Leighton – Linslade’s twin towns take to the rails
Visitors from Leighton Buzzard – Linslade’s German twin town – Titisee Neustadt visiting the Leighton Buzzard Railway on Saturday 29th July may have been surprised to learn that their locomotive –‘P C Allen’ is one of three in use on the line made by the German firm of Orenstein & Koppel in Berlin while two others waiting restoration at Stonehenge were built by the firm of Krauss in Munich and Freudenstein Berlin.
Visitors from Titisee Neustadt together with others from Coulommiers in France, the other Leighton Linslde twin town and their British hosts were made welcome by Chairman Terry Bendall, who gave a short introductory talk about the history of the town’s unique railway and its role in moving sand from the pits to the north of the town to the former branch line that crossed Billington Road near to the present station adjacent to Page’s Park.
The visitors from the twin town enjoyed a ride in the train to Stonehenge Works and had a conducted tour of both sites. Terry said “It was a pleasure to support the twin towns arrangement by welcoming our visitors and giving them an insight to one aspect of the history of Leighton-Linslade.
Steve Doughty, LBNGR