Category: News

Fundraising appeal 2023-2024

The year 2023 has been one of consolidation for the Trust, with our two operational steam locomotives in use at the East Lancashire Railway and our carriages in use at the Worth Valley Railway – that is with the exception of six-wheel Third 1507, on which three of the ten doors were found to be in need of major repairs and one needing some repair for safe operation.

After extensive research into the options available we were able to secure the services of the joiner who had made new doors for six-wheel First 279 and Club Carriage 47 some years ago.  The image below (supplied by Dan Winters) shows delivery of the first replacement door in December 2023 and the other two requiring replacement ready to be taken away.

The cost of this work will be nearly £10,000 including repainting and can be met from the Trust reserves but we would appreciate donations towards the cost, hopefully 1507 will return to service in 2024 Vintage Trains services.

Full details of how to help with this work and our other activities can be found here (opens in new window)

Expected use of our stock on Worth Valley in 2024

As at November 2023 we are expecting our carriages to see use on passenger services in two events as below –

THE STEAM GALA – Thursday March 21st to Sunday March 24th 2024, the scope of their use in not known at this stage, there is a page covering details of the Gala on their website click here (opens in new window)

VINTAGE TRAINS – no dates ae available as yet, but likely to be full weekends in Summer, we hope that repairs to our Third Class 6-wheel repairs will be completed by then so we expect that all four of our carriages will be used.
Updates will be added to this webpage when more details known.

Expected use of our locos at the East Lancashire Railway in 2024

At the the time of writing in November 2023 there are 2 major steam events advertised for 2024 on the East Lancashire Railway website –

Legends of Steam – Friday March 15th to Sunday 17th March, see details on ELR website click here (opens in new window)

Autumn Steam Gala – Friday 11th to Sunday 13th October, see details on ELR website click here (opens in new window)

Known use of our locos in use at East Lancashire Railway (ELR) during 2023

Autumn Steam Gala – October 13th 14th 15th
Our locos 19 as 11243 and 752 as 51456 featured with other ‘home fleet’ locos and some visitors – West Country 34072 from the Spa Valley Railway, 48305 from the Great Central Railway and Jubilee 45690 based at Carnforth.
752/51456 was in use throughout the Gala and 19/11243 carried out public shunting demonstrations as well as a passenger shuttle once each day and a short freight except on Sunday.

Pug 19 as 11243 was used for a wedding train special on 20th September,  the Pug ran from Bury to Ramsbottom to pick up the wedding, then Ramsbottom to Heywood, Heywood to Rawtenstall (stopping at Bury and Ramsbottom as booked), and then Rawtenstall to Bury dropping the wedding off at Ramsbottom.  Photos have been supplied by Liam Barnes of the ELR.

Images of our locos in use can be found on our page Photos – stock in use
and videos from Youtube on our page Video Online

Apart from special events, Saddletank 752 as 51456 is a regular performer on the Diner Trains (which require advanced booking) operated by the East Lancashire Railway.

Small Engines Gala – June 10th 11th
A new event for 2023, it featured 6 steam locos and 6 diesel locos, our 752 and 19 both featuring, with 752 being one of the largest.

Images of our locos in use in the Gala can be found on our page Photos – stock in use and videos from Youtube on our page Video Online

1940s Weekend – May 27th 28th 29th
752 as 51456 operated passenger shuttles between Bury Bolton Street and Ramsbottom. 19 as 11243 spent most of the weekend shunting military wagons around Bury Bolton Street

Images of our locos in use in the Gala can be found on our page Photos – stock in use and videos from Youtube on our page Video Online

Pug 19 as 11243 at Gloucester Warwickshire Steam Railway May 2023

After Pug 19 as 11243 has attended the Gala Weekend at the Bluebell in April it was taken by road to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) to feature in their Cotswold Festival of Steam on 12th to 14th May.
The main work of 19/11243 was to take charge of shunting goods wagons at Winchcombe and operate brake van trips, a task it was designed to do, during the event which is a highlight of the railway’s calendar.
Update 22nd April – initially we understood that the engine would work a passenger train each day from Toddington to Winchcombe and back again later on in the day but the published timetable showed an irregular pattern between the three days. There was a full freight round trip between the two stations each day, but only one way passenger journeys on Friday and Sunday with Saturday featuring a passenger journey out in the morning and return in late afternoon.

Images of 11243 in use in the Gala can be found on our page Photos – stock in use
and videos from Youtube on our page Video Online

Full details of the event can be found on the GWSR website, including details of the other four visiting locomotives, click here to view details of the event, on 22nd April this page now includes a link to the published Gala Timetable (opens in new window)

Pug 19 as 11243 at Bluebell Railway April 2023

Pug 19 travelled by road from Bury to the Bluebell Railway on 11th April, arriving safely at their Sheffield Park depot.
In LMS livery as 11243 it featured in their Branch Line Gala Weekend from 21st to 23rd April, running extensively thoughout the 3 days, but always working with another locomotive from their home fleet or the two other visitors including Andy Booth’s ‘A’ class 52322.

Full details of the event can be found on the Bluebell website, which also includes a link to the timetables, click here (opens in new window)

Images of 11243 in us in the Gala can be found on our page Photos – stock in use
and videos from Youtube on our page Video Online

19/11243 stayed at the Bluebell after the weekend before making another road journey to the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway to take part in their Cotswold Festival of Steam event on 12th to 14th May, details in our separate article.