THE MINISTRY OF STEAMPUNK
STEAM TRAINS AND FAIRYTALES
Midland Railway Trust, Butterley
We will be back to do it all again on
23-24 May 2026!
The information below is from our first event at Butterley and Swanwick in 2025. Further information about 2026 will be coming along soon.
After enjoying Steampunk Fairytale Weekends at Belvoir and Tutbury Castles the last three years, in 2025 we are off to the Midland Railway Trust at Butterley Station and Swanwick Junction for a Steampunk Fairytale Weekend with a difference - Steam Trains!
Visitors arriving at Butterley Station will be subject to various checks (passport control, declarations of health against fae disease etc.) and will then be transported by Steam Train to the main site at Swanwick Junction.
At Swanwick Junction you will find a large green, multiple engine sheds, diesel and steam trains, exhibitions, model raiways, garden railways, cafes, a bar and so much more to entertain you. The views of the surrounding countryside are fabulous and there is an adjacent country park.
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During the day you will be able to ride the trains from Swanwick back to Butterley and to the lake beyond. Who knows, we may even be able to 'run' some features that take place exclusively on the trains?
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At Swanwich there is a chapel and there are classrooms suitable for talks and other features too.
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Of course on the green at Swanwick (see below) we will have a curated Steampunk market and you can expect a a few extra Steampunk exhibits added amongst the simply enormous number of permanent features.
Our last two Steampunk Fairytale events have welcomed many visitors in stunning outfits - from Fairies to Disney Princesses, from Snow White and Cinderella to Red Riding Hood and some big bad wolves, from Mad Hatters to furries and woodland creatures. ​
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All will be welcome again at Butterley; it will be the perfect location with 'something for everyone', a real family destination.
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But the location at Butterley and Swanwick also lends itself to the grittier side of fae and pucks and other fairytale creatures living in Victorian England as depicted in the Amazon Prime series Carnival Row. So if you don't fancy coming as a Disney Princess, maybe a downtrodden fae or a misunderstood puck will appeal?
The Butterley Station and Swanwick Junction locations at the Midland Railway Trust offer us all the most amazing playground where with your help we hope to create a fabulous event. Just as the extraordinary facilities at Blists Hill Victorian Town have enabled us to bring back The Town That Never Was seven times to date (and our eigth visit will be in 2025), we expect to 'grow' into Butterley Station and Swanwick Junction too as we bring our Steampunk creativity, joy and magnificience to this most excellent location. ​​​​
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The drawing below highlights some of the main areas at Swanwick Junction where the Steampunk content will be located. It is a big site, however, and you will also find much more to explore.
You will arrive at Swanwick Junction by Steam Train and some features will be taking place around the station buildings. The talks will mainly be in St Saviour's Church and the Steampunk market will be located on Junction Green.
Visitors to the event will be given a booklet containing a similar map as well as the train timetable and programme for both days. The full train timetable is below, showing all the movements of the two trains over the weekend, but if you are not driving the train yourself then the abbreviated 'what you need to know' timetable further down the page may be the one for you.
The Route
During the weekend trains will run between Butterley Station (where the car park is) and Swanwick Junction (where most of the event will be taking place). There is no visitor access to Swanwick Junction by road.
Trains from Butterley
Trains run direct from Butterley to Swanwick, a journey of around four minutes. After leaving Swanwick, trains run on to Riddings (where you stay on the train) and then back to Swanwick.
Trains from Swanwick
Trains from Swanwick back to Butterley pass through Butterley station without stopping and then turn round at Hammersmith. Returning from Hammersmith, the trains then stop at Butterley before returning to Swanwick as above.
Two trains will be running. LMS 3F Jinty 16440 will be hauling a set of vintage carriages and BR Standard Class 4 Tank 80080 will be hauling a set of heritage MK1 carriages. They will run alternately.
The key times are below:
You can now download the three weekend timetables from the links below. One is for the train times, one for the timed steampunk features taking place on Saturday and the third for the timed steampunk features taking place on Sunday. There will also be steampunk displays, a market and various characters to interact with as well as droids and other impromptu performances.
​​​​The images taken below are a mixture of photos taken at Belvoir and Tutbury and the locations that await us at Butterley Station and Swanwick Junction. ​
