Leiston Works Railway

18/06/2026

View from the office Peak Rail

17/06/2026

17/06/2026

17/06/2026

17/06/2026

“It’s safer by road”

15/06/2026

15/06/2026

13/06/2026

This month on your local Railway:

1st June 1859- Leiston station and the Works line open.

2nd June 1955-Fred Chadwick becomes station master at Saxmundham.

3rd June 1952-Aldeburgh station master LW Bass dies at his post.

4th June 1874-After a spate of burglaries in Leiston a new iron safe is obtained for the station booking office.

5th June 1861-Telegraph line from Leiston to Aldeburgh opens.

6th June 1860-Saxmundham Station Master resigns from post before being dismissed for theft.

7th June 1929-First Pullman train from London Liverpool Street arrives at Saxmundham.

8th June 2005-Direct Rail Services now operates its first train on the line.

9th June 1956-Last time tabled steam passenger service on the line.

10th June 1956-DMU trains take over the passenger service on the line.

11th June 1940-Armoured Train "D" begins to patrol along branch in
anticipation of a German invasion on the coast.

12th June 1966-Last Station Master of Saxmundham station Charles Wilson retires.

13th June 1949-LMS Ivatt Class 2-6-2T works on Aldeburgh branch line.

14th June 1859-Directors of the Railway hold grand banquet at Lowestoft to celebrate the opening of the branch line.

15th June 2018-LWR began work on restoring the station canopy supports from Bishop Stortford station.

16th June 1917-German Zeppelins L42 and L48 bomb targets on the East coast.

17th June 1917-German Zeppelin L48 is intercepted by British fighters and shot down over Theberton.

18th June 1964-Thorpness halt cottage and land sold.

19th June 1883-Garretts installed a new 5 ton crane on the loading dock.

20th June 1969-Seven acres of Aldeburgh branch line land sold for £480.

21 June 1974- More of the Thorpeness track bed is sold for £375.

22nd June 2018- Due to popular demand the LWR held their second Friday afternoon working party at the workshop.

23rd June 1876-Suffolk Show is held at Saxmundham. Platforms at the station have been especially lengthened.

24th June 1876-Second and final day of Suffolk Show at Saxmundham. No reported losses of livestock during the entire unloading and loading process.

25th June 1977- Railway enthusiast's special train visits Leiston.

26th June 1961-Two car Derby lightweight dmu used on the branch line.

27th June 1940-Amongst several German Invasion scares Armoured train continues to patrol the branch line D.

28th June 1966- Many of the railways in Suffolk include the East coast line under threat of closure.

29th June 1966- Minster of Transport Barbara Castle reprieves the East coast line.

30th June 1941-C Sanders Saxmundham Sub Ganger retires.

13/06/2026

As time goes by at Toddington in 1978, a scene which has been transformed for the better by the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway