Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

It seemed as though the idea of upgrading the facilities at Accrington Railway Station was moving a step nearer to fruition. Although the improved ramp from Paxton Street was nearing completion, a more ambitious project has now received the support of two local pressure groups. The East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership along with Community Rail Lancashire, are backing a bid to install two lifts and a covered walkway, to connect the platforms in place of the remaining section of the original footbridge. These have been included in Lancashire County Council’s bid for £50 millions from the Government’s ‘Levelling Up Fund’. It is stated that since the opening of the new facility in 2010, passenger numbers have significantly increased especially following the inauguration of the direct service to Manchester in 2015. Wednesday the 17 th , proved to be something of a red letter day for Hyndburn’s East Lancs Line Stations. At approximately 09:45 West Coast Railway’s special excursion from Lincoln to Carlisle via the West Coast Mainline passed through Accrington, heading west and hauled by a Class 47 from their stable. Returning at 15:10 via the scenic Settle/Carlisle to Hellifield, it then returned to Blackburn via Clitheroe behind 34067 ‘Tangmere’, one of Oliver Bullied’s un-rebuilt 4-6-2 light Pacifics, named after a Battle of Britain, World War 2 Royal Airforce base. It was running almost 25 minutes early as it passed through Whalley at speed. In Blackburn the steam engine came off and the train returned east at 19:21 topped and tailed by 47:815 named ‘ Great Western ’ in the original livery of two shades of green, with 47:804 on the rear. The governing speed for steam traction is 60mph, although it seemed to be higher as it came through the station where it was photographed. Not bad for a train of 455 tonnes tare, but this reverted to 95mph when under diesel haulage again. Tangmere was latterly allocated to shed 72A, Salisbury. In the latest round of industrial action by the NUR, there were no train services on the East Lancs Line on Thursday the 18 th, or Saturday the 20 th . Although the Unions had requested that the government intervened the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps refused saying “It is a matter between the Train Operating Franchises and the Unions and for them to resolve”. However, on Friday the 19 th , most services had returned to normal working. An unusual visitor was Network Rail’s ‘Stonebreaker’ engineering unit. It passed through town at 11:50, running some half-an-hour behind schedule, en route from Guide Bridge to High Wapping Sidings in Carlisle on a Balfour-Beatty working. Adopted by the local Rotary Club some six years ago, Church & Oswaldtwistle Railway Station has been commended by Community Rail Lancashire, for the work they do to make the platforms attractive to rail travellers. This group meets on Saturdays from February to October to de-weed, plant floral decorations and undertake any repainting, in order to keep the facilities in tip-top shape. This creates a good impression to passengers who use the station especially those who use the trains to access the nearby Ossy Mills retail outlet. However, like all voluntary organisations it is keen to recruit more helpers. On Tuesday the 23 rd , and Wednesday the 24 th , two specials came through on the Ribble Valley Line. The first was the West Coast Railway’s ‘The Dalesman’ from Lancaster to Carlisle behind Royal Scot 46115 ‘ Scots Guardsmen ’, with no diesel assistance. The following day the special was from Chester and Crewe to Carlisle and entitled ‘The Fellsman’. This was a Locomotive Services Limited train hauled by 46100 ‘ Royal Scot ’, now five years short of its 100th birthday, although heavily rebuilt by William Stanier in 1943. On this occasion it had a diesel on the rear 47:583, which is maintained at Crewe Heritage Centre. It operates in the revised livery of BR with large logo and numbers. Built at Crewe Works it was introduced into traffic in November 1965, and allocated to 64A Haymarket Sheds in Edinburgh as D1973. It had carried several TOPS numbers including 47:673 and 47:790 along with several names, ‘ York City Control ’ and ‘ Saint David/Dewi Sant ’. On Bank Holiday Monday the 29 th , there was a ‘light engine’ movement from Knottingley to Southport via the East Lancs Line. Based at Toton Sheds, the locomotive was 66:009 in DB Cargo red livery. It went west at 09:00 and was due to return at 14:55. This movement was scheduled to operate every day to Friday September 2 nd . It seems this was a ‘route familiarisation’ operation, which is often the precursor of scheduled freight movements associated with some engineering works in the area on the Wigan to Southport section of lines. September The Brach Line Society had arranged with West Coast Railway’s to have a two-day run around the branch lines of Lancashire, which would require the stock to be topped-and-tailed as run around facilities were not available at many of the intended destinations. On day two, Sunday the 4 th ,

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