Railway Children Celebration
Railway Children Bank Holiday Celebration
For this weekend only, Up to two children (aged 5-15) dressed as wartime evacuees will enjoy a free day rover on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway when accompanied by an adult with a full price Day Rover ticket.
This year, a dual celebration will be held over the August Bank Holiday weekend, celebrating the 1970s film “The Railway Children” which shot the KWVR to international stardom and won the hearts of millions. Alongside that, we will be celebrating “The Railway Children Return”, a brand new feature film set for release in the summer of 2022.
Across the bank holiday weekend, see re-enactments and locomotives featured in both films & visit Oakworth Station, the home of the “Railway Children”.
Dates
Saturday 27th August
Sunday 28th August
Monday 29th August
‘Big Jim’
Our lovable rogue, Big Jim, is the steam locomotive that features in one of the major scenes in the Railway Children Return, where the children stop the military train that Lily and Abe are being held captive on. Built by the Americans for the war effort in the 1940s, Big Jim can be seen hauling trains all weekend.
‘The Evacuee Carriage’
The carriage used in the Railway Children Return’ will be available to ride in on trains throughout the weekend. Please check the timetable for which trains have this vehicle on.
The Railway Children Return is themed around Children being evacuated from cities to the country. For this weekend, only Children Travel Free when dressed as wartime evacuees.
‘Thomas’s secret hideout’
The brake van used in the Railway Children Return is on display at Oakworth station for you to climb into and imagine yourself in the scenes from the film. You can access this all weekend.
‘The 4F Steam locomotive.’
This steam engine features in several scenes in The Railway Children Return. This locomotive is now in need of a rebuild and isn’t able to Steam anymore. You can see it on display in our Exhibition shed at Oxenhope.
‘The American Military Train’
The Military train in the Railway Children Return will be carrying out demonstration runs Hauled by Big Jim on the line on Monday 29th August. Look at our timetable and find the best spot to watch this train pass. It won’t be possible to travel on this train; however, seeing the spectacle of it pass will undoubtedly be worth the wait!
Keep an eye out for the American military police, who will be travelling around the Railway by road on Monday in their Jeep!
The Metropolitan Carriages
The KWVR is lucky to have access to some beautiful carriages from the Vintage Carriages Trust, which will be in use this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. These carriages featured in the first film and were seen with many people waving their hankies…!
Check our timetables to see when you can ride in these fantastic vehicles.
‘The Scotch Flyer’
‘It’s all uphill to Scotland!’
The Scotch Flyer will be steaming through the Worth Valley on Saturday & Sunday, non-stop through Oakworth Station! We’re sure ‘Perks will be about’.
‘The Old Gents Saloon’
The carriage featured in The Railway Children carrying the Old Gentleman that the children waved to. The carriage will be displayed in Oxenhope Exhibition Shed, and you’ll be able to climb onboard and explore, along with a volunteer to tell you about the carriage and its history.
OAKWORTH STATION
The place to visit over the weekend is, of course, the iconic Oakworth station. Featuring in both Films as ‘Oakworth’, you can see the locations used for many scenes in the old and new films.
Make sure you have your camera phone and take some selfies! You can upload these to Social Media and tag us; they’ll feature on our new visitor gallery.
Oakworth’s new tea hut will be open during the weekend, serving hot and cold drinks, Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream, sandwiches, cakes and snacks – an ideal location to spend an hour!
Guided Tours of the station will be taking place daily, giving you information on the station’s history and some facts you won’t have heard of!
DAMEMS STATION
This station’s road crossing is featured in the Railway Children Return when the US military police stop the train that Lily and Abe are travelling to Liverpool on.
Damems is the UK’s smallest full station and is a lovely place to spend a few minutes when changing trains. There is a lovely footpath nearby where you can see the trains passing.
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN
On Monday 29th August, the Children who play the characters Thomas, Pattie and Ted will visit the KWVR to participate in activities. A book and merchandise signing with the children will take place between 12:00 and 14:00 in the Secret Hideout vehicle. You’ll be able to buy merchandise at Oakworth station on the day.
The Producer
Jemma Rodgers, the producer for the new film, will be visiting on Sunday and Monday and will be doing a short talk on the film from concept to delivery at 11 am and 1pm, at Oakworth Station.
The Railway Children (1970)
The 1970 film version of Edith Nesbit’s story The Railway Children brought the Keighley & Worth Valley into the limelight, with the railway and the surrounding valley used as the backdrop for the film. The story revolves around a family with three children – Roberta (also known as Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis; their father was arrested on suspicion of being a spy.
The mother hides this from the rest of the family, and they had to move to the countryside due to becoming impoverished. They move to a cottage called Three Chimneys in Yorkshire near Oakworth Railway Station. The rest is history…
The Railway Children Return (2022)
The Railway Children Return will take audiences on an exciting and heart-warming journey in which a group of children are evacuated to a Yorkshire village during World War 2, where they encounter a young soldier who, like them, is far away from home….
Production company Studio Canal has released the first trailer of The Railway Children Return, filmed along the railway and surrounding areas. Multiple trailers have been released during the run-up to the film’s scheduled release date on 15h July 2022.
The Railway Children Return is helmed by BAFTA-winning director Morgan Matthews and written by BAFTA-winning Danny Brocklehurst.
Starring Sheridan Smith, Jenny Agutter (who returns as Bobbie from the original beloved family classic), Tom Courtenay and a new generation of Railway Children!
EVENT INFORMATION
Car parks are available at five of the KWVR stations, and for the benefit of satellite navigation system users, the KWVR station addresses & postcodes are:
- KEIGHLEY – Keighley Railway Station, Station Bridge, Keighley, BD21 4HP
- INGROW – Ingrow Railway Station, South Street, Ingrow, Keighley, BD21 5AX
- OAKWORTH – Oakworth Railway Station, Station Road, Oakworth, Keighley, BD22 0DZ
- HAWORTH – The Railway Station, Station Road, Haworth, Keighley, BD22 8NJ
- OXENHOPE – Oxenhope Railway Station, Station Road, Oxenhope, Keighley, BD22 9LB
You can find more information about getting the railway in the dedicated travel section.
| Notes: |  |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oxenhope | d | – |
1000 |
1045 |
1135 |
1225 |
1310 |
1355 |
1445 |
1530 |
1615 |
1715 |
| Haworth | d | 0925 |
1006 |
1051 |
1145 |
1231 |
1316 |
1401 |
1451 |
1536 |
1621 |
1721 |
| Oakworth | d | 0928 |
1009 |
1054 |
1148 |
1234 |
1319 |
1404 |
1454 |
1539 |
1624 |
1724 |
| Damems | d | 0930x |
1013x |
1057x |
1152x |
1239x |
1323x |
1407x |
1457x |
1544x |
1627x |
1727x |
| Ingrow West | d | 0934 |
1016 |
1101 |
1156 |
1243 |
1326 |
1411 |
1501 |
1548 |
1631 |
1731 |
| Keighley | d | 0940 |
1025 |
1110 |
1205 |
1250 |
1335 |
1420 |
1510 |
1555 |
1640 |
1740 |
| Notes: | |
|
|
|
|
|
 Scotch Flyer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Keighley | d | – |
1000 |
1045 |
1140 |
1230 |
1310 |
1355 |
1445 |
1535 |
1615 |
1655 |
1800 |
| Ingrow West | d | 0925 |
1006 |
1051 |
1146 |
1236 |
1316 |
– |
1451 |
1541 |
1621 |
1701 |
1806 |
| Damems | d | 0928x |
1009x |
1054x |
1149x |
1239x |
1319x |
– |
1454x |
1544x |
1624x |
– |
1809x |
| Oakworth | d | 0933 |
1015 |
1100 |
1155 |
 1245 |
1326 |
– |
1500 |
1553 |
1630 |
– |
1815 |
| Haworth | d | 0936 |
1019 |
1103 |
1159 |
1249 |
1329 |
1419 |
1504 |
1559 |
1634 |
– |
1819 |
| Oxenhope | d | 0941 |
1025 |
1115 |
1205 |
1255 |
1335 |
1425 |
1510 |
1605 |
1640 |
– |
1825 |
Key
|
5820 ‘Big Jim’ and Chatham – TSO 33 – RMB – TSO 36 – TSO 39 | |
|
37075 BR Class 37 and BS10 – S16 – Metropolitan Railway Brake 427 – Metropolitan Railway 465 – Metropolitan Railway 509 | |
|
85 TVR Class 02 and BS10 – S16 – Metropolitan Railway Brake 427 – Metropolitan Railway 465 – Metropolitan Railway 509 | |
|
Emergency Stopping the train at Oakworth Station | |
|
Scotch Flyer ‘Express Service’ |
| Notes: | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oxenhope | d | – |
1000 |
1045 |
1135 |
1225 |
1310 |
1355 |
1445 |
1530 |
1615 |
1715 |
| Haworth | d | 0925 |
1006 |
1051 |
1145 |
1231 |
1316 |
1401 |
1451 |
1536 |
1621 |
1721 |
| Oakworth | d | 0928 |
1009 |
1054 |
1148 |
1234 |
1319 |
1404 |
1454 |
1539 |
1624 |
1724 |
| Damems | d | 0930x |
1013x |
1057x |
1152x |
1239x |
1323x |
1407x |
1457x |
1544x |
1627x |
1727x |
| Ingrow West | d | 0934 |
1016 |
1101 |
1156 |
1243 |
1326 |
1411 |
1501 |
1548 |
1631 |
1731 |
| Keighley | d | 0940 |
1025 |
1110 |
1205 |
1250 |
1335 |
1420 |
1510 |
1555 |
1640 |
1740 |
| Notes: | |
|
|
|
|
|
Scotch Flyer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Keighley | d | – |
1000 |
1045 |
1140 |
1230 |
1310 |
1355 |
1445 |
1535 |
1615 |
1655 |
1800 |
| Ingrow West | d | 0925 |
1006 |
1051 |
1146 |
1236 |
1316 |
– |
1451 |
1541 |
1621 |
1701 |
1806 |
| Damems | d | 0928x |
1009x |
1054x |
1149x |
1239x |
1319x |
– |
1454x |
1544x |
1624x |
– |
1809x |
| Oakworth | d | 0933 |
1015 |
1100 |
1155 |
1245 |
1326 |
– |
1500 |
1553 |
1630 |
– |
1815 |
| Haworth | d | 0936 |
1019 |
1103 |
1159 |
1249 |
1329 |
1419 |
1504 |
1559 |
1634 |
– |
1819 |
| Oxenhope | d | 0941 |
1025 |
1115 |
1205 |
1255 |
1335 |
1425 |
1510 |
1605 |
1640 |
– |
1825 |
Key
|
5820 ‘Big Jim’ and Chatham – TSO 33 – RMB – TSO 36 – TSO 39 | |
|
37075 BR Class 37 and BS10 – S16 – Metropolitan Railway Brake 427 – Metropolitan Railway 465 – Metropolitan Railway 509 | |
|
85 TVR Class 02 and BS10 – S16 – Metropolitan Railway Brake 427 – Metropolitan Railway 465 – Metropolitan Railway 509 | |
|
Emergency Stopping the train at Oakworth Station | |
|
Scotch Flyer ‘Express Service’ |
| Notes: | |
|
|
|
|