Bahamas braves the elements on mainline trip – Keighley News

SNOW and flooding failed to stop Keighleys historic locomotive Bahamas as it steamed through the Yorkshire Dales all the way to Cumbria.

The 85-year-old locos latest journey on the mainline, from Keighley to the famous Settle to Carlisle railway, sold out.

The engine, owned by the Ingrow-based Bahamas Locomotive Society, ran successfully on time throughout its entire trip despite poor weather.

Among the passengers on the train were Keighley town mayor Cllr Peter Corkindale and Keith Whitmore, chairman of the Bahamas Society.

Another of the passengers, Keighley-born Sam Steventon, a member of the society, entered the raffle and won the prize of the numberplate 45596 of Bahamas which was carried on the loco.

Bahamas made its long-awaited return to the mainline last year with two sold-out journeys, after volunteers and specialists had spent several years restoring the locomotive with 1 million Heritage Lottery Fund money.

The locomotive was saved from scrap in 1967 by the Bahamas Locomotive Society, which has a workshop and museum at Ingrow West railway station.

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway organised the railtour, spending profits on maintenance of the local line.

Bahamas was built as a standard Jubilee Class in 1934 by the North British Locomotive Company and entered service in January 1935.

It was withdrawn from traffic on July 23 1966 after getting through nine boilers, ten tenders and running more than 1.25 million miles.

Keith Whitmore, chairman of the Bahamas Locomotive Society Chairman, said his organisation had been delighted to once again work with the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway following the sell-out Settle to Carlisle trips last year.

High-profile visitors to Bahamas since its restoration have included HRH the Duke of Kent and the Bishop of Wakefield, Tony Robinson.

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Bahamas braves the elements on mainline trip - Keighley News