Middleton Railway Leeds, 2013

27 photos of this most historic railway, now well into its third century. It began as a wooden waggonway built to carry coal from pits at Middleton north to the industrialising city of Leeds, a distance of about 2.5 miles. The waggonway's route was authorised by a 1758 Act of Parliament, the first time this had been done for rail transport. It used horsepower until 1812, when John Blenkinsop and Matthew Murray designed and built two cogwheel steam locos, and rack rails for them to run on, for the Middleton. These were the first commercially successful locos ever built, and entered service two years before Hedley's Puffing Billy. In 1960 part of the Middleton became the first standard gauge preserved railway in Britain, narrowly beating the Bluebell. The Middleton's route has changed over the years but some part of it has always been in operation since 1758, so it is the oldest continuously operating railway in the world.

Welcome to the Middleton Rly, Leeds! Sun 14 July 2013. The railway originated as a wooden waggonway built to carry coal from pits at Middleton north to the industrialising city of Leeds, a distance of about 2.5 miles. The waggonway's route was authorised by a 1758 Act of Parliament, the first time this had been done for rail transport. The waggonway had a gauge of 4ft 1in, and started to use iron edge rails from about 1800. It used horsepower until 1812. By then the cost of horses and their fodder had risen steeply on account of Britain's long war against Bonaparte. In 1812 John Blenkinsop and Matthew Murray designed and built two cogwheel steam locos, and rack rails for them to run on. These were the first commercially successful locos ever built, and entered service two years before Hedley's Puffing Billy. They were named Prince Regent and Salamanca, after Wellington's crushing victory over the French army near that Spanish city on 22 July 1812. The first two locos having proven successful, two more were built in 1813. By 1816 six other Blenkinsop / Murray locos were in use elsewhere in northern England.

1 / 27

Welcome to the Middleton Rly, Leeds! Sun 14 July 2013. The railway originated as a wooden waggonway built to carry coal from pits at Middleton north to the industrialising city of Leeds, a distance of about 2.5 miles. The waggonway's route was authorised by a 1758 Act of Parliament, the first time this had been done for rail transport. The waggonway had a gauge of 4ft 1in, and started to use iron edge rails from about 1800. It used horsepower until 1812. By then the cost of horses and their fodder had risen steeply on account of Britain's long war against Bonaparte. In 1812 John Blenkinsop and Matthew Murray designed and built two cogwheel steam locos, and rack rails for them to run on. These were the first commercially successful locos ever built, and entered service two years before Hedley's Puffing Billy. They were named Prince Regent and Salamanca, after Wellington's crushing victory over the French army near that Spanish city on 22 July 1812. The first two locos having proven successful, two more were built in 1813. By 1816 six other Blenkinsop / Murray locos were in use elsewhere in northern England.

Middleton Railway Leeds photos