What to see and do

Work is well under way on the rebuilding and extension of Platform 1 at Page’s Park station, to bring it up to modern standards. In the background, “Doll” runs on to its next departure from Platform 2.

Page’s Park station is the operational heart of the Leighton Buzzard Railway. Here you will find ample free parking for cars and coaches, and the booking office for you to buy tickets for your journey. The railway shop offers souvenirs of all kinds, and is famous for its range of Thomas The Tank Engine merchandise.

The Sandhills Junction buffet, fresh from its makeover during the winter, offers a wide selection of food, drinks and ice cream, and is the ideal place to relax in a friendly Italian-style atmosphere. It is open daily, whether trains are running or not, and is well worth visiting for its new railway-themed mural.

At the far end of the two-platform terminus station is the shed, which is the operating base of the locomotives and coaches that run the passenger service. A footpath leads from Platform 2 to the front of the shed, to allow viewing from close quarters.

Alongside the station is a large public park, with a children’s play area, and sporting facilities.

Leaving Page’s Park station, the line climbs sharply between the park and a former sand quarry, now redeveloped as yet another housing estate. The line then takes on the suburban character of the first part of the journey, running rather incongruously through a “green corridor” between modern housing.

The train stops at Stanbridge Road level crossing, to let off the flagmen to stop the traffic. Soon afterwards, it descends the 1:25 (4%) gradient of Marley’s Bank, named after the tileworks which once stood alongside the line, and was supplied with sand by its trains. This is one of the steepest gradients used by passenger trains in Britain, and your engine will work hard on its return journey.

Leedon Loop is where trains cross on busy days, and you can watch the train crews operate the points. They will also radio to Control for permission to go forward on to the next stretch of single track--and ensure that nothing else is coming in the opposite direction.

Busy trains hauled by “P C Allen” and “Doll” cross at Leedon Loop

Immediately beyond the loop is Hockliffe Road level crossing, which is again protected by flagmen. After Swing-Swang Bridge, which crosses Clipstone Brook, the line begins a long climb to Vandyke Road level crossing, and the scenery starts to open out to a more rural aspect. A sharp curve after the crossing takes you through a right angle, to run alongside the road.

Here you leave the last of the houses, and following a recent clearance exercise, you can see the track of an old sand quarry branch disappearing behind the gardens. The current working face of Chamberlain’s Barn quarry can be seen in the distance, as the line climbs to its highest point alongside Shenley Hill, part of the Greensand Ridge.

There are good views across to the Chiltern Hills, and on clear days the Whipsnade Lion--carved into the chalk hills near the famous zoo--can be seen in the distance. But you are passing through one of the areas currently being considered as the site of thousands of new houses over the next few years--click here for the latest information.

Stonehenge Works station is named after the brickworks that used to stand alongside the railway, which supplied it with sand. The works was demolished in the 1980s, with TV celebrity steeplejack, the late Fred Dibnah, removing the big chimney.

But still standing is the former stables block, where horses were once kept for work in the quarries. An outstanding piece of Bedfordshire rural architecture, built in 1918, supposedly by prisoners of war, it now houses the Leighton Buzzard Railway’s main workshops.

A grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund has been used to prepare some studies on the future renovation of this distinctive building, and its possible conversion to a visitor and education centre. Progress now depends on the lifting of the planning blight which has affected this area for the past few years.

Stonehenge Works is also the base of the locomotives and rolling stock not involved in the passenger service, and some items are on public display in the works yard. A special viewing area lets you see the footplate crew topping up the passenger train locomotive with coal and water, before running round for the return journey.

At regular intervals during the season, the Industry Trains Display is operated in Stonehenge Works yard, demonstrating how narrow-gauge railways once transported goods and materials for many different industries. On other days, one of the Ruston-Bucyrus 10RB excavators, rescued from nearby quarries, roars into life, and shows how it used to earn its living, filling railway wagons with sand. See the Special Events section for dates.

There is also a small exhibition building, which contains a display telling the story of the railway and the people who worked it--including a life-size model of a “dobber”. Nearby, an ex-RAF passenger coach contains a fascinating display on the military roles of narrow-gauge railways.

A craft shop, with light refreshment facilities, is an increasingly popular attraction, and an ideal retreat for those who have little interest in the surrounding railwayana!

Beyond Stonehenge Works, the line continued to Double Arches, where the sand processing plant is still fed by nearby quarries, but all transport is now by road. Some of the track still remains, and is used as storage sidings. Restoration of the remainder, and the extension of passenger services to Double Arches, is a long-term aim of the Leighton Buzzard Railway.
© 2008 Leighton Buzzard Railway