West Lancashire Light Railway
Irish Mail
Overview
HeadquartersHesketh Bank
LocaleEngland
Dates of operation1967–present
Technical
Track gauge2 ft (610 mm)
Length430 yards (393 m)
Other
Websitewww.westlancsrailway.org

The West Lancashire Light Railway (WLLR) is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway that operates at Hesketh Bank,[1] situated between Preston and Southport in North West England.[2] The distance between the stations on the railway is 430 yards (393 m),[2] though track extends eastwards beyond Delph station on ledge above the old clay pit which is too narrow to contain a run round loop.[citation needed] An extension of up to 435 metres (1,427 ft), running along the north bank of the fishing lake has been proposed.[3] The railway has seven steam locomotives, three of which are in operating condition; two are currently being rebuilt and another is on static display. There are also two electric locomotives and many IC locomotives.[4]

History

Map of the railway in 2017
Running Shed
Montalban built in 1913 being serviced and watered
Irish Mail
Joffre
Cheetal in the workshop

The West Lancashire Light Railway was started in 1967, by six railway enthusiast schoolboys from the Hesketh Bank area.[5] They wanted to save the narrow gauge railway equipment which was disappearing from local industries. They leased a strip of land above the clay pits at Alty's Brickworks[5] and started laying track using rails from the former clay tramways and rough timbers as sleepers.

Two Ruston and Hornsby diesel locomotives were acquired from Burscough Brick & Tile Co.[6] one with a 13 hp engine, the other a 20 hp model, they were respectively named Clwyd and Tawd. Clwyd was the first locomotive to run on the railway in 1969.[7] These two locos were soon joined by more industrial diesels and the first home-built items of rolling stock.

At first, trains were operated on a "travel at your own risk" basis. The first formal timetable was issued in 1971.[6]

In 1970, the railway acquired an incomplete set of parts of 1903 Quarry Hunslet steam locomotive Irish Mail, from Dinorwic slate quarry in North Wales.[8] The major missing component was a boiler. Members of the WLLR retrieved the remains of Quarry Hunslet Alice from one of the upper levels of Dinorwic. Alice's boiler was retained at the WLLR and the rest sold to the Bala Lake Railway. Over the next decade the railway re-assembled Irish Mail and the locomotive was steamed for the first time in 1980.[6]

The running line slowly grew in length until it ran from Becconsall to a station known as Asland, which is no longer the far terminus of the line. The line in its present form runs from Becconsall to Delph, with the original track to Asland running on from Delph but not suitable for running engines.

In 2015, the WLLR hosted a gala to celebrate the 100th. anniversary of its Joffre class Kerr Stuart locomotive. A second Joffre class locomotive, No. 3014, attended from Apedale Valley Light Railway. This was the first time that two WWI-era Joffre locomotives had been in steam together in preservation.[9]

The railway is twinned with the Chemin de Fer de Rillé [fr] in France.[10]

Facilities

The railway's sheds and workshops are situated at Becconsall station. The first shed was built by the members using cast-off bricks from Alty's. This original workshop has been much added to over the years and the equipment in this workshop allows most of the work on restoring a steam locomotive to be undertaken, excluding boiler construction. Facilities for visitors have also been built at Becconsall.

Operations

The WLLR is open to the public on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of October, also on some other days during school holidays. Passengers can ride in semi-open coaches which have been built by the railway's volunteers. Gala weekends are also organised, when visiting steam locomotives can be seen in operation. Other events include Easter Egg Hunt, Teddy Bears' Day, Friendly Engines Day, Strawberries and Steam, Halloween, Princess and Pirates Day, Pumpkin Express, Volunteers Day, Children in Need, and Santa Specials.

'Drive an Engine' days can be arranged for individuals or small groups to learn how to operate a steam engine. Bookings can also be taken for birthday parties (and other types of celebration) and for visits by schools, colleges, clubs and societies.

Rolling stock

Steam locomotives

Number Name Builder Type Class Works number Built Status Notes
3 Irish Mail Hunslet 0-4-0ST Dinorwic Alice Class 823 1903 Operational, overhaul completed in 2015. Ex. Dinorwic Slate Quarry, Wales
8 Joffre Kerr Stuart 0-6-0T+WT 'Joffre' class 2405 1915 Restored in 2012. Awaiting overhaul following expiry of boiler ticket in August 2021. Ex. WW1 French Artillery Railways
Utrillas Orenstein and Koppel 0-4-0T+WT 2378 1913 Ex. Minas y Ferrocarril de Utrillas, Aragon, Spain
22 Montalban Orenstein and Koppel 0-4-0T+WT 6641 1913 Undergoing overhaul. Ex. Minas y Ferrocarril de Utrillas, Aragon, Spain
Sybil Bagnall 0-4-0ST 1706 1906 Undergoing restoration. Ex. Dinorwic Slate Quarry, Wales
Cheetal Fowler 0-6-0WT 15991 1923 Awaiting restoration. Ex. Karachi Port Trust, India

Internal combustion locomotives

Number Name Builder Works number Built Type Status Notes
1 Clwyd Ruston and Hornsby 264251 1951 4wDM [11]
2 Tawd Ruston and Hornsby 222074 1943 4wDM [11]
4 Bradfield Hibberd 1777 1931 4wPM [11]
5 Ruston and Hornsby 200478 1940 4wDM [11]
7 Motor Rail 8992 1946 4wDM [11] ex-Furness Brick & Tile Co of Askam, purchased in 1973[12]
10 Hibberd 2555 1942 4wDM [11]
11 Motor Rail 5906 1934 4wDM [11] ex-Middleton Towers sand railway.
12 Motor Rail 11258 1964 4wDM [11]
Motor Rail 7955 1945 4wDM Dismantled Rebuilt at the WLLR in 1987.[11] ex-Middleton Towers sand railway.
16 Ruston and Hornsby 202036 1941 4wDM Dismantled [11]
20 Lister 10805 1939 4wPM [11]
20 Baguley 3002 1937 4wPM [11]
21 Hunslet 1963 1939 4wDM [11]
25 Ruston and Hornsby 297054 1950 4wDM [11]
26 Motor Rail 11223 1963 4wDM [11]
31 Mill Reef Motor Rail 7371 1939 4wDM ex-Leighton Buzzard Light Railway[11]
36 Ruston and Hornsby 339105 1953 4wDM [11] Acquired in 1985 from Scotland.[13]
38 Hudswell Clarke DM750 1949 0-4-0DMF [11]
39 Black Pig Hibberd 3916 1959 4wDM [11]
40 Dame Vera Duckworth Ruston and Hornsby 381705 1956 4wDM [11]
49 Samson Hibberd 1887 1934 4wDM [11]
51 Pathfinder Hunslet 4478 1953 4wDM [11] Donated by ICI Gathurst.[14]
Hudswell Clarke DM1393 1967 0-6-0DMF [11]
Lister 29890 1946 4wDM Dismantled [11]

Electric Locomotives

Number Name Builder Works number Built Type Status Notes
19 BEV 613 1972 4wBE Regauged from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm).[11]
25 BEV 692 1974 4wBE Regauged from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm)[11]
Greenbat Greenwood and Batley 1840 1942 0-4-0BE Operational Ex. RAF Fauld
Welsh Pony BEV 640 1926 0-4-0OE Awaiting restoration Ex. Llechwedd Slate Quarry. Displayed at Gloddfa Ganol until 1998.

Wagons

The WLLR and its members own a variety of goods wagons obtained from several UK industrial narrow gauge railways, including tipper sand wagons from Pilkington Brothers sandfields in the Rainford and Bickerstaffe areas.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to West Lancashire Light Railway.

References

  1. ^ BBC News Report
  2. ^ a b WLLR website
  3. ^ "West Lancs Council Agenda" (PDF). 16 November 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Full steam ahead!". Southport Reporter. 14 July 2006.
  5. ^ a b Brown, Andrew (8 March 2016). "West Lancashire Light Railway to expand thanks to Lottery cash". Southport Visiter.
  6. ^ a b c "West Lancashire Light Railway gears up for 50th celebration". Southport Visiter. 20 September 2017.
  7. ^ Kelly, Ray (20 April 1992). "School's railway society still on track - after 25 years". Liverpool Echo.
  8. ^ Thomas, Cliff (2001). Quarry Hunslets Of North Wales. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-575-6.
  9. ^ "September feast of narrow gauge action reviewed". rail.co.uk. 1 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Bienvenue sur le site du Chemin de Fer de Rillé". aecfm.fr. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Industrial Locomotives: including preserved and minor railway locomotives. Vol. 16EL. Melton Mowbray: Industrial Railway Society. 2012. ISBN 978 1 901556 78 0.
  12. ^ "West Lancashire Light Railway, 2007: Loco No.7".
  13. ^ "West Lancashire Light Railway, 2007: Loco No. 36".
  14. ^ "West Lancashire Light Railway, 2007: Loco No. 51".

External links

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