East Lancashire Railway

The East Lancashire Railway is a 12+1/2 mi heritage railway line in north west England which runs between Heywood and Rawtenstall with intermediate stations at Bury Bolton Street, Burrs Country Park, Summerseat, Ramsbottom and Irwell Vale.

Overview
Passenger services between Bury and Rawtenstall were withdrawn by British Rail on 3 June 1972. Coal services to Rawtenstall ended in 1980, and formal closure followed in 1982. The East Lancashire Railway Trust reopened the line on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall, via Irwell Vale.

However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are the former Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and the former Junction station of Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station.

In September 2003, an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood was re-opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink line to Bury, at the site of the former Bury Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed The Ski Jump.

On 13 October 2016, the new Burrs Country Park station was officially opened by the Mayor of Bury, where locomotive no. 4472 Flying Scotsman pulled the first train to stop at the station with a bagpipe rendition of 'Scotland the Brave' signalling its arrival.

The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the preserved railway line climbs out of the Irwell valley.

The heritage line is now just over 12 mi long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton, just beyond Heywood. The ELR is planning to extend the running line to Castleton in the future, to a new and separate platform named Castleton Village, adjacent to the main station.

Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. Plans for the new station are supported by Rochdale Borough Council, which hopes to fund it by adjacent land development. A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops where the Class 504 EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange in 1980.

The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam and diesel events amongst others, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day out with Thomas events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement with HIT Entertainment, the owners of the Thomas brand. While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated Family Engines Big Day Out events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as Jimmy the Jinty.

The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). The railway is well known for its collection of diesel locomotives which reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.

In the 1990s, the railway was featured in the 1991 film Let Him Have It and in the finale of ITV's comedy series The Grimleys, named The Grimley Curse set in 1978, and then in 2007 on the finale of BBC One's award-winning drama series Life on Mars set in 1973, a class 47 was used for scenes of an armed robbery at Brooksbottom Tunnel.

The railway also featured in an episode of Coronation Street (transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010) when Hayley and Roy Cropper travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5" No. 44871 which carried 45407's Lancashire Fusilier nameplates for the occasion. The line also starred in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise. Bury Bolton street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5" No. 44871. In 2014, the railway was featured in a week of episodes of Hollyoaks (broadcast 3–7 November) which featured a crash involving BR Class 14 No. D9531 "Ernest".

In October 2014, Ramsbottom Station and the adjacent level crossing on Bridge Street was featured in the 2017 movie A Monster Calls which was the scene for an emotional peak in the movie, starring Sigourney Weaver in a Volvo estate car waiting for a BR DMU, in Rail Blue livery, to pass through the crossing.

Railway stations of the ELR



 * Castleton (planning)
 * Heywood
 * Broadfield (former)
 * Bury Bolton Street
 * Burrs Country Park
 * Summerseat
 * Ramsbottom
 * Stubbins (former)
 * Irwell Vale
 * Ewood Bridge and Edenfield (former)
 * Rawtenstall

Locomotives
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines, or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (March–October).

Steam locomotives

 * Operational
 * Manchester Ship Canal 0-6-0T No. 32 'Gothenburg/Thomas', built in 1903.
 * L&YR Class 27 0-6-0 No. 52322, built in 1896. (on loan from the Ribble Steam Railway)
 * LMS Class 5P/4F "Crab" 2-6-0 No. 13065, built in 1927.
 * SR West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34092 'City of Wells', built in 1949.On loan from the Keighly and Worth Valley Railway
 * Operational but away from the line
 * Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST No. 1370 'May', built in 1915. (currently on loan to Beamish Museum)
 * WD Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 132 'Sapper', built in 1944. (currently on loan to the Avon Valley Railway)
 * LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 44871, built in 1945. (Recently returned to service following an overhaul at Riley's new workshop in Heywood) (passed for main line running, currently on hire to Keighley and Worth Valley Railway)
 * LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 45212, built in 1935. (passed for main line running)
 * LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier', built in 1937. (passed for main line running)
 * WD Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 75008 'Swiftsure', built in 1943. (currently on loan to the Nene Valley Railway)
 * Locomotives undergoing light work, overhaul or restoration
 * L&YR Class 23 0-6-0ST No. 752, built in 1881. (under overhaul; moved from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway)
 * GWR 2884 Class 2-8-0 No. 3855, built in 1942. (under restoration)
 * GWR 7200 Class 2-8-2T No. 7229, built in 1935. (inside Baron Street works undergoing restoration)
 * SR Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35009 'Shaw Savill', built in 1942. (awaiting restoration)
 * LMS Class 3F "Jinty" 0-6-0T No. 47298, built in 1924.
 * LMS Class 3F "Jinty" 0-6-0T No. 47324, built in 1926. (under overhaul)
 * LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 No. 46428, built in 1948. (undergoing restoration)
 * BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80080, built in 1954. (undergoing retube at Butterley following failed boiler exam)
 * BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80097, built in 1954. (under restoration; set to return to traffic in spring 2018)
 * BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 No. 92134, built in 1957. (undergoing restoration; boiler currently at Crewe)
 * Locomotives stored or on static display
 * Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 1, built in 1927. (on display in Bury Transport Museum)

Diesel
The ELR is home to one of the largest preserved diesel fleets on a UK heritage railway. Many locomotives are owned by private individuals or an owning group, which co-operate as the ELR Diesel Group.


 * Operational diesel locomotives and DMUs
 * Motorail Simplex 4WDM No. 9009
 * MSC Hudswell Clarke No. 4002 'Arundel Castle'
 * BR Class 01 No. D2956 (01003), BR Black
 * BR Class 03 No. D2062 (03062), BR Green
 * BR Class 08 No. 08164 (D3232) 'Prudence', BR Blue
 * BR Class 08 No. 13594 (08479), BR Black (Baron Street works pilot)
 * BR Class 09 No. 09024, BR Departmental Grey
 * BR Class 14 No. D9531 'Ernest', BR Two-tone Green
 * BR Class 14 No. D9537 'Eric', BR Desert Sand.
 * BR Class 33 No. 33109 (D6525) 'Captain Bill Smith RNR', BR Engineers Grey. Built in 1960.
 * BR Class 35 No. D7076, BR Blue. Built in 1962.
 * BR Class 37 No. 37109 (D6809), BR Blue. Built in 1963.
 * BR Class 40 No. 40106 (D306) 'Atlantic Conveyor', BR Green. Built in 1960. (Owned by the Class 40 Preservation Society)
 * BR Class 40 No. 40135 (D335 & 97406), BR Blue. Built in 1960. (Owned by the Class 40 Preservation Society)
 * BR Class 40 No. 345 (40145), BR Blue. Built in 1961. (Owned by the Class 40 Preservation Society)
 * BR Class 42 No. D832 'Onslaught', BR Green (Recently returned from the West Somerset Railway)
 * BR Class 45 No. 45108, BR Blue. Built in 1961. (On loan from the Midland Railway – Butterley)
 * BR Class 47 No. D1501 (47402), BR Two-tone Green. Built in 1962.
 * BR Class 50 No. 50015 (D415) 'Valiant' BR Large Logo Blue. Built in 1968.
 * BR Class 56 No. 56006, BR Blue. Built in 1976. (On loan from the Class 56 Group)
 * BR Class 104 unit 50455+50517, BR Blue. Built in 1957.
 * BR Class 105 unit 51485+56121, BR Green. Built in 1956/1959.
 * BR Class 110 unit 51813+59701+51842. BR Green. Built in 1959.
 * BR Class 117 unit 51339+(59506)+51382. BR Green Built in 1959.
 * BR Class 121 unit 54289. Built in 1960.
 * BR Class 122 unit W55001. BR Blue. Built in 1958.


 * Operational but away from the line
 * BR Class 37 No. 37418 (D6971), BR Large Logo Blue (minus name and numbers). Built in 1965. (On hire to Colas Rail)
 * Diesel locomotives and DMUs undergoing light work, overhaul or restoration
 * F. C. Hibberd 'Planet' 3438 (Under restoration at Castlecroft)
 * BR Class 07 No. 07013 (Non-Operational since roughly 2002/03. Full overhaul to commence in due course)
 * BR Class 08 No. 08944 (Stopped, pending engine overhaul, owned by the Harry Needle Railroad Company)
 * BR Class 14 No. D9502 'Kerys', BR Green. Built in 1964. (Undergoing long-term restoration)
 * BR Class 15 No. D8233 (Restoration in progress in Baron Street works) Class 15 Preservation Society
 * BR Class 24 No. D5054 (24054) 'Phil Southern' (Undergoing major overhaul following its return from Barrow Hill Engine Shed in January 2017)
 * BR Class 28 No. D5705 (Under restoration with the C15PS) Class 15 Preservation Society
 * BR Class 33 No. 6536 (33117) (under overhaul in Buckley Wells shed)
 * BR Class 37 No. 37679, Transrail (Undergoing overhaul at Ian Riley's Workshops, Baron Street)
 * BR Class 45 No. 45135 (D99) '3rd Carabinier', BR Blue. Built in 1961. (Undergoing major overhaul in Buckley Wells shed)
 * BR Class 52 No. D1041 'Western Prince', BR Blue. Built in 1962. (Bodywork replacement & full rewire, Castlecroft shed)
 * BR Class 207 unit 1305 (207202) 60130+70549+60904 (Bodywork overhaul of 60130 and 60904, Buckley Wells shed)
 * Stored diesel locomotives
 * BR Class 20 No. 20087 (D8087), BR Blue/Red Solebar, Saltley L.I.P/'Hercules'. Built in 1961. (Stopped due to electrical fault, owned by the Harry Needle Railroad Company, currently for sale)
 * BR Class 20 No. D8110 (20110), BR Green. Built in 1962. (Owned by the Harry Needle Railroad Company, stored serviceable, currently for sale)
 * BR Class 33 No. 33046. Unbranded South West Trains Blue. Spares/Component Recovery for 33109 (6525) & 6536 (33117)
 * NIR Class 80 No. 8099 (bought as spares for 1305, now converted to standard gauge at Buckley Wells)

Electric

 * Electric multiple units 
 * BR Class 504 unit 65451+77172 (stored at Buckley Wells, being restored as hauled coaching stock)

Trams

 * Ex-Blackpool Railgrinder No. 752 is stored at Baron Street, having moved from Heaton Park Tramway to make way for another vehicle. Owned by the Manchester Transport Museum Society.
 * Ex-Blackpool Balloon No. 702 is stored awaiting depot space at Heaton Park. Owned by the Manchester Museum Transport Society.
 * Ex-Manchester Metrolink T-68 No. 1003 is stored at Baron Street awaiting usage at a new training college in Bury. Owned by the Greater Manchester Fire Training and Rescue Service.

Former residents on the ELR
Note that the locations given may not be current as locomotives move between railways from time to time.

Steam

 * SR Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 no 34073 '249 Squadron', built in 1945. Awaiting restoration from scrapyard condition at Carnforth MPD.
 * SR Merchant Navy class 4-6-2 no 35022 'Holland America Line', built in 1948. Awaiting restoration from scrapyard condition at Crewe Diesel TMD.
 * SR Merchant Navy class 4-6-2 no 35027 'Port Line', built in 1948. Awaiting restoration at Crewe Diesel TMD.
 * LMS Fowler Class 4F 0-6-0 no 44422, built in 1927. Operational at the West Somerset Railway.
 * LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 45337, built in 1937. Operational at the Llangollen Railway.
 * LMS Jubilee Class 4-6-0 no 45690 'Leander', built in 1936. Operational and Mainline Certified at Carnforth MPD.
 * LMS Princess Royal Class 4-6-2 no 46201 'Princess Elizabeth', built in 1933. Undergoing repairs at Midland Railway.
 * LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 no 46441, built in 1946. Static Display at Ribble Steam Railway.
 * LNWR Class G2 0-8-0 no 49395, built in 1921. Static display at The National Railway Museum in Shildon.
 * BR Standard Class 8 4-6-2 no 71000 'Duke of Gloucester', built in 1951. Undergoing overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works.
 * BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 no 76079, built in 1957. Operational and Mainline Certified at North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
 * BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 no 92207, built in 1959. Undergoing Restoration from scrapyard condition at the Shillingstone Railway Project.
 * BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 no 92214, built in 1959. Operational at the Great Central Railway.

Diesel

 * BR Class 31 No. D5600, built in 1960. Operational at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway.
 * BR Class 37 No. 37261, built in 1960. Operational at Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway.
 * BR Class 37 No. 37423, built in 1960. Operational and Mainline Certified for Direct Rail Services.
 * BR Class 37 No. 37518, built in 1960. Operational and Mainline Certified for West Coast Railways.
 * BR Class 37 No. 37901 'Mirrlees Pioneer', built in 1963. Under overhaul at St. Leonards depot, Hastings, for Colas Rail.
 * BR Class 37 No. 37906, built in 1960. Operational at Europhoenix.