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40th Anniversary Gala

Events

25th & 26th July 2026

To celebrate 40 years since Moors Valley Railway opened on the site of the old King’s Farm near Ringwood in Hampshire, we are planning a special ‘Anniversary Gala’ to show off the railway in all its glory.

Created by Jim Haylock and opened in 1986, what makes the railway special is when you realise everything you see from the track, locomotives, carriages, signals and stations has been built from scratch with just a small team of staff and volunteers.

40 years on from that first train the railway continues to bring smiles to the faces of everyone young and old that takes a ride on the narrow gauge steam train through the country park.

ORDER YOUR ROVER TICKETS HERE

We have lots planned for the event including:

  • All currently operational steam locomotives (13 in total) in service each day (subject to availability)
  • Intensive passenger service including the New Forester, Dorset Flyer and Shuttle named trains
  • Demonstration freight trains including box vans, permanent way train and yard to yard freight
  • The Tucktonian featuring the original coaches built by Jum Haylock in the early 1970’s
  • A parade of engines taking place at 4:30pm each day (vote for your favourite).

Gala Rover exclusives

Make the most of your visit with a Gala Day Rover ticket, providing unlimited travel on the day of purchase, plus access to:

  • The Dorset Flyer and the Shuttle service: a non-stop round trip from platform 1 at Kinsgmere Station.
  • The New Forester and Midday service: a double reverse run of the line on Saturday at 10:15 (new Forester) and Sunday at 12:00 (Midday) from Kingsmere Station, available exclusively to Gala Rover ticket holders.
  • The Loco Challenge: Ride behind all rostered locos and win a prize! Ask for a challenge sheet when collecting your tickets, get it clipped with each engine, and claim your prize from the Kingsmere Station shop when complete!
  • Best prepared engine : your chance to vote for the best prepared engine to be announced before the parade of engines.