Second historic loco steams in to Northamptonshire heritage railway for first time in 20 years

Volunteers at a historic steam railway near Northampton are chuffed to bits after firing up a new locomotive in time to launch their 2023 season.

The Hunslet Austerity loco has made a permanent move to the Northampton & Lamport Railway from the Bressingham Steam Museum in Norfolk and its arrival will give the NLR two resident working steam locos for the first time in over 20 years!

Having two locos will take some of the strain from current resident Swanscombe engine and make sure the railway can run its ever-popular steam services whenever one is being worked on.

NLR’s 2023 season opens on Sunday (March 19) with a number of Mother’s Day specials offering cream teas on board the ride from the Railway’s home station, between Pitsford and Chapel Brampton.

Regular Sunday services continue all summer along a one-and-a-half-mile restored stretch of the old Northampton-Market Harborough line, which was closed down by British Rail in 1981, with more specials over the Easter, bank holiday and Coronation weekends. Full details on the railway’s website.

Enthusiasts got together In 1984 bidding to re-open a section of the line as a heritage railway and began running trains hauled by heritage steam and diesel locals in 1995.

The railway is run by volunteers and relies largely on donations and grants. Earlier this year, an appeal to raise cash to repair bridge timbers along the line raised its target of £8,500 in just two weeks, boosted by a grant of £4,250 from the Eric Stanton Northampton Trust.