Leighton Buzzard Railway
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Page’s Park station is the operational heart of the Leighton Buzzard Railway. Here you will find ample free parking for cars and coaches, and the booking office for you to buy tickets for your journey. The railway shop offers souvenirs of all kinds, and is famous for its range of Thomas The Tank Engine merchandise. The Leighton Buzzard Railway’s locomotive fleet numbers more than 50 in total, one of the largest narrow-gauge collections in the United Kingdom. YThe Sandhills Junction buffet, fresh from its makeover during the winter, offers a wide selection of food, drinks and ice cream, and is the ideal place to relax in a friendly Italian-style atmosphere. It is open daily, whether trains are running or not, and is well worth visiting for its new railway-themed mural. At the far end of the two-platform terminus station is the shed, which is the operating base of the locomotives and coaches that run the passenger service. A footpath leads from Platform 2 to the front of the shed, to allow viewing from close quarters. Alongside the station is a large public park, with a children’s play area, and sporting facilities. Leaving Page’s Park station, the line climbs sharply between the park and a former sand quarry, now redeveloped as yet another housing estate. The line then takes on the suburban character of the first part of the journey, running rather incongruously through a “green corridor” between modern housing. The train stops at Stanbridge Road level crossing, to let off the flagmen to stop the traffic. Soon afterwards, it descends the 1:25 (4%) gradient of Marley’s Bank, named after the tileworks which once stood alongside the line, and was supplied with sand by its trains. This is one of the steepest gradients used by passenger trains in Britain, and your engine will work hard on its return journey. | |||||||||||||||||||||||