Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

Join us at the Abbey Pumping Station as it`s resident narrow gauge engine Leonard is called upon to pull a special service for the coronation of King Charles III. The little green engine, which runs around the perimeter of the pumping station site, was decked out in bunting and featured a specially created headboard proclaiming it to be the King Charles III Coronation Express. Filmed onboard and trackside we see Leonard make his way from the station and around the site with both the spectacular Abbey Pumping Station building (featured in previous films on this channel) and the modern space-age National Space Center rocket tower nearby visible to passengers. At the end of the line engine is decoupled and pulls the express back to its starting point bunting waving in the wind as it steam`s along. Look out for regular steam days at the museum on the Visit Leicester website.

In my first film of 2019 I take a trip to the Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester for a look at the LMTA (Leicester Museums Technology Association) Steam Toys In Action event. In the 29th year of this popular event various toys and engines could be seen in steam including Formula Mamod (a steam powered slot car style race track featuring miniature steam roller racers)  Also in steam was the narrow gauge railway giving rides pulled by Leonard the Steam engine. My film starts by taking a look at a traction engine with traditional gas lamp headlights before following Leonard as he`s taken for the last run of the day and the boiler is cleared.

Leonard is a narrow gauge steam engine that operates at the Abbey Pumping station, an industrial museum in Leicester, England. During the museums regular Christmas steam days the engine can be found giving visitors rides along a length of track which runs along the edge of the site. My video follows Leonard as oil and various parts of the engine are checked before heading off on a journey pulling small carriages full of exited visitors.