(updated on 2nd February)
CARRIAGES AT THE WORTH VALLEY RAILWAY – from the end of September, the use of our carriages was to be confined to the Third Class six-wheel 1507, which the trustees have agreed that the Worth Valley can use in their Santa services running at weekends from early December through to Christmas.
January 3rd will now be the last day of operation until further notice, hopefully train operation may resume for the February half-term holidays but that is now very unlikely.
In November the use of six-wheel 1507 and the first class six-wheel 279 had been agreed for services in the Christmas and New Year period.
The mechanical condition of the Bogie Brake 1474 is such that it has now been relocated for the winter to the East Lancashire Railway works at Bury for some major repair work for which the Worth Valley workshop facilities are not suitable.
PLEASE NOTE – as and when the third coronavirus lockdown is relaxed or removed the constraints of post-lockdown operation require Worth Valley train services to be subject to advance booking via the Worth Valley website. Accomodation on the trains is booked per compartment in advance, unfortunately there are no concessions for Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust or Worth Valley members.
Most services would only pick up passengers at Oxenhope with a return non-stop return trip. Full details of services are available on their website – see here
The Worth Valley used our six-wheel and Brake compartment carriages for Vintage Train services operating on 6 Sundays and 2 Saturdays from 23rd August to 27th September inclusive. Our Brake carriage was approved for use on these services following detailed examination and provided facilities for carriage of wheelchair passengers and people accompanying them. To make our carriages more convenient for boarding at Oxenhope, they have been turned on Keighley turntable and the Brake end now faces south – as it arrived in 1965.
LOCOMOTIVES AT THE EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWAY – Saddletank 752 has been in the ELR workshop receiving attention to the steam leaks on the cylinder glands, this was caused by pitting that developed on the piston rods during the long overhaul, initial testing indicates that the repairs have been a complete success. Steam heating equipment is also being fitted and 752 may be used on some services from December onwards.
During August and September the ELR resumed steam services although last-minute government changes prevented running on 1st/2nd August, then on 15th and 16th August an unexpected loco failure led to our 752 coming to the rescue to run public services – see other news item – and from December 2020 the ELR had planned to run each weekend, but were not given authorisation by the local council, further details on their website – see here
Our other loco at the ELR, Pug 19, is in their workshop under evaluation for restoration and is therefore not on public display, the first stage of the work is now to proceed, this is removal of the boiler and a detailed examination of it to evaluate its condition, which is believed to be better than first believed.
