Nice one Darren. I have been visiting Miggy rail since 1960. It's one of my favourite bits of Leeds history. I lived in the house at the top of the ropehill, in fact my parents turned the old pit office into the first shop in the old village 1958. Stay safe, hope to meet one day.

great video Darren ,lovely plug for Middleton railway nice to see covid hasn’t killed them off

Even though I haven't felt very good the last several days, your video perked me up. Great video. Meriden, Kansas

Brilliant. Thank you. Need to visit "Miggy" railway again n take mi grandkids. Be a nice trip out.

Fascinating and interesting Darren thank you

Thank you Darren 👍

Threw me a bit at the start when I could see both your hands at the same time :) . I also saw one of your favourites, a concrete posts when you reached the main line. Great video.

If you ever want to do a sequel, there are a few sights of the course the line followed between Moor Road and the coal staithes on Kidacre Street in Leeds. Also not far from the site of the coal staithes is the Round Foundry site where the 1812 steam locos were built.

Brilliant. Thanks for your efforts, I was just reading about the Middleton railway in the latest edition of The Railway Magazine. You have really put the location in context. Many thanks

As you come out of the tunnel coming away from the station, the line to your right was the Dartmouth Branch, which led to the old engine shed on Garnet Road to a place called Clayton's I believe. That's all been relandscaped too. With the Midland and GNR lines, I actually forget how many connections Middleton Railway had. Great video as always!

I used to live next to the Broom incline. You were stood next to our house. As a kid, the incline and track were still there. The winding house was further back on the other side of Town Street. The shops sit on the site of the winding house. Broom Colliery was also still in place, though I can't remember if it was still working or not. I spent many hours playing in 'Miggy Woods', fishing in the park pond and in a pond we called 'Ballywack'. My father is buried in the church by Middleton park. Fascinating series, keep up the good work!

That was chuffing interesting. Great video.

Fabulous. You made in enthralling. Didn’t want it to end. Thank you

Hi Darren, how fascinating, 2 years ago watched a train on the Tulip park branch turning around to pull the coaches back to the station Steve

My family are from belle isle just around the corner. My mum and dad went to to Hunslet Nash school. They also have a famous Rugby League club.

Incredible this railway is in prestine condition

A great video about the oldest working railway. Thanks buddy.

Thanks Darren that was absolutely fantastic. Have so enjoyed that. Just love those steam trains. Thanks so much for taking me along and p,ease take care

Absolutely fantastic video thanks, it's amazing how much historical information you tell us about the places you visit, it shows how much you put in to them finding out about the places you go to keep the videos coming and stay safe looking forward to your next vlog

First off just like to thank you for all the videos that you put up on this channel. Found you at the start of the first lockdown and been watching ever since. Anyway, Im a HGV driver and my first drop this morning was at a builders merchant in Hunslet. Thought that rings a bell and then remembered all your videos. Anyway was parked in the builders merchant and looked over the fence and saw the sign for Moor Road... The penny dropped. Im now watching all the Middleton Railway ones again... Top work and keep it up..👍

We spent many good years in the 90s playing here as kids. Hiding in the tunnel for when the train came tho. Was alot different back then! Remember a single platform with lines of locos and rolling stock running along the back

Only just come across your channel and having a right binge watch! I’m a West Yorkshire lad myself and been and seen to many of the places in your videos and know many more you’ve not done a video on!

Great vid. I volunteered on the railway in the 80s and remember working goods trains (scrap from the works on Garnet Street) down to Hunslet yard on the Midland line

Another fascinating vlog. Was last on the Middleton railway in 1986 so much has changed, you've whetted my appetite for another visit.

Another great video. Only came across your channel a few months ago looking at the pleasure beach. Of you like railways you should check out the ravensglass and eskdale railway in Cumbria. It's an old miniature working like that would make great content

Another excellent informative video

My brother and his wife held their 10th wedding anniversary party at the Middleton railway 2 years ago, which included a ride on the train. It’s a beautiful little place. The cafe area let them bring in a hog roast burger caterer and my brother’s band played in the next room with the engines in.

Great to see a video about Middleton. Fascinating line and you are right to highlight it! ☺ Nice job as ever 👍

Great video , thank you

I attended Middleton C of E junior school on Town St in the 1960s. The school was close-by to the remains of the operating gear and I trudged up and down Rope Hill thousands of times on my way to and from school. The tops of some of the walls in the area are capped with rounded-top stone sleepers which were, probably, from the waggonway's track-bed.

You should see the remains of the railways around Sunderland. They go both dow to the docks and inland to the old collieries

Almost 263 years old lol Another amazing video from are fastest growing youtuber keep up the outstanding work. P.s just a thought Daz could we have 3 videos in a row I.e Xmas eve, Xmas & boxing day

When I left school at the end of the 70s I got an engineering apprenticeship in that area on your pic where the tulip park is now was all engineering works in your pics. That was a large company of Claytons engineering and a subsidiary of Claytons was Henry Berry's and my apprenticeship was a part of that. My father worked at the Hunslet engine company who built trains on jack Lane site not far from there

Awesome. Just sat down with my first cup of morning coffee. Perfect timing chap.

Great video, I lived in the Longroyds in the 80’s and walked along that line many times and back then the stadium didn’t exist.

Another fascinating glimpse into our industrial past.

Great video Darren , really enjoyed it. Thanks

when i was at school in the 60s my friend was a member of the railway then they were in a yard to the right claytons was the company whos yard there trains was in , they used to take claytons goods down to the main line were you went then a british rail train picked them up to take them were ever they were going , then they would take empty wagons back to claytons for loading perhaps they did that for free rent , claytons yard i think is now robinson and beardsal which is still there or simmingtons to the left as you go up garnet road

Nice one Darren, that was really interesting, espesh having a ride on instead of the usual watch it from the trackside shots👍🏻

Great videos Darren I’ve watch them all .keep them coming

They run services on the full line over moor rd now and again.

Also to add on a 1905 Hunslet map that where the current headquarters of the Middleton Railway is located the line split, one as on the video crossing Moor Road and down to the main Midland Railway, the other went straight forward into a coal depot on the other side of the road from Hunslet Moor Station, then onto towards Hunslet Junction in the direction of Leeds crossing Moor Road again. This part is now covered by the inner motorway.

They do use the "disused" section, usually at special events - it's usually referred to as the "Balm Road Branch", and at some events trains will run up to the Park station, back down, and carry on down to the run round loop you were walking on. At other events they sometimes run separate trains in each direction.

Great video, a blast from the past. I used to live near Moor Road and used to walk my dog along the railway line into Miggy woods. It wasn't a great period of my live so a bit weird to see all that.

Enjoyed a trip on this train, during the 2017 National Open Heritage weekend. I recommend everyone goes.

I lived in Hunslet as a child and watched the trains on this railway line. Used to take coal from the mines down to the main railway line. Good times

Great video just to add that the old photo you show of “line crossing Tulip Street now retail” was originally Gasholder Street and on the left hand side of the photo is the old Gasholder and Boiler works, you can see a set of points just past the crossing going left into the works. Also on the left hand side you can see a footpath running down the side of the works. My wife’s uncle lived on Gasholder Place.

Thanks Darren! Another great video.

Really good video. Thanks for the great watch.

i have seen lots of activity on line months ago and what a triple whammy 1 great vid as always 2 lovely engines on display. 3 sierra sapphire hopefully cosworth end to a perfect day

Fascinating trains a wonderful video.

Awesome video.. Thank you so much.

Fabulous video, very thorough and interesting. Must be wonderful to have such history within reach. :)

Awesome, I can see it from my bedroom window!

I think the first train on the West Yorkshire rapid transit should be named "Darren" in honour of the pioneering surveying you have done to recover the urban rail network.

Fantastic vid, cheers Darren. I can't help feeling that some of the relics you find dotted about housing estates etc. ought to be listed. They are the remnants of the "Roman walls" of the Industrial Revolution.

Such an interesting video, our to do list when things get back to normality is growing.

Fantastic video 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 World history 1 Mile from where I grew up. Though I didn’t of a lot of information in this video, so thanks for doing the research again and the picture fade were excellent. I also went to John Blenkinsop school, which is linked to the railway. Thanks Darren

Hello Darren I've just watched your video on the Middleton railway yet again very interesting never been on it but I know where it is next year hopefully when we get back to some normality I'll take my granddaughter there looking forward to seeing your next video all the best kevin

We were only down there the other day shopping. Never knew that was there!

Great videos on my doorstep cheers 👍👍👍

Darren abslutly oustanding. Another great video.

Very interesting !

Love your vids. Would love to join you on one of your adventures

Quality top man keep them coming 👍👍

Grew up here, walked along those tracks as a kid, rode the train, played sports next it, school next to it and as I grew up walked across it everyday for work in the said retail park 😂

Got a picture of the track ( incline) where it crossed Town Street Middleton. Only a small piece that was exposed when a pothole appeared in the Tarmac surface.

The Balm Road branch connection to NR tracks is not feasible to use for main line connections due to signalling issues and minimum trainload sector movements unfortunatley. Had the leeds tramway project happened and changes to the freightliner depot occured then maybe additional length or usage could have been used. There may yet be more changes depending on routing of HS2 extensions in Leeds.

A bit different to when I visited in 1974. Then you rode in open mineral wagons!

good stuff

Worth taking a look at the railways , and other industry, of Armley Mills ?

Brilliant been past railway at Moor Road I deliver at a firm down there in wagon. And when I do past the Middleton Railway I always say to myself have to do Photoshoot xx 🚂🛤️📸😀

Great vid Darren, thank you. But definitely not Dec. 6 weather in that video!

Its good that they keep the track in good condition even though they don't use it often. When was the last time any trains ran on it.

I remember riding the line in a brake van drawn by an LNER tram engine class either Y1 or Y3 I the early 1970s. I cannot remember which it was.

Nice video. I thought when I first saw you , that Andrea Davizioso of Moto GP fame, was making a railway film !!😆

My local heritage railway was built in 1725 25 years before the Middleton but if we do the maths the tanfeild railway has been open more years than Middleton even after closing for a few years

Loved it, amazing History 😎

Could the Middleton railway be included in the promised West Yorkshire rapid transit as well as continuing as a great little heritage line?

Wow i didn’t know my home city had the oldest railway in the world

Yes it is a common misconception that the Stockton to Darlington was the first railway. But this pre-dated it. It had Cast iron rails which had to have very close placed sleepers. But This was the first

13:08 What's the date of that photograph? I grew up around there in the mid to late '50s, and can't remember track going down there. I remember a derelict building towards the top, behind the coal merchant. Track began well down the slope. I remember walking under some structure. I also have vague memories of a large rusty pulley around there. I speak too soon - 15:09 - I think that's what I remember - but not as intact as in the photo. But as a 6 year old I didn't really understand the significance of what I was seeing. I look forward to the Broom Pit video. Our next door neighbour was a miner there. He would get free coal, and pass some on to us. We lived in the flats in Newhall Crescent, at the foot of Newhall Bank. Ground floor, far left. When you went into the flat from the communal area, immediately to the right was the coil 'oil, and beyond that the unheated bathroom. Grand.

suprised you havent done the manor farm rise and the joining steps that was the original tracks for the coal trollys that were pulled up by steam engine and the old manor gate houses that are on town street

i keep meaninng to get to this little railway but my plans never work out and living in halifax it isnt far!!!

great stuff... I was wondering if you knew what dates the colliery and the cable hauled section of the line were in use from ? any dates on the old photos you showed ?

Home Love it Love it’s history ..........hate the fly tipping 😡

hate to break it to you but george stephenson built the worlds first locomotive & the commercial railway took place between darlington & stockton on tees

You’re just outside “Leeds city centre” if you were just outside Leeds you’d be in Wakefield or Bradford

Time to make a brew, methinks. I have posted it to our group Darren, I hope you don't mind? ( S. Ford )

Another great story, so interesting, must go back there some day.

THE MIDDLETON LIGHT RAILWAY.

Amazing where does the line that veered off go to ?

Sorry Darren, but the Tanfield Railway was opened in 1725. A good 33 years before Middleton.......

Have you been to Crossgates train station

Oh Dear! Something else which is older than America.

I am confused i live in Newcastle upon tyne and tanfield railway is reputedly the world oldest

tanfield railway is older

The tanfield railway had a much earlier history so it’s not the oldest in the world

Looks like the railway was an early funicular system

TAKE THE MASK OFF!