings were taken down, but new ones were brought from another station and rebuilt here. Inside, you'll find a gift shop and a place to buy tickets. There's also a cafe for snacks and drinks.

• Model Railway: In the yard, there's an outdoor model railway called the Garden Railway. It runs on most Sundays and some Saturdays.
• Star Tugs Trust Carriage: Look out for a special carriage that holds an exhibition of original models from the TV show TUGS. It's open on certain days, so check before you visit!

Butterley Railway Station

Swanwick Junction Station

Swanwick Junction is the biggest and busiest part of the railway. It's home to many exciting attractions!

• The Station: This station has four platforms. The main station building was moved here from another old station. It has toilets, a cafe, and a waiting room.
• Matthew Kirtley Museum: This is the main museum at Swanwick. It's filled with different old locomotives, coaches, and wagons. It's a great place to learn about train history!
• The West Shed: This is where the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust keeps some amazing trains, like the famous Duchess of Sutherland. You might see some beautiful old carriages here too.
• St. Saviour's Church: This old church was moved here from Westhouses. It used to be a church for railway workers.
• Derby St Mary's Gatehouse: This small building was moved from a goods yard in Derby. It now houses the Swanwick Junction Model Railway Club.
• Static Power Museum: This museum has many old machines that used to power things. It's usually open during busy times and special events.
• Historic Carriage and Wagon Shed: Here, you can see many old coaches and wagons waiting to be fixed up. Sometimes, you can even watch people working on them!
• National Fork Truck Heritage Centre and Road Transport Gallery: This building shows off a collection of old buses, lorries, and other road vehicles, plus fork lift trucks.

Butterley Park Miniature Railway

At Swanwick Junction, there's a fun miniature railway! On Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, you can ride tiny versions of classic steam and diesel engines. It's a short ride, but a lot of fun!

Riddings

Riddings doesn't have a station platform, but it's an important spot. It's where the railway line splits, and you can see where the trains would have continued towards Pye Bridge. The River Erewash flows underneath this junction.

Special Events

The Midland Railway – Butterley hosts many exciting events throughout the year!

• Victorian Train Weekends: Experience what train travel was like in Victorian times with special old coaches.
• Steam and Diesel Locomotive Events: See different types of powerful steam and diesel engines in action.
• Trains to the Seaside: In summer, enjoy special trains that pretend to take you to the seaside!
• Halloween Events: Get spooky fun on the railway around Halloween.
• Santa Specials: Meet Santa on a special train ride during the Christmas season.

The railway can also host weddings and parties, making it a unique place for celebrations!

Locomotives of the Midland Railway - Butterley

The railway has many different types of locomotives (train engines). Most of the steam engines that carry passengers are from the old LMS (London, Midland and Scottish Railway) and BR (British Railways) companies. Some very old or rare engines are kept in the museum.

Steam Locomotives (Working or Being Fixed)

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery	Year Built	Photograph
No. 1163 "Whitehead"	Peckett 0-4-0ST	Under Repair	Unlined Brunswick Green with the BR Crest.	1908
No. 3597 "Falmouth Docks No. 3"	Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST	Under Repair	Lined Green	1926
No. 47327(23)	LMS Fowler Class 3F 0-6-0T	Under Repair	S&DJR Prussian Blue.	1926
No. 47357 (16440) "Uncle Albert"	LMS 0-6-0T Class 3F Jinty	Operational	LMS Maroon (on completion)	1926
No. 47445	LMS Class 3F 0-6-0T Jinty	Under Repair	N/A	1927	~
No. 46203 "Princess Margaret Rose"	LMS 4-6-2 Class 8P	On Static Display	BR Maroon	1935
No. 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland"	LMS Coronation Class	Operational	LMS Crimson Lake	1938
No. 3883 "Lord Phil"	Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST	Under Repair	Lined Green	1943
No.7214 "George"	RSH 0-4-0ST	Under Repair	Dark Green	1945	~
No. 2111 "Lytham St Annes"	Peckett 0-4-0ST	Under Repair	Lined Blue	1949
No. 80080	BR 2-6-4T Class 4MT	On loan to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway	BR Lined Black with Early Crest.	1954
No. 80098	BR 2-6-4T Class 4MT	Under Overhaul	BR Lined Black with Late Crest.	1954
No. 7817 "Castle Donington Power Station No. 1"	RSH 0-4-0ST	Stored awaiting overhaul.	Dark Blue.	1954
No. 73129	BR Standard Class 5	Under Repair	BR lined Black with the early crest.	1956

Static or Dismantled Steam Locomotives

Some steam engines are on display or are being taken apart for major repairs.

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery	Date	Photograph
Brown Bailey No. 4	Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 0-4-0ST	Permanently on display outside gates at Swanwick Junction.	Light Blue	1894
No. 47564	LMS Class 3F Jinty 0-6-0T	Stored, dismantled.	BR Black	1928	~

Diesel and Electric Locomotives

The railway also has many diesel and electric engines. These are used for different jobs, like moving trains around the yard or pulling passenger services.

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery	Photograph
"Andy" 16038	Fowler 0-4-0DM	Under restoration.	Railfreight Grey (coal sector)
"Albert/Emfour 9" D1114	Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 Shunter	Undergoing restoration.	Green
No. 416 "Needlesnoot"	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 Shunter	Operational.	Castle Donington Blue
No. RS12	Motorail Simplex No RS12	Stored – poor condition.	Brown
No. RS9	Motorail Simplex No. RS9	Stored – very poor condition.	Blue
No. 441	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 Shunter	Undergoing clutch repairs.	Blue
No. D1154 'Manton'	Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 Shunter	Under Restoration.	Green
No. 5337	Mercury Tractor 0-4-0	Stored.	Blue
No. 384139/D2959	Ruston & Hornsby	Under Overhaul.	BR Green
No. D2858	BR 0-4-0 Class 02	Static display.	BR Green
No. D2138	BR 0-6-0 Class 03	Undergoing overhaul.	BR Green
No. 08590 "Red Lion"	BR 0-6-0 Class 08	Operational.	BR Blue
No. 08331	BR 0-6-0 Class 08	Operational.	Black
No. 12077	BR 0-6-0 Class 11	Operational.	BR Green
No. 8001 (20001)	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Operational - On Loan.	BR Green Full Yellow Ends
No. 20048	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Operational - On loan.	BR Blue
No. 20059	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Operational - On loan.	BR Green with Yellow Warning panels
No. 20188	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Operational - On loan.	BR Green with Yellow warning panels
No. 20205	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Operational.	BR Blue
No. 20227	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Operational.	London Transport Red
No. 25321	BR Bo-Bo Class 25	Awaiting electrical repairs and repaint.	BR Green
No. 5580 (31162)	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Operational.	BR Blue
No. 31108	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Operational.	BR Railfreight Red Stripe
No. 31414	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Undergoing Restoration.	N/A
No. 31418 "Boadicea"	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Undergoing Restoration (Stored).	N/A
No. 31271 "Stratford 1840–2001"	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Operational – on loan.	Railfreight Construction
No. 40012 "Aureol"	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40	Currently being repaired.	BR Blue
No. D4 "Great Gable"	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 44	Operational.	BR Blue
No. 45041 "Royal Tank Regiment"	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45	Operational, on loan.	BR Blue
No. 45108	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45	Operational, on loan.	BR Blue
No. 45133	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45	Under restoration.	BR Blue
No. D182	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 46	Operational.	BR Blue
No. 47401 "North Eastern"	BR Co-Co Class 47	Under restoration.	BR Blue
No. D1516 (47417)	BR Co-Co Class 47	Under restoration.	BR Two-Tone Green
No. 27000 Electra	BR Class 77 'EM2' 1500 V Electric	Operational, usually on display.	Lined Black

DMUs and EMU Sets

These are special trains that can drive themselves, without needing a separate engine.

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery	Photograph
Unit. 51118+56097	BR Class 100	Under restoration.	BR Green
DMBS 51907 + DTCL 56490	BR Class 108	Operational.	BR Blue and Grey
Unit. 977775+977776 (50015+56015)	BR Class 114	Stored out of use.	BR Blue
Unit. 50019+56006	BR Class 114	Under restoration.	BR Multiple Unit Green
DMBS Unit. 51669+51849	BR Class 115	Restoration not planned.	Rusty Green
Unit. 51591+59609+59659+51625	BR Class 127	Stored out of use.	BR Green, white crest.
Unit 141113 (formed of 55513+55533)	BR Class 141	Operational.	Red and White
Unit 142011 (formed of 55552+55602)	BR Class 142	Operational.	Provincial Blue
Nos. 29666 and 29670	BR Class 505 (Trailers only)	Undergoing restoration.	N/A

Coach Stock

The railway has many different types of passenger coaches, from very old ones to more modern ones.

Midland Railway Vintage Set

These old coaches are only used on special "vintage" days.

LMS Coaches

These coaches are from the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. They are sometimes used with the older Midland Railway coaches.

Mk1 and Mk2 Coaches

These are common types of coaches used on many heritage railways.

Other Coaches

The railway also has some unique carriages used for special occasions.

Matthew Kirtley Museum

Mock up of the Class 93 locomotive, located in the Matthew Kirtley Museum at Swanwick

The Matthew Kirtley Museum is the biggest building at Swanwick Junction. It's filled with amazing train exhibits! As of March 2022, it's closed for roof repairs, but it's usually a great place to see rare and old engines.

Museum Stock

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery	Year Built	Photograph
No. 158A	Midland Railway 156 Class 2-4-0	On loan to Barrow Hill Roundhouse.	Midland Railway Maroon	1866
"Gladys"	Markham & Co. 0-4-0ST	A static display.	Dark Green	1894
"Victory"	Peckett 0-4-0ST	A static display.	Dark Green	1919
"Stanton 24"	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0TC	A static display.	Dark Green	1925
Boots No. 2	0-4-0TF	A static display.	Boots Blue (with logo)	1955	~

Golden Valley Light Railway

The Golden Valley Light Railway is a special narrow gauge railway. Its tracks are 2 feet (0.61 m) apart, much narrower than the main railway. It runs for almost a mile through a country park. It even goes near the old Butterley Tunnel, which was part of a canal!

Golden Valley Light Railway Stock

This railway has its own collection of unique locomotives, coaches, and wagons. Many of them are being restored to run on the line.

Images for kids

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  12077 outside museum shed