Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

previous service with first Fraser Eagle, First and Abellio, he ought to know what he was talking about. With the government still reluctant to intervene in the negotiations and further 48-hour strikes scheduled for the run-up to Christmas, the picture looks decidedly bleak for any potential passengers, as rail replacement bus services do not operate on dispute days. Sandwiched between two 48-hour strikes, on Thursday the 15 th , in the middle of an extremely cold spell of weather, West Coast Railways ran a circular tour from Manchester to Manchester, via Lancaster, Carnforth, Settle and Hellifield to Blackburn, where it reversed to return through Accrington and Todmorden. It was topped and tailed by 57:313 ‘ Scarborough Castle ’ and 47:812. It was quite surprising that this special ran, as there were only eleven trains scheduled through Accrington on this particular day, all on the Blackburn to Manchester route, with none between Blackpool North and York. The Track Measuring Train also made one of its regular appearances on the East Lancs Line during the early hours of Friday the 16 th , before the second of the two day strikes commenced. On Wednesday the 21 st , Accrington saw the passing of the ‘Pennine Christmas Cracker’ a Locomotive Services Ltd steam special from Leicester to Leicester on a circular route. The excursion had been hauled to Crewe by 47:805 and 47:810, where preserved B1 4-6-0 61301 ‘ Mayflower ’ had taken the nine Saphos carriages onward through Wigan, Lostock Hall Junction and along the East Lancs Line. It passed through town heralded by a loud shriek on the whistle, with Class 47 D1924 (47:810) named ‘ Crewe Diesel Depot ’ in BR two-tone green, bringing up the rear. It would continue via Copy Pit, Todmorden and Manchester back to Crewe, where the haulage would continue behind diesels back to Leicester. The continuation of industrial action would blight the opportunity for people using the railways over the Christmas weekend and on towards the New Year with no resolution yet in sight. On Tuesday the 27 th at 14:55,a train of light engines consisting of Freightliner’s 66:562, 66:517, 66:519 and 66:5962 named ‘Stevenson Locomotive Society’ passed through Accrington en route from Carlisle – North Yard, to Leeds – Balm Road Depot. This was an unscheduled movement which had been diverted off the Settle and Carlisle Line via the West Coast Mainline via Preston and the Copy Pit route.

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CHAPTER 23

The Year 2023

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