Images of our stock in use since the launch of Club Carriage 47 in 2011, the latest are displayed at the top.
October 11th to 13th 2024 are likely to be the last days of use for our stock in 2024, this being the Autumn Steam Gala on the East Lancashire Railway, our locos 752 (as 11456) and 19 (as 11243) featuring others from the home fleet as well as guest locos 9F 92134 and Furness Railway 20.
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July and August 2024 have seen the use of 3 of our 4 carriages on the Worth Valley Vintage Trains services over 5 weekends. September 7th and 8th saw our 2 locos at East Lancashire Railway feature in Heritage Open Days, Pug 11243 on shunting demonstrations and Saddletank 752 appearing on static display in its new guise as LMS 11456, the first time in preservation.
752 as 11456 then was taken by road to the Severn Valley Railway for a 4-day Gala, unfortunately failing in the afternoon of day 1 but was repaired by the end of day 2 and ran well on days 3 and 4.
The first week of October saw Saddletank 752 as 11456 used on a ‘Mayor’s Special’ between Bury and Rawtenstall, our Third 6-wheel carriage 1507 on a special on the Worth Valley featuring loco FENCHURCH visiting from the Bluebell.
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The year 2024 has started with a temporary change of identity for Sadlletank 752 to the last of all the Saddletanks in use, service loco 11305 at Horwich Works, which had been planned for 2024 using the original numberplate from 11305 which was in the possession og long-term supporter Harvey Scowcroft, but was brought forward following his sudden death in December 2023. 752 featured in a 3P20 Group charter in early March.
752 went on to operate as 11305 for the weekend event ‘Legends of Steam’ from 15th to 17th March
One week later 2 of our carriages, Club Carriage 47 and Bogie Brake 1474 featured in the Worth Valley Steam Gala, as they were at the rear of the trains when the locos were working hard there are few photos available. A selection of images from these events can be seen below.
752 reverted back to its 51456 identity and went by road (and by rail across the mainline) at the Didcot Railway Centre, operating for 5 days in 2 events between May 4th and May 12th.
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From August 2023 onwards there has been fairly limited use of our our stock apart from Pug 19 as 11243 and Saddletank 752 as 51456 at the East Lancashire Railway Gala over the weekend of 13th to 15th October. Pug 11243 was also used on a wedding special on 20th September and our Club Carriage 47 and Brake Third 1474 formed a private special on the Worth Valley on 12th October.
A selection of images from these events can be seen below.
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At the end of May 2023 both Pug 19 as 11243 and Saddletank 752 as 51456 were used on the East Lancashire Railway during a 1940s Weekend gala event. They went on to feature in a new ‘Small Engines Gala’ on 10th and 11th June, sharing duties with 4 other steam locos and no less than 6 small diesels. It is likely that 11243 and 11456 will operate some services during the summer.
July saw the start of the Worth Valley Vintage trains which are running with a VCT Metropolitan carriage in place of our 6-wheeler Third 1507 which requires attention.
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Over the winter of 2022 to 2023 there was little activity for our stock, mainly because of Santa services operation and the closure of the East Lancashire Railway in January and February. The first action was of 2 of our carriages in the Worth Valley Gala from 9th to 12th March, followed by Brake 1474 being used on service trains the following weekend, although no photographs have been traced from then. Over the weekend of 21st to 23rd April Pug 19 as 11243 was on hire to the Bluebell Railway for their Branch Line Gala Weekend with a variety of visiting engines and their home fleet running in various combinations. Pug 19 then went on to the Gloucester Warwickshire Steam Railway for 11th to 14th May for their Cotswold Festival of Steam
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October 2022 features a major event at the East Lancashire Railway when 5 of the 6 preserved L&YR locos will be present for a Gala from 14th to 16th October, including 957 as 52044 from the Bowers Trust on the Worth Valley and our own 51218 also temporarily relocated to Bury for the rest of 2022, albeit as a static exhibit. Both Pugs then featured in a photo charter on 21st October.
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June to September 2022 was a busy period, starting with a photo charter at the East Lancashire Railway which featured our locos 752 and 19 in L&YR livery ready for the weekend event celebrating the centenary of the merger of the L&YR and L&NWR, also featuring ‘A’ class 1300 ‘Coal Tank’ 1054. During the event our newly restored Pug 19 started public service with its first ever passenger train, and all 4 of our carriages featured in the Worth Valley Vintage Sundays services, with the first Sunday being the first time all 4 had been hauled by a L&YR loco. This was followed by a return visit, now in operation, by Pug 19 to the Ribble Steam Railway at Preston to operate for 4 weekends and their October Gala. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow
2022 is likely to see a lot of activity for our stock, by the summer we will have two Saddletanks restored to steam in the form of 752 and Pug 19 back in steam after 52 years, as well as all four carriages operational. 1st January saw 752 in use on a celebration of centenary of the merger of the L&YR and L&NWR railways, followed by 752 going to the Spa Valley Railway in Kent for 6 weeks. Then a Gala at the East Lancashire Railway in February, followed by trial runs of Pug 19 and use of 752 to the beginning of June 2022. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow
January to April 2021 saw all out stock out of use due to the national lockdown, then the six-wheelers saw limited use in May 2021 on the Worth Valley, and 752 (still running as 51456) ran some scheduled passenger services on the East Lancashire Railway between July and November. The six-wheelers and our Club Carriage were used in Vintage Trains on the Worth Valley in July and August as well as Third six-wheel 1507 being used on the ‘Elf Express’ services before Christmas. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow
August 2020 saw the return of our stock to use on both the East Lancashire and Worth Valley railways, loco 752 unexpectedly deputised for the rostered loco on public services and our 3 compartment carriages were in use in a series of Vintage Train services on Sundays until Bogie Brake 1474 left for repairs in October, with the six-wheelers then being used from late November through to the total end of services in early January 2021. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow
March 2020 saw Saddletank 752 in action as 51456 and Pug 19 on display as 51241 at the Spring Gala of the East Lancashire Railway. Our Club Carriage 47 was also in use on a service train at the Worth Valley’s Gala on the same weekend 6th to 8th March.
On 16th and 17th March 752 as 51456 took part in 2 days of footplate experience days on the ELR, running a total of 175 miles over the 2 days. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow
2020 started off with Saddletank 752 temporarily renumbered 51456 whilst on test runs preparing for its return to public service. This was followed by our relaunch for members and supporters and a photo charter plus ELR crew training in late February. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow
2019 saw Club Carriage 47 used in a Royal special, and 3 other than Brake 1474 used in March Gala and Vintage Trains. Brake 1474 required repairs which prevented public use but permission was given for some filming by Netflix of ‘The English Game’ about the start of the Football League. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow
2018 saw our carriages used in a Royal special, March Gala and Worth Valley’s 50th Anniversary and Vintage Trains. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow
2017 photos shown below cover use behind the preserved Crab in March Gala, the return of 279 to service and Vintage Trains use. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow.
Below features photos from the years 2013 to 2016. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow.
The years 2011 and 2012 feature below, when Club Carriage 47 had returned to service meaning that we had 3 carriages in use. Click on any image to view larger version and as a slideshow.
