Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

West Coast Main Line it had branched off at Leyland and run by Lostock Hall Junction to Blackburn, where it had halted for an hour. Moving on, it continued through Accrington, to return via Copy Pit and Greater Manchester to Birmingham. It was tailed on this occasion by named Cass 47, D1935 in British Railways two-tone green. I was told that Braunton had been chosen as a substitute for 46100 ‘ The Royal Scot ’, and this substitution had some significance for Accrington, as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway under whose tenure this locomotive was constructed, was Oliver Bullied, a former pupil of the town’s Grammar School. It was of course in its rebuilt form and not in the style of the original ‘Spam Can’. It made for a magnificent sight as it roared at speed through Huncoat Station ahead of a mixed rake including some Pullman carriages. It carried the 71B shed plate for Bournemouth Sheds. The locomotive interest did not end there, for a few minutes before midnight the Track Testing Train passed through returning from Blackburn to Doncaster. It had been scheduled to work through to Wigan North Western, but had only got as far as Blackburn before halting with a failure. The engines on the return journey were 37:612 and 37:610. The excitement did not end there however, for on Tuesday the 22 nd , yet another ‘special’ passed through town. This time the operator was West Coast Railways with a diesel-hauled Pullman that originated in York, running via the Calder Valley Line, Todmorden, Copy Pit, Gannow Junction came through Accrington at 12:45, as it turned to return to York via Farington Junction and the West Coast Main Line. After a brief stop in Carnforth, from where it had originated much earlier in the day, it returned to York via Settle Junction, Hellifield, Skipton, Keighley and Leeds. On this occasion the consist was headed by 47:601 named ‘ Windsor Castle ’ in a chocolate and cream livery, and tailed by ex Thunderbird 47:316 in full chocolate, both with yellow warning ends. The long rake of carriages included Pullman cars, MkIII carriages, dining cars and sleeping cars, which are sometimes used for the on-train staff, when an overnight stay is required for positioning purposes. I suppose we were fortunate on this occasion that this special ran, for on the previous Saturday the 19 th , another enthusiast’s special from Liverpool Lime Street through Accrington, did not operate and was cancelled late in the day. 2021 January Locomotives were again on the move early in the New Year, as on Monday the 4 th , a Freightliner came through with more Class 90 electrics moving from storage in Crewe to the Freightliner Maintenance Sheds, at Balm Road in Leeds. Mid-morning number 66:610 was leading 90:012, 90:048 and 90:016 with 66:620 on the rear. Of these 90:012 had received a new paint job and was named Royal Anglian Regiment , 90:048 was in two shades of grey with Freightliner lettering, whilst 90:016 was in the Freightliner yellow and green livery, as were the two 66s. On Thursday the 7 th , these same Class 90s returned west topped and tailed by two Class 66s. Of these the leading loco 66:587 was of most interest, as it was in the livery of ONE (aka Ocean Network Express) pink and off white, also named ‘ As One We Can ’. The engine bringing up the rear was 66:546 in Freightliner livery. These movements are in conjunction with the imminent withdrawal of all the Class 86:2xx locomotives. On the same day 158:796 was on the Blackburn  Manchester Victoria, which continues on to Southport, whilst 158:794 was operating on the Blackpool South  Colne, which more often than not is a 150 or 156. This being officially the first day back to work 156:423, 158:782 and 195:110 seemed empty on the Preston - Colne, Manchester – Blackburn and Blackpool North – York services. Network Rail’s Track Treatment Train was also due through during the very early hours of Tuesday the 5 th . During the morning of the 8 th , one of Network Rail’s Track Maintenance vehicles, a tamping machine, was noted heading west on a route from Longsight to Wigan. This is usually the time of year when the majority of engineering work and checking is carried out, although this year it would have to contend with several falls of snow. Northern Rail cut back its service frequencies from the weekend of Saturday the 16 th and Sunday the 17 th until further notice, to reflect the fall in demand from passengers. This would affect all the services operating through Hyndburn. ---------------------

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