Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

A list of the first 25 trains operated from Rose Grove, Accrington, Rishton, Blackburn, Cherry Tree and Bamber Bridge to Preston (later from Leyland) follows - Date Destination(s) Passenger s Miles run March 25 th 1987 Canterbury and/or Dover (mystery) 307 618 May 2 nd 1988 Exeter and/or Dawlish 358 610 November 19 th 1988 Gateshead Metro and/or Newcastle-upon-Tyne* 520 344 January 14 th 1989 Gateshead Metro and/or Newcastle-upon-Tyne* 528 344 April 29 th 1989 Edinburgh and/or Perth 513 540 July 1 st 1989 Edinburgh and/or Perth 428 540 November 11 th 1989 Bath 519 458 May 5 th 1990 Norwich and/or Great Yarmouth (mystery) 462 496 September 8 th 1990 Kensington Olympia and/or Windsor 465 514 November 17 th 1990 Gateshead Metro and/or Durham 598 350 May 4 th 1991 Southampton and/or Bournemouth 470 608 June 29 th 1991 Oban 423 630 November 16 th 1991 Ely and /or Cambridge 536 390 May 2 nd 1992 Gatwick Airport and/or Eastbourne 353 594 June 20 th 1992 Cardiff and/or Tenby 394 640 November 14 th 1992 Edinburgh 602 426 April 24 th 1993 Oxford and/or Reading 662 454 November 13 th 1993 Bath and/or Salisbury 625 540 April 30 th 1994 Grosmont and/or Whitby 550 348 July 2 nd 1994 Fort William and Mallaig (overnight) 429 756 November 19 th 1994 Gateshead Metro and/or Durham 544 350 April 22 nd 1995 Kensington Olympia and/or Windsor 476 514 November 11 th 1995 Edinburgh and/or Dundee 653 546 June 8 th 1996 Torquay and/or Paignton 380 645 November 11 th 1996 Peterborough and/or Cambridge 551 390 Total 25 - Total 12,046 Total 12,645 * Via the Settle and Carlisle route (Ian had described the biggest disasters as the two trips to Windsor, with the highlight the excursion to Fort William and Mallaig. It had been the practice for trains going to the south to use a platform on Preston Station for the changing of ends for locomotives, but latterly these excursions ran south from Lostock Hall Junction into Leyland. The reason for this minor inconvenience to passengers who normally would have joined the trains in Preston, was the extortionate cost of having the locomotive uncoupled, run around and recoupled, or substituted by an electric locomotive. One sum quoted I had been told was an astonishing £1,800. Latterly some trains were topped and tailed with a loco each end to avoid having to run around when the excursion reached a destination which was also a railhead. This was also advantageous if one of the locomotives should happen to fail. There was a very good atmosphere on these trains, where refreshments were available as well as other items to help pass the time en route, and because they had a loyal clientele it was an opportunity to make and renew friendships. Before the advent of rail privatisation and in the early days of the St James’ Day Tripper excursions were quite popular with people who enjoyed a day out on the train. Privatisation not only helped to put a stop to that, but also the long running series of Rail Rambler excursions, but these were always to known destinations. The management of the St James’ Trippers, who hired the stock and locomotives at

430