Old Kiln Light Railway, Tilford Surrey

🚂 National Volunteers’ Week 2026 🚂

This week, we’re celebrating the incredible volunteers who keep The Old Kiln Light Railway running.

From maintaining our locomotives and rolling stock to caring for the site, welcoming visitors, and helping behind the scenes, our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. Their dedication, enthusiasm, and countless hours of hard work ensure that this unique railway can continue to be enjoyed by visitors of all ages.

To every volunteer past and present: thank you for your commitment, passion, and support. The Old Kiln Light Railway simply wouldn’t be the same without you.

If you’ve ever thought about getting involved, we’d love to hear from you. Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills, meet like-minded people, and help preserve a piece of railway heritage.

https://www.oklr.org

Photo Credit:
Josh Helman
Will Stratford
Lorraine Sandford

🚂

We are delighted to announce that our Motor Rail Simplex No. 7902 ‘Amey’ will be hauling her first ever public passenger trains this Sunday, 17th May, between 11:00am and 15:00pm.

Amey returned to the OKLR earlier this year following off-site mechanical overhaul work carried out by Alan Keef Ltd, and has since been repainted in-house by our dedicated team of volunteers.

Built in 1939, Amey has enjoyed a long and fascinating industrial career before arriving at the OKLR in February 2025 when she was donated to the railway by LEGOLAND Windsor.

We are incredibly proud to see this historic locomotive back in service and hauling passenger trains for our visitors to enjoy.
Come along this Sunday to ride behind Amey and help us celebrate her return to traffic!

Find out more about Amey here: https://oklr.org/rolling-stock/simplex/amey
Plan your visit here: https://oklr.org/visit-us

🚒 Our Annual Fire Engine Rally Returns! 🚒

Join us for a fun-filled day for the whole family, packed with red paint, flashing lights, and sirens galore!

Watch the Museum come alive with an incredible display of fire engines spanning over a century, from early 1900s classics to modern-day machines.

🔥 Live demonstrations throughout the day include:
• A dramatic rescue from the saw pit
• A fire at the railway station
• Saving a cat from the roof of the cricket pavilion
• …and plenty more exciting displays!

Ever dreamed of being a firefighter? Now’s your chance! Climb into the cab of selected vehicles (with owner permission), explore inside the lockers, and even take a ride around the Museum on a vintage fire engine.

This is one of our most popular summer events — perfect for families and enthusiasts alike. We can’t wait to see you there!

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🚗 Vehicle Owners – Get Involved!
If you’d like to enter your vehicle, please email [email protected] with the following details:
• Your name
• Vehicle registration number
• Vehicle make and model
• Year of manufacture
• Whether you’ll be attending Saturday, Sunday, or both
• Whether you require a camping pitch for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night

Don’t miss out — it’s set to be a fantastic day!

For more information and to buy tickets visit: www.rural-life.org.uk

The Rural Life Living Museum is owned and operated by the Old Kiln Museum CIO, registered charity number 1200370. The Museum receives no external funding and is dependent on ticket sales and donations to continue operating. We really appreciate your support.

Trains running from 1100 - 1500 from Mills Wood Station, £3.50/person.

🎉 Founders Day is here! 🎉

Today we celebrate the incredible legacy of our founders, Madge and Henry Jackson, who first opened the Museum back in April 1973.

To honour their legacy and our unique heritage, we’re bringing Founders Day back as an annual tradition! And just like in 1973, entry today is only:
👧 Children: 10p
🧑 Adults: 20p
(cash only please)

✨ What’s on today:
📜Rare and delicate objects on display from our archives in the newly refurbished village hall
🪨 Steam traction engines and miniature engines
🪵Live demonstrations from the woodyard
📸 Aldershot, Farnham and Fleet Camera Club Photography exhibition.
🚂 Train rides from the Old Kiln Light Railway *£3.50 pp

🌿 Bring the whole family for a relaxed day of discovery. Wonder, explore, and soak up the atmosphere. Feel free to pack a picnic and enjoy our covered picnic area or a shady spot under the trees.

☕ The Market Garden Café will be open all day, serving hot and cold food, drinks, and plenty of sweet treats.

For more information and to buy tickets visit: www.rural-life.org.uk

The Rural Life Living Museum is owned and operated by the Old Kiln Museum CIO, registered charity number 1200370. The Museum receives no external funding and is dependent on ticket sales and donations to continue operating. We really appreciate your support.

Our next steaming weekend (subject to availability)

🎉 Founders Day – Sunday 19th April! 🎉

Join us as we celebrate the opening of our Museum back in 1973, when Madge and Henry Jackson first welcomed visitors to The Old Kiln Museum.

For one day only, we’re bringing back the original entry prices (cash only): Children - 10p | Adults - 20p

Enjoy a fantastic day out with:
🚜 Steam engines and tractors chugging around
🛠️ Working machinery & live demonstrations
📜 Special photography exhibition in the village hall
💬 Stories from original volunteers

Bring a picnic or visit the Market Garden Café for food, drinks, and treats.

For more information and to buy tickets visit: www.rural-life.org.uk

The Rural Life Living Museum is owned and operated by the Old Kiln Museum CIO, registered charity number 1200370. The Museum receives no external funding and is dependent on ticket sales and donations to continue operating. We really appreciate your support.

We have just published our Q2 2026 Newsletter. Read about what we've been up to in our railway haven this last quarter!

https://oklr.org/news/newsletters/2026/q2

2025 has come to a close and it has been a very successful year for the Old Kiln Light Railway. We have done so much to preserve our existing fleet, and even introduced some new rolling stock.

Read all about it on our website!