Join us for a nine-day Festival of Transport as part of May Half Term!
As part of our nine-day Festival of Transport, we’ll be marking Rail 200 by re-opening Rowley Station for the first time since 2020. Enjoy a short steam train ride aboard historic railway coaches pulled by Victorian steam locomotive ‘Sir Berkeley’ explore the signal box, waiting rooms and goods yard. This will operate on all nine days of the festival.
Stop at Pockerley Waggonway to see a replica of the original Puffing Billy locomotive, which was built in 1813 by William Hedley. On the final weekend of the event, in the 1900s Colliery you can see Coffee Pot No.1 and Keighley Gas Works No.2 in action, as well as watching Glyder and Samson in action alongside some visiting engines on the Narrow Gauge Railway. We will also have visiting narrow gauge locomotives Velinheli and Sybil joining us for the final weekend of the event.
Throughout the event the museum’s restored trams will be operating on the 1.5 mile tramway, and a wide variety of historic buses will provide a supporting cast as they assist visitors in moving around the site. Additional visiting buses will be operating and on display on the First and last weekends (including Bank Holiday Monday).
There will be vintage and veteran road vehicles on display on the 27/28th May, and Road steam engines in action on the 29/30th May.
On Saturday 31st May the museum will be screening the legendary railway film, The Titfield Thunderbolt (pre-booking required) in the recreated 1950s Grand Cinema.
More details about the visiting locomotives can be found on the Transport Blog.
Daily Transport Activity
- Hop aboard a tram or bus and travel through time.
- See Rowley Station in action for the first time since 2020! Enjoy a short steam train ride and explore the signal box, waiting rooms and goods yard.
- At Pockerley Waggonway, you can see a replica of the original Puffing Billy locomotive, which was built in 1813 by William Hedley.
Saturday, 24th to Monday 26th May
- See your favourite Beamish bus running alongside a number of visiting buses.
Tuesday, 27th and Wednesday, 28th May
- See vintage and veteran cars and motorcycles travelling around the museum site. There will also be a display from the museum’s own vehicle collection on The 1900s Town Street.
Thursday, 29th and Friday, 30th May
- See road steam travelling around the museum site. There will also be a display on The 1900s Town Street.
Saturday 31st May and Sunday, 1st June
- Watch Glyder and Samson in action alongside some visiting engines on the Narrow Gauge Railway in The 1900s Colliery.
- See your favourite Beamish bus running alongside some post-war vintage buses.
As with all daytime events, you can use your Unlimited Pass or Friends of Beamish membership to enjoy this special event.
For more information keep checking back here or follow us on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Beamish reserves the right to alter or change this programme at any point.
