Salamanca: Volunteers at Middleton Railway in Leeds get miniature piece of history

It was built in 1939 by a Mr H Murray and last worked, they believe, in 1960.

Stored for many years, his relatives originally offered the model to Leeds Industrial Museum, but as they already had a number of such models, they recommended that it be offered to the railway.

There is even a story from Model Engineer magazine from 1939 with a picture of the young Mr Murray.

Ian Smith, vice-president of the Middleton Railway Trust, said: “We are very grateful to receive it.

Salamanca was the first commercially successful steam locomotive, built in 1812 by Matthew Murray of Holbeck, for the Middleton Railway between Middleton and Leeds, and it predated Stephenson's famous Rocket by 17 years.

It was the first to have two cylinders. It was named after the Duke of Wellington's victory at the Battle of Salamanca which was fought that same year.

Mr Smith said: “It was a very reliable locomotive and a very important piece of machinery so we are delighted to have this model. It was built by a Mr Murray but we don’t think he was related to Matthew Murray.”

MRT Chairman, Charles Milner, said “We delighted to be given this superb model of a Blenkinsop locomotive and we will conserve it and have it displayed in our museum to help tell the story of these pioneering machines.”

The Middleton Railway Trust runs the oldest working railway in the world run entirely by volunteers. The Middleton Railway was built in 1758 and was the first railway authorised by an Act of Parliament, the first to have commercially successful steam locomotives.

It was also the first standard gauge preserved railway, opening in June, 1960. It has operated trains every year since opening in 1758.

Meanwhile, the trust has also started restoration work on another full-sized locomotive. It is called Hunslet 0-4-0T Number 1684 has been purchased by the Middleton Railway.

Number 1684 was built in 1931 and was previously owned by the GWR 1338 Locomotive Trust. A lot of work is needed for the locomotive to be brought back to working order, something which could not be done while it was owned by another organisation.

GWR 1338 Locomotive Trustee, Ed Freeman said: “I am delighted to be able to transfer ownership to Middleton Railway in order to facilitate its restoration to working order in due course.”​​​​​​​