Middleton Railway

The Middleton Railway in Leeds is the oldest continuously-working railway in the world, established by Act of Parliament on 9 June 1758 — the first railway in Britain to be authorised by Parliament — to carry coal from Charles Brandling's collieries at Middleton to the textile and industrial centre of Leeds. For over 260 years, from horse-drawn wooden waggonway to preserved heritage steam railway, the Middleton has operated on essentially the same alignment through south Leeds, a continuity of railway operation unmatched anywhere in the world.

The railway's defining moment came in 1812 when John Blenkinsop, the colliery's manager, patented a rack-rail system and commissioned Matthew Murray of Fenton, Murray and Wood in Leeds to build steam locomotives to work it. Murray's four engines — Salamanca, Prince Regent, Lord Wellington, and Marquis Wellington — worked the Middleton from 1812 in the world's first commercially sustained use of steam locomotive power on a railway. Where Trevithick's 1804 Penydarren demonstration had been a single proof-of-concept run, the Middleton Rack locomotives ran day after day for years, establishing beyond any doubt that steam railway operation was commercially viable and setting the template for everything that followed.

The Middleton continued as an industrial colliery and goods railway through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, converting to standard gauge in 1881 and surviving until the last commercial freight ran in 1958. In 1960 it became the first standard-gauge railway in Britain to be taken over and operated by volunteers — predating the Bluebell Railway's 1960 reopening and establishing the heritage railway preservation model that now encompasses over 100 lines across Britain. The Middleton Railway Trust operates the preserved line today between Moor Road and Park Halt in Leeds.

About

The Middleton Railway in Leeds is the world's oldest continuously-working railway, established by Act of Parliament on 9 June 1758, making it also the first railway authorised by Parliament. It connected Charles Brandling's coal pits at Middleton with the centre of Leeds, originally as a wooden waggonway worked by horses.

From 1812 it became the world's first commercially-successful steam-worked railway when Matthew Murray of Fenton, Murray & Wood and John Blenkinsop, the colliery's agent, introduced the rack-and-pinion locomotive Salamanca and her three sister locomotives Prince Regent, Lord Wellington and Marquis Wellington. The Blenkinsop rack-rail system gave reliable adhesion on the colliery's gradients and the engines worked from 1812 into the 1830s, far longer than most contemporary experimental locomotives.

The line was converted to standard gauge in 1881 and continued in industrial freight use until 1958. From 1960 it became the first standard-gauge preserved railway in Britain, run by volunteers and operating today as a heritage line between Moor Road and Park Halt, Leeds.

Locomotives owned

Lord Wellington — The third Murray-Blenkinsop rack-and-pinion locomotive built for the Middleton Railway near Leeds. Completed in 1813, Lord Wellington was named after the Duke of Wellington (the Iron Duke), who had been raised to the peerage in 1809 and was at the height of his Peninsular War fame. The engine was identical in design to Salamanca and Prince Regent, twin vertical cylinders driving a central rack pinion, and worked the Leeds-Middleton coal traffic until the rack rails were abandoned in the mid-1830s.
Marquis Wellington — The fourth and last Murray-Blenkinsop rack-and-pinion locomotive built for the Middleton Railway near Leeds. Completed in 1813, Marquis Wellington was named to mark the Duke of Wellington's 1812 elevation to Marquess. The engine was identical in design to its three sisters and worked the Leeds-Middleton coal traffic for approximately 20 years until the rack-and-pinion principle was superseded in the mid-1830s.
Prince Regent — The second of four Murray-Blenkinsop rack-and-pinion locomotives built for the Middleton Railway near Leeds. Completed shortly after Salamanca in late 1812, Prince Regent shared the same design, twin vertical cylinders, central rack-pinion drive, cylindrical boiler, and worked alongside Salamanca on the Leeds-Middleton coal traffic. The engine was named after the Prince Regent (later George IV). The Murray-Blenkinsop class as a whole worked the Middleton Railway successfully for approximately twenty years, until the rack-and-pinion principle was superseded by simple adhesion working in the mid-1830s.
Salamanca — Matthew Murray's 1812 rack-and-pinion steam locomotive, widely regarded as the world's first commercially successful steam locomotive. Built by Fenton, Murray and Wood of Leeds to John Blenkinsop's patent rack-and-pinion adhesion system, the engine entered service on the Middleton Railway between Leeds and Middleton Colliery on 12 August 1812, making the Middleton Railway the world's first commercially-operated steam railway. Salamanca was the first of four engines built to the same design over 1812–1813. The class operated successfully for approximately 20 years; Salamanca itself exploded in 1818, killing the driver. No original survives.

Founded	9 June 1758
Country	England
Headquarters	Leeds