West Lancashire Light Railway


The West Lancashire Light Railway is a narrow gauge railway that operates at Hesketh Bank, situated between Preston and Southport in North West England. The distance between the stations on the railway is, though track extends eastwards beyond Delph station on ledge above the old clay pit which is too narrow to contain a run round loop. An extension of up to, running along the north bank of the fishing lake has been proposed. The railway has eight steam locomotives, four of which are in operating condition; one is currently being restored and another is on static display. There are also two electric locomotives and many IC locomotives.

History

The West Lancashire Light Railway was started in 1967, by six railway enthusiast schoolboys from the Hesketh Bank area. They wanted to save the narrow gauge railway equipment which was disappearing from local industries. They leased a strip of land above the clay pits at Alty's Brickworks and started laying track using rails from the former clay tramways and rough timbers as sleepers.
Two Ruston and Hornsby diesel locomotives were acquired from Burscough Brick & Tile Co. one with a 13 hp engine, the other a 20 hp model, they were respectively named Clwyd and Tawd. Clwyd was the first locomotive to run on the railway in 1969. These two locos were soon joined by more industrial diesels and the first home-built items of rolling stock.
At first, trains were operated on a "travel at your own risk" basis. The first formal timetable was issued in 1971.
In 1970, the railway acquired an incomplete set of parts of 1903 Quarry Hunslet steam locomotive Irish Mail, from Dinorwic slate quarry in North Wales. The major missing component was a boiler. Members of the WLLR retrieved the remains of Quarry Hunslet Alice from one of the upper levels of Dinorwic. Alice's boiler was retained at the WLLR and the rest sold to the Bala Lake Railway. Over the next decade the railway re-assembled Irish Mail and the locomotive was steamed for the first time in 1980.
The running line slowly grew in length until it ran from Becconsall to a station known as Asland, which is no longer the far terminus of the line. The line in its present form runs from Becconsall to Delph, with the original track to Asland running on from Delph but not suitable for running engines.
In 2015, the WLLR hosted a gala to celebrate the 100th. anniversary of its Joffre class Kerr Stuart locomotive. A second Joffre class locomotive, No. 3014, attended from Apedale Valley Light Railway. This was the first time that two WWI-era Joffre locomotives had been in steam together in preservation.

Facilities

The railway's sheds and workshops are situated at Becconsall station. The first shed was built by the members using cast-off bricks from Alty's. This original workshop has been much added to over the years and the equipment in this workshop allows most of the work on restoring a steam locomotive to be undertaken, excluding boiler construction. Facilities for visitors have also been built at Becconsall.

Operations

The WLLR is open to the public on Sundays and Bank Holidays and passengers can ride in semi-open coaches which have been built by the railway's volunteers. Gala weekends are also organised, when visiting steam locomotives can be seen in operation. Other events include Teddy Bears' Day, Friendly Engines Day, Strawberries and Steam, Halloween, and Santa Specials.
'Drive an Engine' days can be arranged for individuals or small groups to learn how to operate a steam engine. Bookings can also be taken for birthday parties and for visits by schools, colleges, clubs and societies.

Rolling stock

Steam locomotives

Internal combustion locomotives

NumberNameBuilderWorks numberBuiltTypeStatusNotes
1ClwydRuston and Hornsby2642511951
2TawdRuston and Hornsby2220741943
4BradfieldHibberd17771931
5Ruston and Hornsby2004781940
7Motor Rail89921946ex-Furness Brick & Tile Co of Askam, purchased in 1973
10Hibberd25551942
11Motor Rail59061934ex-Middleton Towers sand railway.
12Motor Rail112581964
Motor Rail79551945DismantledRebuilt at the WLLR in 1987. ex-Middleton Towers sand railway.
16Ruston and Hornsby2020361941Dismantled
20Lister108051939
20Baguley30021937
21Hunslet19631939
25Ruston and Hornsby2970541950
26Motor Rail112231963
31Mill ReefMotor Rail73711939ex-Leighton Buzzard Light Railway
36Ruston and Hornsby3391051953Acquired in 1985 from Scotland.
38Hudswell ClarkeDM7501949
39Black PigHibberd39161959
40Dame Vera DuckworthRuston and Hornsby3817051956
49SamsonHibberd18871934
51PathfinderHunslet44781953Donated by ICI Gathurst.
Hudswell ClarkeDM13931967
Lister298901946Dismantled

Electric Locomotives

Wagons

The WLLR and its members own a variety of goods wagons obtained from several UK industrial narrow gauge railways, including tipper sand wagons from Pilkington Brothers sandfields in the Rainford and Bickerstaffe areas.