Midland Railway – Butterley | |
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Preserved locomotive S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 No. 53809 crosses the Butterley Reservoir causeway
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Terminus | Hammersmith, & Pye Bridge |
Commercial operations | |
Name | Ambergate to Pye Bridge Line |
Built by | Midland Railway |
Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Preserved operations | |
Owned by | Midland Railway Trust Ltd |
Operated by | Midland Railway Trust Ltd |
Stations | 3 |
Length | 3 1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) |
Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Commercial history | |
Opened | 1st February 1875 |
Closed to passengers | 23rd December 1968 |
Preserved era | Different era on a different day but normally 19th century |
Preservation history | |
Headquarters | Butterley Station |
The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.
The Midland Railway – Butterley lies on the Ambergate to Pye Bridge line of the old Midland Railway, although the present-day heritage line terminates at Hammersmith. The line currently runs for 3 1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) from Hammersmith via Butterley, Swanwick Junction, and Riddings to Ironville. It is operated by the Midland Railway Trust.
The railway is also home to the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Golden Valley Light Railway, which opened in 1991 and partially lies on the trackbed of a former plateway built by the Butterley Company in 1813 to connect its iron works facilities in Butterley and nearby Codnor Park.
The railway runs events, ranging from Day out with Thomas specials to Gala events featuring the GVLR's stock and standard gauge collection.
The railway is licensed to host weddings and parties.
In September 1999 the Kosovo Train for Life was loaded at Butterley station, before travelling via Kensington Olympia railway station and the Channel Tunnel, to Kosovo in conjunction with the Kosovo Force peace-keeping efforts.