How a famous railway was born

the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

on Saturday. He talks to Alistair Shand

Growing up in a home overlooking a bustling railway goods yard, it was perhaps inevitable that the young Graham Mitchell would develop a passion for railroads.

But as he watched from his Cavendish Street window the daily goings-on at the yard - which occupied the site now dominated by Sainsbury's supermarket - little did he know that one day he would chair a world-famous preserved railway.

Graham - now a 56-year-old retired college head of geography - stood down on Saturday after 12 years as chairman of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

He told me: "The old goods yard was a hive of activity. I was never a train spotter but for part of my life the family had lived over what is now the Skipton Building Society in Cavendish Street.

"I grew up looking out over the yard. Every day heavy horses would be going to and fro, it was like having your own real-life model railway - this was a great sight for a young lad.

"We forget now how busy the railways were in those days. Everything was much more train-orientated - all heavy goods came in and out by rail, and there were hugely popular day trips to the likes of Morecambe."

Stockbridge-born Graham had just started studying geography at Leeds University when British Rail closed the Worth Valley line. The 19-year-old student was among the passengers on the final train on a snowy December 31, 1961.

"That was the local branch line and I had grown up with it," recalls Graham. "It was a very sad moment.

"BR had already attempted to close the line in the late 1950s, which local people resisted quite strongly. But steam services were withdrawn and replaced with diesel in early 1960, and stories about closure started to reappear the following year. Rumours became more definite and eventually formal notices went out."

Shortly after the closure, angry members of the public - seeking a reinstatement of their prized local rail service - attended a meeting called by Bob Cryer and Ralph Povey.

And in March 1962 - at a meeting in the town's Temperance Hall - the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society was born.

Among those founder members was Graham Mitchell (Membership No 14).

"The aim was to put back what had been taken away, namely a daily passenger service," he says. "A lot of those people involved were not just enthusiasts but were actual users of the railway. The line carried a high volume of passengers, more than it does now.

"There were few heritage railways then and certainly none in the north of England. We had a plan to run a diesel train for workers Monday to Friday and a steam service for visitors at weekends. But we went into what I term the wilderness years - it was difficult raising money, BR was not very cooperative and enthusiasm started to wane."

Over the next few years fortunes gradually began to turn around - more railway enthusiasts joined the society, the idea of preserving steam engines was floated, and permission was granted by BR for the society to use Haworth and Oxenhope stations.

In 1966 a limited company was formed and BR agreed to sell the line - on a mortgage basis - for £45,000.

"We became the very first railway privatisation in Britain," says Graham. "We then had to go through the business of getting a Light Railway Order to show we could operate safely, and we achieved that in early 1968. That summer the railway reopened.

"We started with a real mixture of engines and carriages of all types and colours. We had given up on the idea of running Monday to Friday - except in the summer - because we couldn't get the volunteers, so it was just weekends. I am proud to say that we have run some form of public service every weekend since then."

The society realised very soon after the reopening that it could take some time to regain passengers who, during the absence of the rail link, had become accustomed to using alternative forms of transport.

The early years were a struggle, but in 1970 the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway received an unexpected boost which helped assure its future and even now brings it considerable tourist trade - the Railway Children movie.

Extensive filming was carried out on the five-mile line, and many local people and scenes featured.

Graham , who appeared as a guard in the classic cinema hit, says: "The Railway Children is the one thing that put us on the map. Passenger figures doubled to around 120,000 a year. Many visitors still associate us with the film. It has made a huge difference to us."

In the K&WVR's formative days Graham worked for the stations department. His first duty was to operate the level crossing at tiny Damems, and this week he was back there performing the same role.

After 12 years in the chairman's seat dealing largely with administrative work, he is delighted once again to be face to face with the public.

"I will be continuing with some administrative duties but much of my work now will be directly involved with the public, helping to ensure passengers enjoy their experience on the railway."

He feels much has been achieved through a tremendous team effort during his term as chairman.

Notable successes he cites include:

the profile of the railway has been raised, largely through a good relationship with the Keighley News and the media generally

strong community links have been maintained, helped by regular liaison with local organisations and visits to schools

a very strong house style and brand image - recognised throughout the railway heritage movement - has been developed

wherever possible the railway has supported local businesses by buying goods and services in this area

a desperately-needed stone accommodation block was built at Haworth for members

the Bahamas Locomotive Society, forced to leave its base in Derbyshire, was successfully integrated into the K&WVR.

And Graham is confident that the K&WVR can continue to go from strength to strength.

He says the large number of younger members working on the volunteer-run railway augers well for its future.

"At some heritage railways you can't see anyone under 40. We have a considerable number of regular workers in the 16 to 26 age bracket working at our stations in catering etc.

"We are considered in the trade to be amongst the top four or five railways in the country and I hope we can keep that position."

Graham - who lives a stone's throw from the railway, at Oakworth - hopes eventually to see the K&WVR become an integrated part of West Yorkshire's transport network.

"There are a very large number of new houses in the Worth Valley and a lot of these people are not working in Keighley but in places such as Bradford, Wakefield, Leeds and Doncaster. "They are commuters who are driving - or are being driven - down to Keighley station and then catching trains. In five or six years time I don't know if we will be able to cope with this sort of road traffic, and I would like to see the K&WVR in some way playing a role in the transport needs of the town.

"The official line of the K&WVR - which I support - is that it can't be done without paid staff and some form of financial subsidy. I would be delighted if in the next few years we could find a way of solving that."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.