The Middleton Railway is the world's oldest continuously working railway. It was founded in 1758 and is now a heritage railway operating over approximately 1 mile of track from its headquarters at Moor Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Built in 1758, the Middleton Railway, the first railway to be granted powers by Act of Parliament, carried coal from the Middleton pits to Casson Close, Leeds close to the River Aire. The line was privately financed and initially operated as a waggonway using horse-drawn vehicles. Around 1807 the wooden tracks began to be replaced with iron rails of 4 ft 1 in gauge. In 1812 the Railway became the first commercial railway to successfully use steam locomotives. It was deduced that an engine light enough to not break the cast iron track would not have sufficient adhesion, to pull the heavy load of coal wagons up the steep track gradient. Accordingly the track was relaid on one side with a toothed rail, which was patented in 1811 (the first rack railway) and Matthew Murray was approached to design a locomotive with a pinion which would mesh with it. His design was based on Richard Trevithick's Catch-Me-Who-Can, adapted to use the rack and pinion system and was the first to use two cylinders. These drove the pinions through cranks which were at right angles, so that the engine would start wherever it came to rest. In 1881 the railway was converted to 4 ft 8½ in gauge. In 1960, the Railway became the first standard-gauge railway to be taken over and operated by volunteers. Passenger services were initially operated for only one week, Regular operation of passenger services began in 1969. However, the volunteers of the Middleton Railway operated a freight service until 1983. For its 50th Anniversary year, the railway is holding a Gala with the Manchester Ship Canal as the theme. Prior to the gala, a photo charter was held. Here we see MSC no. 32 Gothenburg (visiting from the East Lancashire Railway) sits among the trees on the little used northern section on the photo charter.
