Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

March From Sunday the 5 th , rail fares increased by 5·9%, which was less than the 11% on which they are normally calculated from July of the previous year. It would be the biggest hike in fares for eleven years. There is also a future plan to replace return tickets with two singles an out and back, which we are told will not represent an increase in price. It is also planned to replace the purchase of multiple tickets in order to cut the cost of a journey, to one where a single ticket will cover the entire mileage. On Monday the 6 th , Black 5 number 45407 passed through Accrington en route from Castleton Junction to Carnforth at 17:30. It was returning from the East Lancs Preserved Railway to Steamtown with a single ‘support’ carriage. This locomotive was new from the Armstrong Whitworth factory in September 1937 and was one of the last in steam, being preserved in August 1968. Although it was never shedded in Scotland it carries a 65J shed plate for Stirling. Although not named when in service for British Railways, subsequently it was bestowed the title ‘ The Lancashire Fusilier ’. Between Friday the 10 th and Sunday the 12 th there was a flurry of locomotive activity on the East Lancs Line. In the very early hours of Friday morning Colas Rail’s Track measuring train passed through going east with 37:421 on one end and 37:099 ‘ Merl Evans 1947 – 2016 ’ at the other. Mid-morning on Saturday double headed Class 47’s were at the head of the three-day ‘The Statesman’ special from Rugby to Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh. With blue liveried 47:614 at the head and D 1975 in the green livery in which it was introduced in November 1965 to Haymarket Sheds in Edinburgh. This engine had also carried TOPs number 47:758 and had previously been named ‘ Andrew Carnegie ’. Engine 47:614 was new in June 1964 as D1733 to Bristol Bath Rad Sheds has also carried TOPs number 47:853 and was previously named ‘ Rail Express ’. Both are now the property of Riviera Trains in Crewe. The rake was made up entirely of Pullman liveried carriages. On Sunday there was a more mundane train in the shape of ballast hoppers en route from Carlisle North Yard to Guide Bridge West. It had been running practically an hour behind schedule up until reaching Blackburn via the Settle & Carlisle and Ribble Valley routes, but was still half-an-hour late when it came through Accrington at 14:25 behind DB’s 66:129 still in EWS maroon livery. The GB Engineering train consisted of empty and loaded ballast wagons and was loaded to 1,500 tonnes. In conversation with the candidate chosen to represent Hyndburn with Haslingden at the next general election, I discovered that the despite the fact that local business leaders along with Lancashire County Council are in favour of establishing an intermodal container terminal at the old Huncoat sidings site, Hyndburn Council is not, preferring to build housing instead. Duly elected as the prospective Labour MP, Graham Jones has told said that linking this project with that of the re-opening of the Skipton to Colne line is of no advantage, and should be kept as a separate project. During the final week of the month the VT tanker train ran for the first time behind Colas Rail’s 70:804. New information display screens have been installed by Northern at seven railway stations in North East Lancashire, including the one at Church & Oswaldtwistle. These screens, featuring LEDs in white and greater colour contrast, can be seen from a greater distance by the visually impaired. According to Northern’s Commercial & Customer Director, Mark Powles, they are part of a £14 millions investment to be spent over the next five years at their 500-plus stations. These screens will also show up-to-date information on real train times as well as safety messages. Northern operates up to 2,500 scheduled services each day and is the second largest train operator in the UK. April The first day of the month, which just happened to be a Saturday, saw a West Coast Railways ‘special’ through Accrington. It was en route from York to Appleby by a roundabout route, which would see the traction changed from diesel to steam at Carnforth for the onward and return journey back to Steamtown, before reverting back to diesels again. It passed east to west at just after 09: with 57:313 ‘Scarborough Castle’ leading and 47:826 trailing. It would return at approximately 19:20 going west to east. 57:313 was introduced into service at Tinsley Sheds in July 1965 as D1890, was later given TOPS number 47:371 in February 1974 and its present number in November 2004 when it was rebuilt as a Class 57. Class 47:826 was numbered D1976 when introduced into service at Haymarket Sheds in November 1965. It late carried TOPS numbers 47:274 (09/74), 47:637 (01/86) and it current number in July 1989. The fare for the tour including a six-course meal was just short of £500. On the morning of Saturday the 15 th , Direct Rail Services operated a light engine movement between Crewe Gresty Bridge and Doncaster West Yard. The locomotive chosen was 37:425 named

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