The Bahamas Locomotive Society was formed in 1967 to purchase and maintain the working order, of the former LMS Railway ‘Jubilee’ Class 4-6-0 steam locomotive no. 45596 ‘Bahamas’. BLS subsequently established the Dinting Railway Centre in Derbyshire, as a working museum to house ‘Bahamas’ and their ever-growing collection of locomotives and rolling stock. During this time the locomotive was returned to mainline condition and chosen as one of the engines to spearhead British Rail’s ‘Return to Steam’.

A time came for the Dinting site to be vacated and in the late 1980s the Society moved to Ingrow West and took over the old Midland Railway goods shed. Since 1990, volunteer members of the ‘Bahamas’ Locomotive Society transformed the original building into two distinct areas. The Museum houses the BLS collection of items of railway interest and two of their steam locomotives ‘Nunlow’ and ‘Tiny’. The Workshop area provides for locomotives and rolling stock maintenance and overhaul. Visitors to the Museum are able to view the Workshop from the upper gallery.

‘Bahamas’ was the subject of a lottery-funded overhaul to return this wonderful express locomotive to the main line. This was completed in 2018 with 45596 returning to the mainline in February 2019 and can be seen on occasional work on the KWVR.

Pride of place in the BLS collection, other than ‘Bahamas’, is the National Trust’s LNWR ‘Coal Tank’ 1054. Following the overhaul, the locomotive could be seen at the head of the KWVR’s vintage train but was withdrawn from service in 2019 to await its next overhaul back to operational condition.