Ingrow Loco Museum

Ingrow Loco Museum – the Museum of the Bahamas Locomotive Society

One of the many attractions of a stay in Haworth, or any other town or village in Brontë Country, is that there is so much to do. One of the area’s specialities is transport. Not only does the heritage Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (KWVR) run through the area, but there are several fine transport-related museums all within a few miles of each other.

One of these is the Ingrow Locomotive Museum next to KWVR’s Ingrow station (1 mile south of Keighley on A629). This highly acclaimed museum is dedicated to the story of steam locomotives, the people who worked on and with them, the passengers who rode trains pulled by them and those who became fascinated by them. Half of the building comprises workshop facilities where engines being restored can often be seen whilst the remainder of the building houses displays and other items which will be of interest to anyone with even just a slight interest in railways. The workshop can be seen from the first floor gallery.

The shed is the headquarters of the Bahamas Locomotive Society, named after the first engine acquired and restored by the Society in 1967 (LMS ‘Jubilee’ Class 4-6-0 No. 45596 “Bahamas”), and houses other fine engines from the BLS collection including an LNWR 1888-built ‘Coal Tank’ engine No 1054 which the Society has restored and is custodian of for its owner the National Trust. 1054 was the very first standard gauge locomotive saved for preservation as a result of a public subscription.

A small admission charge is made although no additional charge is made for holders of the KWVR’s Rover ticket.

Ingrow Loco is open most weekends during the year and some weekdays but it is advisable to confirm opening times by checking their website. There are regular audio visual shows and the museum is equipped with a disabled lift and toilet.

‘Jubilee’ class engine 45596 “Bahamas” and Steam’s Last Blast

Steam engines operate under extremely testing conditions – steam is very corrosive at the high pressures required to generate sufficient power to pull a train and that coupled with the effect of wear on tear on its many moving parts means that they periodically need a complete once over. Doing this is expensive. Overhauls have to be carried out to the highest standards with the safety of the public and crew very much in mind. The Bahamas Locomotive Society has recently launched an appeal called “Steam’s Last Blast” to raise £400,000 to overhaul the locomotive which gave the Society its name. Bahamas is a loco which, like the ‘Coal Tank’, played such an important part in the development of steam locomotive development in the UK. It was the very last engine that the now defunct British Rail used to experiment on in its attempts to improve the performance of its steam fleet. It is currently on display at Oxenhope but will be going, together with No 1054 the ‘Coal Tank,’ to ‘Railfest’, an exhibition of ‘record breakers’ to be held at the National Railway Museum in York from 2-10 June.  The Bahamas Locomotive Society is a charity (registered charity number 259626) and donations (whether one-off or on a regular monthly basis) qualify for Gift Aid status. You can find full details on the Society’s website.

If you’re heading to Haworth for a break, check out some Haworth bed and breakfasts and other Haworth holiday accommodation on Hello Yorkshire.