Calderdale Industrial Museum, after a fundraising campaign and months of hard work and training, will be running its steam engines for the first time since the museum closed 26 years ago, on the 18 April.
Since taking over the running of the museum in 2013, the Calderdale Museum Association (CIMA) has worked towards running the steam engines in the Power Gallery again as they had been before the closure of the museum in 2000. These are the 1926 built Newton, Bean & Mitchell horizontal ‘Corliss’ engine, the 1860s beam engine, the Fairbank Brearley vertical engine and the 1926 Bellis & Morcom inverted vertical compound engine. All are on display in the power gallery.
Once the volunteers worked out what was required, fundraising started in earnest, with money coming from members and visitors to contribute to the replacement of the old inefficient steam boiler. In August 2022, the old boiler was dismantled and removed from the basement and the area prepared for the new boiler. By 2025 enough money had been raised to cover the purchase and installation costs, and the boiler was then supplied and fitted out by H.A. McEwens – Boiler Repairs Ltd. A SolidTek STL 1000 was fitted by SolidTek MD Steve in November 2025 and they have offered to supply the necessary chemicals free of charge. The museum is very grateful for this kind gesture and look forward to working with Steve and SolidTek in the coming years. All the electrical work has been carried out by Richard Lennard, our in house electrician.
In the meantime, the team of museum volunteers have been working on refurbishing and recommissioning the four engines in readiness for public viewing. Training and testing have been going on over the winter, with modifications and repairs carried out as needed. A team of six volunteers were given professional training, over two sessions, by steam consultant Ian Roberts. They are now qualified with a City & Guilds ‘Industrial Boiler Duty Manager Course’. This ensures they operate the gas boiler safely. Further training to run the four engines has been given by Steve Buckley.
The museum plans to run steam fortnightly from 18th April until 28th June 2026, with further dates to follow over the summer period. Running the steam engines will add hugely to the quality of the visitor experience and is a very exciting day for the volunteers who have worked so hard to get to this point. It’s an added dimension to the tourist offering in Halifax and adds to the story told at the museum, of Calderdale’s significant contribution to the industrial revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Enthusiasts from around the country will be drawn to the area to see these beautiful engines at work.
Trevor Hardaker, Operations Director for CIMA, said “Now we can confidently promote steam days where we run the engines, for the public once more. This is a crucial part of telling the story of the development of power in industrial Calderdale and will add to the exciting visitor experience at the museum.”
The museum relies on its open day takings to fund all the work done to maintain and develop the collection. You can now be a named sponsor of steam for a day, by donating £100, or make whatever contribution you can by putting money in Baby Enid or going to the museum website to the donation page. The museum is open on Saturday 10am – 4pm with last entry at 3pm. They also open, with the same hours, on Thursdays during the Calderdale School holidays. The licensed café opens when the museum is open.
Industrial Heritage Networks 