Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway was one of the first Heritage Railways to be established in the UK. Originally opened in 1867 to serve the multitude of mills in the Worth Valley near Keighley in West Yorkshire, it was operated by the Midland Railway.

Our journey takes us from the terminus at Oxenhope north to Keighley, where the railway shares a station with main line services from Skipton to Leeds and Bradford. We travel aboard a Midland Railway Class 4F 0-4-0 steam locomotive which first entered service in 1920. After watching the operation to reposition the locomotive to the opposite end of the carriages, the return journey from Keighley to Oxenhope sees the 4F hard at work as it climbs 300 feet in just under five miles, on a gradient of nearly 1:50 in places.

Along the way, enjoy spectacular views from the five cameras, two of which are on the footplate, in perfect weather. You’ll hear about the history of the line, and about the fight to save it following closure in 1962, in our full commentary. For the purists, you can turn off the commentary and enjoy the throaty sound of a magnificent steam engine hard at work.

Alongside the journey, you’ll find a short feature which celebrates the hard work of the volunteers who keep the Worth Valley line alive, and learn how you could join them, perhaps ending up as an engine driver on the railway where the film The Railway Children was shot.

And to round off the DVD we’ve created our own version of the 1952 BBC film, London to Brighton in Four Minutes, with a high speed run from Keighley to Oxenhope. So sit back and enjoy the best seat available on this charming standard gauge railway.