East Lancashire Railway
Encyclopedia
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
in Lancashire
and Greater Manchester
, England.
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
and Ramsbottom
, via Summerseat
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
, via Irwell Vale
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
and diesel
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
's comedy series The Grimleys
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
and Roy Cropper
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
No. 44871.
|}
File:92214atRamsbottomstation.jpg|92214 leaving Ramsbottom station towards Rawtenstall station
Image:40145EastLancashireRailway.JPG|Class 40
40145 "East Lancashire Railway" standing at Rawtenstall
Image:Bury Station, East Lancs Railway.jpg|LMS Class 3F 'Jinty' 0-6-0T No. 47324 at Bury Bolton Street station
Image:HymekBury.jpg|Class 35 'Hymek'
no D7076 departs Bury Bolton Street station with a service for Heywood
Image:Ramsbottom Station.jpg|Class 42 'Warship'
no D832 departs Ramsbottom with a service for Rawtenstall
Image:BurySouth signal box interior2.JPG|Bury South Signal Box
Image:Type 2 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive number D5054.jpg|D5054 Type 2 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive, Heywood to Rawtenstall
Image:9F 2-10-0 locomotive number 92214.jpg| Visiting 9F
92214 on Bury to Heywood Service
Image:27 class 1300 at Buckley Wells.jpg| Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Aspinall 0-6-0 '27' class locomotive number 1300 at Buckley Wells
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
(Proposed)- (Former)
- (Former)
- (Former)
|}
Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
(Proposed)- (Former)
- (Former)
- (Former)
|}
Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
(Proposed)- (Former)
- (Former)
- (Former)
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Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
(Proposed)- (Former)
- (Former)
- (Former)
|}
Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
(Proposed)- (Former)
- (Former)
- (Former)
|}
Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
(Proposed)- (Former)
- (Former)
- (Former)
|}
Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
(Proposed)- (Former)
- (Former)
- (Former)
|}
Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
(Proposed)- (Former)
- (Former)
- (Former)
|}
Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Overview
After formal closure by British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, via Summerseat
Summerseat
Summerseat is a village in the Ramsbottom district of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley, on the course of the River Irwell to the north of Bury, along the course of the M66 motorway....
. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, via Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell....
. However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
was opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
line to Bury, at the site of the former Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed 'The Ski Jump'. The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19.3 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
, beyond Heywood. There are plans to extend the running line further to Castleton in the future. Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504
British Rail Class 504
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
in 1980. There are plans to construct and open a station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed.
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
and diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas
Day out with Thomas
Day Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HiT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated "Family Engines Big Day Out" events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as "Jimmy the Jinty".
The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). Several steam locomotives operate most of the trains and many diesel locomotives reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.
In 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's comedy series The Grimleys
The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series....
, named The Grimley Curse, and then the finale of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's award-winning drama series Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
in 2007.
The railway was also featured in an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871, and in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie
Eric and Ernie is a 2011 television film produced by BBC Wales on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. It completed production in 2010 and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011.-Selected cast:*Bryan Dick - Ernie Wise...
, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5"
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
No. 44871.
Railway stations
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- (Former)
- (Former)
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Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (Mar-Oct).Steam
- Operational
- Manchester Ship Canal 32 'Gothenburg' (Currently in the guise of Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Peckett and Sons 1370 'May'
- Visiting or occasionally available to use from a local engineering business'"
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80080 (On loan from the Midland Railway - Butterly)
- WD132 'Sapper' (on hire)
- LNWRLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
G ClassLNWR G ClassThe London and North Western Railway G Class along with modifications that made them into G1, G2 and G2a classes, is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight work. They are known to railway enthusiasts as "Super Ds". This is because a large number of G1 class engines were...
or Super D 49395 (On loan from the NRM/NYMR) - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
44871 - LMS Stanier Class 5LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
45231 'The Sherwood Forester' - BR Standard 8 4-6-2 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
- Locomotives under overhaul or restoration
- LMS Hughes CrabLMS Hughes CrabThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
42765 (Under overhaul. Expected completion 2012) - BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80097 (Under restoration. Completion possibly in 2013)
- SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35009 'Shaw Savill' (Under restoration) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35027 'Port Line' (Under overhaul for Main Line use, awaiting boiler from Crewe) - SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy classThe SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35022 'Holland-America Line' (Under restoration with plans to put her to original un-rebuilt condition)
- LMS Hughes Crab
- Locomotives stored awaiting restoration or overhaul
- Barclay no.1 (On display in Bury Transport Museum)
- GWR 2884 ClassGWR 2884 ClassThe Great Western Railway 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work. They were a development of the earlier 2800 Class. The 2884s differed from the original engines in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was...
3855 (Stored in Baron street yard) - GWR 7200 ClassGWR 7200 ClassThe Great Western Railway 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain....
7229 (Stored in Baron street yard) - SR Battle of Britain Class 34073 '249 Squadron' (Stored in Baron street yard. Came to the railway in 2006 as a source of spares for sister loco 34067 'Tangmere', who has since left the line)
- LMS Stanier Class 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
48518 (Frames only. Boiler was removed in 2008 at Llangollen for use on the County class newbuild. Front bogie wheel and other parts have gone to the Patriot project. Also missing driving wheels and cylinders)
Diesel
- Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
- Motorail SimplexMotor RailMotor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways...
4WDM no. 9009 - MSCManchester Ship CanalThe Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0 no. 4002 "Arundel Castle" - BR 0-4-0 Class 01British Rail Class 01The British Rail Class 01 diesel locomotive was a short wheelbase 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical design intended for use in areas with tight curves and limited clearance.-History:Four examples were built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. of Kilmarnock in 1956...
no. D2956 (Castlecroft Shed Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 03British Rail Class 03The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
no. D2062 - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. D3232 (Buckley Wells Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08479 (Baron Street Works Pilot) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08700 - BR Bo-Bo Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. 20087 - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33109 (formerly "Captain Bill Smith RNR") - BR B-B Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37109 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37518 - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37901 "Mirrlees Pioneer" - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. D335 - BR Co-Co Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. D1501 - BR Co-Co Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50015 "ValiantHMS Valiant (S102)The sixth, and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class...
" - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no. 55022 "Royal Scots GreyScots GreysThe Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
" (Passed for mainline running.) - BR Co-Co Class 55British Rail Class 55The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
no D9016 "Gordon Highlander". (Working engine was installed into 55022 to allow twin engine running, in early 2010. Other engine unit has been repaired and reinstalled into D9016 and the loco returned to service in Jan 2011) - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
unit 51192+54352 (101659 & 101693) - BR Class 121British Rail Class 121Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 54289 - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
unit W55001
- Motorail Simplex
- Diesel locomotives currently elsewhere
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40British Rail Class 40The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
no. 40145 "East Lancashire Railway" (Passed for mainline running. At Barrow Hill for repairs to be carried out by HNRCHarry Needle Railroad CompanyThe Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
) - BR B-B Class 42British Rail Class 42British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no. D832 "OnslaughtHMS Onslaught (S14)HMS Onslaught was a British Oberon-class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham, for the Royal Navy.She was laid down on the 8 April 1959 and was commissioned on the 14 September 1962. HMS Onslaught was paid off in 1990.-References:...
" (Currently at the West Somerset RailwayWest Somerset RailwayThe West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, Repainted into BR Green by the DEPG)
- BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40
- Diesel Locomotives and DMUs Undergoing Light Work, Overhaul or Restoration
- F. C. HibberdF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
'Planet' 4WDM no. 3438 (Undergoing restoration to working order. Power unit started May 2007 - Currently inside castlecroft shed pending completion of work. Bodywork is near complete. Will take up the role as Wagon Works shunter) - BR 0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08944 (Stopped after a big end failure. Will return to traffic some time during 2011) - BR 0-6-0 Class 14British Rail Class 14The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
no. D9531 (Near completion. Side frames, bodyside doors and battery boxes now fitted. Two reconditioned exhausters fitted November 2007. Power unit fitted in late 2008. A Spring 2011 return beckons following successful testing and commissioning of new systems. Currently located in Baron Street Loco Works.) - BR Bo-Bo Class 15British Rail Class 15The British Rail Class 15 diesel locomotives, also known as the BTH Type 1, were designed by British Thomson-Houston, and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company and the Clayton Equipment Company, between 1957 and 1961.- Design history :...
no. D8233 (Restoration in progress. Currently located outside Baron Street Works. Cooler group room almost complete. Fan and fan drive gearbox returned after overhaul. Equipment room undergoing renovation. Generator set split from old power unit) Class 15 Preservation Society - BR Bo-Bo Class 24British Rail Class 24The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
no. D5054 "Phil Southern" (Light engine and main gen work. Steam-heat boiler overhaul including manufacture of a new control panel) - BR Co-Bo Class 28British Rail Class 28The British Rail Class 28 diesel locomotives, or 'Metrovicks' as they were popularly known, were built as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan. The locomotives had a Co-Bo wheel arrangement – unique in British Railways practice though not uncommon in other countries, notably Japan...
no. D5705 (Next in line for restoration. Cabs currently being worked on. With D8233 outside Baron Street Loco Works) Class 15 Preservation Society - Co-Bo News - BR Bo-Bo Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 6536 (Under overhaul in Buckley Wells carriage shed. No. 1 end cab largely renewed with new metal work. Overhauled turbo returned, awaits refitting) - BR Co-Co Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
no. 37418 "Pectinidae". Out of traffic due to low oil pressure. Defective A1 piston has piston-prop in place - main bearings removed. Defective engine now removed and awaiting replacement. - BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45British Rail Class 45The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
no. 45135 "3rd Carabinier" (Undergoing major work. Replacement of main engine bearings ongoing. Top-end of five cylinders have been stripped. Five cylinder heads and corresponding pistons have been removed. Four liners removed on 29/09/07. Loco now in Buckley Wells shed and liner replacement work continuing, June 2010.) - BR C-C Class 52British Rail Class 52British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
no. D1041 "Western Prince" (Bodywork replacement started. Rewire of cabs and electrical cubicles started). Loco now back at Castlecroft, having been at the loco works at Baron Street for bodywork repairs. B-end engine recently removed from Class 35British Rail Class 35The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no. D7076.) - BR Class 105British Rail Class 105The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
unit 51485+56121 (Under restoration in Buckley Wells carriage sheds) - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
unit 51562+51922 (Was in service for March "DMU Day", now in shed for repaint. Otherwise serviceable, expected back in traffic later in 2011.) - BR Class 207British Rail Class 207The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
unit 1305 (207202 - formed of 60130+70549+60904) (Requires a repaint, attention to bodywork and doors, and an overhaul of the interior. Expected to start later in 2011.)
- F. C. Hibberd
- Stored Diesel Locomotives
- NIR Class 80NIR 80 ClassThe Class 80 is a type of diesel electric multiple unit in service with Northern Ireland Railways.-History:By the early 1970s the MEDs and units inherited from the GNR had been in service for 20 years, and the MPDs for 10 years. To replace these increasingly life-expired units, Northern Ireland...
No. 8099 Initially stored on section of 5'3" track at Castlecroft - bought as spares for 207202. Now converted to standard gauge and stored at Buckley Wells.
- NIR Class 80
Electric
- Electric Multiple Units
- BR Class 504British Rail Class 504The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only between Manchester and Bury...
unit 65451+77172 (Stored at Buckley Wells carriage shed, currently being restored as Hauled Coaching Stock)
- BR Class 504
Trams
- Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder 752 is stored onsite at Baron Street on a Separate Track Panel, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle.
Gallery
File:92214atRamsbottomstation.jpg|92214 leaving Ramsbottom station towards Rawtenstall station
Image:40145EastLancashireRailway.JPG|Class 40
British Rail Class 40
The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
40145 "East Lancashire Railway" standing at Rawtenstall
Image:Bury Station, East Lancs Railway.jpg|LMS Class 3F 'Jinty' 0-6-0T No. 47324 at Bury Bolton Street station
Image:HymekBury.jpg|Class 35 'Hymek'
British Rail Class 35
The British Rail Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks....
no D7076 departs Bury Bolton Street station with a service for Heywood
Image:Ramsbottom Station.jpg|Class 42 'Warship'
British Rail Class 42
British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
no D832 departs Ramsbottom with a service for Rawtenstall
Image:BurySouth signal box interior2.JPG|Bury South Signal Box
Image:Type 2 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive number D5054.jpg|D5054 Type 2 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive, Heywood to Rawtenstall
Image:9F 2-10-0 locomotive number 92214.jpg| Visiting 9F
BR standard class 9F
The British Railways BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed for British Railways by Robert Riddles. The Class 9F was the last in a series of standardised locomotive classes designed for British Railways during the 1950s, and was intended for use on fast, heavy freight...
92214 on Bury to Heywood Service
Image:27 class 1300 at Buckley Wells.jpg| Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Aspinall 0-6-0 '27' class locomotive number 1300 at Buckley Wells
External links
- East Lancashire Railway website
- Bury Standard Four Group for BR Standard Class 4 80097
- ELR Bury Diesel Group website
- Riley & Sons (E) Ltd, Owners of 45407, 76079 and 44871
- 55022 'Royal Scots Grey' and D9016 'Gordon Highlander' Official Website
- Class 40 Preservation Society, Owners of 40145 and D335
- D1041 Western Prince Website
- Class 15 Preservation Society, Owners of D8233
- British Railways in 1960 - The ELR from Bury Bolton Street to Stubbins Jn.
- British Railways in 1960 - The ELR from Stubbins Jn. to Rawtenstall (Part of the route from Stubbins Jn. to Bacup)