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Category: Events and Open Days

Posts about the occasional public open days at Lea Bailey, which may also include other sites such as Clearwell Caves, Perrygrove Railway, and the works of Alan Keef Ltd.

Simplex at the rock pile
📅 Open Day — 28th September 2024 ?>

📅 Open Day — 28th September 2024

Our next Open Day will be on Saturday 28th September 2024 from 10am to 3pm.

Please note that the Open Day at Alan Keef Ltd. has been cancelled due to the field used for public parking being waterlogged.

Come and see the progress we have made since our last Open Day. New track and wagon turntable will be in operation. Working demonstrations throughout the day, using the full line to load materials for the latest extension.

Locomotives in operation (subject to availability):

  • Motor Rail “Simplex” 21282
  • Wingrove & Rogers WR8 N7605

Other locomotives and wagons will be on static display.

We will be requesting a donation of ÂŁ5 per person, to fund the next stages of our progress. Our volunteers will be on-hand to answer queries, and to give information about the history of the site and our heritage activities.

Autumn leaves and Lea Bailey tank
📅 Open Day — Sunday 24th September 2023 ?>

📅 Open Day — Sunday 24th September 2023

We will be opening the site at Lea Bailey for visitors between 10am and 4pm on Sunday 24th September.

Our resident Simplex 21282 will be operational on the day, with other locomotives and items of interest on static display.

We will be requesting a donation of ÂŁ5 per person, towards our new appeal to raise funds for a wagon turntable which will form an integral part of the new line we are planning to construct on the mine tip. Along with the wagon traverser and new set of point this will allow us to demonstrate multiple techniques which were used to move and process wagon loads of materials in historic mining operations.

Our volunteers will be on-hand to answer queries, and to give information about the history of the site and our heritage activities.

Simplex on the curve
📅 Open Day — Saturday 24th September 2022 ?>

📅 Open Day — Saturday 24th September 2022

To coincide with the 50th Anniversary Open Day at Alan Keef Ltd. we will be opening the site at Lea Bailey for visitors between 10am and 5pm on Saturday 24th September.

Our resident Simplex 21282 will be operational on the day, with other locomotives and items of interest on static display.

Our volunteers will be on-hand to answer queries, and to give information about the history of the site and our heritage activities.

A view looking into the mine
📅 Save the Date — 18th & 19th May 2019 ?>

📅 Save the Date — 18th & 19th May 2019

Due to recent unforseen events the Open Weekend has been postponed — watch this space for details…

We are in the early stages of planning for our next Open Weekend which will be on 18th & 19th May 2019. This event will focus on mining, with displays and demonstrations of heritage mining equipment and techniques. Mining has had a great impact on shaping the social history of the Forest of Dean, its people and culture.

Home-made pasties: a traditional miners' lunch
Home-made pasties: a traditional miners’ lunch
Airborne autum leaves (mainly beech)
📅 Autumn Open Weekend — September 2018 ?>

📅 Autumn Open Weekend — September 2018

The Autumn Open Weekend will take place on 22nd & 23rd September 2018. On Saturday 22nd, there will also be the annual Steam-Up at Alan Keef Ltd just up the road at Lea.

September 2018 Open Weekend
September 2018 — Autumn Open Weekend

Our large Hydrovane compressor will be on site providing air for the Eimco 12B rocker shovel, Eimco 401 locomotive and Holman Silver 3 rock drill. There will be regular demonstrations throughout the day. Four different types of Wingrove & Rogers battery-electric locomotives will be on display — all at different stages of restoration. There is also some new track since the last Open Weekend in May and the chance to see our Hudson wagon traverser under construction.

Lea Bailey Signs
📅 Spring Open Weekend — May 2018 ?>

📅 Spring Open Weekend — May 2018

Hopefully you have been keeping up-to-date with what is happening at Lea Bailey Light Railway by reading the regular updates on this website and on our Facebook Page — but now is your chance to come and see for yourself. With a compressor wagon now on site, our resident Eimco 12B rocker shovel will once again be put to work alongside a rock drill on the open air demonstration line to show how these machines would have worked underground.

The Eimco compressed-air locomotive 401-216 and Motor Rail 21282 will be in operation, with four different types of Wingrove & Rogers battery-electric locomotives on display — all at different stages of restoration. We are also hoping to demonstrate the large Eimco 24 rocker shovel each day at around 3:30pm. Don’t forget to visit our sales stand where refreshments will be available including home-made cakes. ?

Flyer for 1028 Spring Open Weekend
Flyer for 2018 Spring Open Weekend
Issing Sid with Eimco 12B and 401-216
📅 Save the Date — 19th & 20th May ?>

📅 Save the Date — 19th & 20th May

Issing Sid and Eimco 12B in the loop
Issing Sid and Eimco 12B rocker shovel in the passing loop

Planning is under way for the next Open Day on 19th & 20th May 2018. We will have our compressor wagon on site. Our resident Eimco 12B rocker shovel will once again be put to work on the open air demonstration line to show how these machines would have worked underground. We are hoping that compressed air locomotive Issing Sid from Statfold Barn Railway will be able to visit again (subject to confirmation).

Resident locomotives Simplex â„– 21282 and Eimco 401-216 will be operating throughout the weekend, and four battery-electric locomotives will be on display along with a number of different types of wagons. Visitors can also try their hand at panning for gold. Refreshments including home-made cakes will be available.

For a taster of what to expect, you can watch Rob Needham’s YouTube Videos of the September 2017 Event:

Video Clips

Many other attractions can be found around the Forest of Dean, all within a half-hour drive of our site at Lea Bailey. A number of links can be found below.

Web Links

Eimco 401 and compressor wagon
đź“ą September Open Day Videos ?>

đź“ą September Open Day Videos

Rob Needham has created two YouTube videos from our recent Open Weekend on 16th & 17th September 2017. Our new arrival, a wagon-mounted compressor, supplied air for the Eimco 401 locomotive and 12B rocker shovel, as well as a rock drill which was demonstrated to visitors. Our resident Simplex 21282 was also in action with four battery-electric locomotives on display in varying states of restoration.

Our Open Weekends are an important source of revenue for the Railway’s projects. If you would like to help us then please consider becoming a member of the Lea Bailey Light Railway Society.

Video Clips

Compressor Wagon
📅 Save the Date — 16th & 17th September ?>

📅 Save the Date — 16th & 17th September

Planning is under way for the next Open Day on 16th & 17th September 2017. We will be welcoming a visiting locomotive in the form of Simplex â„– 8540 which was â„– 38 at Arnold’s in Leighton Buzzard before it was preserved. Update: Due to other commitments, the owner of 8540 will be unable to attend with the locomotive. We will have our new compressor wagon on site. Our resident Eimco 12B rocker shovel will once again be put to work on the open air demonstration line to show how these machines would have worked underground.

Resident locomotives Simplex â„– 21282 and Eimco 401-216 will be operating throughout the weekend, and four battery-electric locomotives will be on display along with a number of different types of wagons. Visitors can also try their hand at panning for gold. Refreshments including home-made cakes will be available.

For a taster of what to expect, watch Rob Dickinson’s YouTube Video of the May 2017 Event

Several other events and attractions can be found around the Forest of Dean, all within a half-hour drive of our site at Lea Bailey. A number of links can be found below.

Web Links

Gareth driving Whistling Pig
❓ Quirks & Curiosities II — a Follow-Up ?>

❓ Quirks & Curiosities II — a Follow-Up

A group of members from Lea Bailey Light Railway Society travelled up to the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways event Quirks & Curiosities II on the weekend of 28th April – 1st May. Our resident Eimco 401 “Whistling Pig” and “Issing Sid” from Statfold Barn Railway were in operation in Minffordd yard throughout the event. Following the Eimco’s return to Lea Bailey it was joined by Sid for our Spring Open Weekend  on 13th-14th May.

Web Link