Power from the Past 2026
The 2026 Festival of Transport, which included Fares Please! and Power from the Past has now been and gone. We were very lucky with the weather across the May half-term, and the internet is full of lovely images of the transport exhibits that attended. As I was largely Colliery-based, I didn’t take many, but here are a few for the sake of posterity on the blog!
It was very nice to be able to utilise the new narrow gauge engine shed, the pit being required to reassemble Samson’s brakegear following its return from Wales. Doors are still in the process of being manufactured, but the Building Team joinery workshop is making the new gates for Rowley at the moment, so these are a little way of completion.
Both the Fares Please and Power from the Past events look to have been great events. I was disappointed that no lists of visiting vehicles were published anywhere, as it would have been nice to know exactly what was attending. Perhaps this is something that could be done for future events?
I noticed a few people asking the same question on social media, but unfortunately, those queries didn’t seem to receive a response.
We often get asked if we can give specific lists of what is due to attend, and with railway items that is easier to achieve. However, we’ve found that until vehicles arrive on the day, there is no certainty as to what will actually appear vs what we have invited. There are usually several exhibits that drop out for various reasons, and for reasons of time and the deisre not to disappoint visitors, we generally don’t publish a list. The team arranging these events is small, and we do these in addition to our other roles here, so the lists of exhibits are, I’m afraid, something that has been shelved as a concept for this, and the reasons mentioned above. I can’t speak for the social media elements, but I would imagine that it is for the very same reason as I have explained here.
Paul