Ribble Steam Railway

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Ribble Steam Railway
300px
Linda crossing the swing bridge
Locale Preston, Lancashire, England
Terminus Riversway
Commercial operations
Name Ribble Branch Line
Built by North Union Railway
Original gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Operated by Ribble Steam Railway
Stations 1
Length Lua error in Module:Convert at line 452: attempt to index field 'titles' (a nil value).
Preserved gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Commercial history
Opened 1882
Closed 1990s
Preservation history
Opened 2005
Route map
Steam railway workshops
Riverside station and museum
Ribble Rail shed
Lanfina Sidings
Lockside Road
Swing bridge
Marina Way
Exchange Sidings
Strand Road
Limit of Network Rail
To Preston railway station

The Ribble Steam Railway is a standard gauge preserved railway in Lancashire, in the United Kingdom. It was opened to the public on 17 September 2005, running along Preston Docks. The railway began by housing much of the collection from the previously closed Southport Railway Museum (Steamport), which was based in the old Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway engine shed at Southport (BR shed code 27C).

History

The project was first started in 1973, a preservation centre opened in Southport, on the Derby Road, in a refurbished Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway steam shed. However, the shed was becoming a costly burden to handle for the museum, so a relocation scheme was started. Preston Docks was chosen as the new location for the museum. Preston Docks has a large railway network, that used to serve the vast docks and quays. But when the docks closed, the railway was not used. The project finally closed the Southport Railway Museum in 1999.

The project's new site now could be re-developed with new large workshops, platforms and a museum. The first building to open was the Workshop, in 2001.[1] Locomotives could now go into the building, and more space could now be utilised. Next to the workshop, is the machine shop, built in 1978. At the other end of the workshop is the visitor centre, which contains the museum, cafe, shop and railway platform. The museum was finally completed in 2004. The collection of locomotives (61, two on loan from the National Railway Museum, one from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust. 58 are currently on site.), is one of the largest collection of locomotives in the United Kingdom.[2]

Operations

File:Preston Riverside - Ribble Rail 'Enterprise' (NS663).JPG
Ribble Rail locomotive Enterprise and bitumen wagons

The museum also operates passenger services to Strand Road Crossing and back, from its own station – Preston Riverside. The frequency of its trains are every hour, and are usually made up of two or more Mark 1 coaches and a small steam engine or diesel engine.[3] This service is only operational in the summer months.

A separate company, Ribble Rail, handles the freight traffic that uses the dock lines. Ribble Rail takes over from the Colas Rail locomotive, and carries the load – Bitumen – down to the Total plant near the Preston Riverside station.

A Colas Rail-operated train arrives at the riverside sidings near Strand Road Crossing with loaded oil tanks. The locomotive uncouples, runs round and takes the empty wagons. This process occurs very early in the morning on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

From here Ribble Rail shunts these wagons to the siding serving the nearby Total bitumen plant. After unloading, Ribble Rail returns the wagons to the riverside sidings for pick-up.

Future

The museum is currently located in an industrial estate, and is not well publicised. There were plans to build a station at the Strand Road Crossing, so that the railway can utilise the more popular end of the docks. Then, instead of just a 'ride' on the train, it can be used as a 'service'.

One of the most recent projects that is now underway is the installation of a turntable at Riverside station, this will allow the operational running fleet to be turned in a bid to even out flangewear, it will also be ideal for when visiting locomotives visit the line. As of November 2015 the foundations have been dug.

A L&YR signal box was bought for the railway. It will be restored to its original condition, and put near the Preston Riverside station. There have also been plans to extend the railway to the Ribble Link canal. The route would offer 1.5 miles extra to the line, although plans for this have not been finalised as funding would need to be raised.[4]

Steam locomotives

File:Preston Riverside - Courageous with mineral wagons.JPG
Courageous

The railway has a large collection of industrial steam engines and one main line locomotive.

  • FW = Facing Riverside
  • FE = Facing Strand Road

Operational steam locomotives

  • Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2261, 'No 6' "Fife Flyer" built in 1949. Returned to steam in 2013. FW
  • Bagnall 0-6-0ST No. 2680 "Birchenwood No. 4" built in 1942. Returned to service in February 2014. Painted to resemble "Courageous", a long lost Preston Docks engine. FE
  • Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-0ST No. 3931 "Linda" built in 1938. Returned to steam in May 2015. FW

Visitors

N/A

Steam locomotives undergoing overhaul or restoration

  • Grant, Ritchie and Company 0-4-0ST No. 272 built in 1894. Currently in the workshop receiving much attention. The chassis is almost complete, boiler recently undergone hydraulic test and steam test due shortly. FW
  • Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST No. 1833 "Niddrie" built in 1924. Work recently started on removing parts off the loco for work, main restoration to commence soon. FE
  • Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST No. 1935 "Hornet" built in 1937. Wheels removed & long term overhaul commencing. FE
  • Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST No. 1999 "North Western Gas Board" built in 1941. Restoration is ongoing but no date has been fixed for completion. FW
  • Hunslet 0-6-0 No. 2890 "Douglas" built in 1943. Is a converted tender locomotive from a standard Hunslet Austerity. Formerly based at the Watercress Line. FW
  • Hunslet 0-6-0ST No. 3793 "Shropshire" built in 1953. Undergoing overhaul with fellow Hunslet engine Respite lending it its boiler and is expected to be returned to traffic speedily, currently sat at the back of the workshop. FW
  • Sentinel 4 wheeled No. 9373 "St Monans" built in 1947. Undergoing overhaul & awaiting boiler repairs. currently on hold whilst 272 is completed. FW
  • SR USA Class 0-6-0T No. 30072 built in 1943 upon completion is planned to return to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway for their 50th anniversary in 2018. FW

Steam locomotives stored

Off site

N/A

Locomotives in storage

  • Avonside 0-6-0ST No. 26 built in 1918. Stored in a non-public access shed.
  • Borrows 0-4-0WT No. 53 "Windle" built in 1909. - Partially stripped for restoration, work is currently ongoing to strip the rest of the locomotive before restoration commences which is expected to be in early 2016. FW
  • Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST No. 737 "Daphne" built in 1899. Stored in the yard with likely use as spares due to damage on boiler plus many seized parts. FW
  • Andrew Barclay 0-4-0CT No. 880 "Glenfield no 1" built in 1902. Arrived on 21st October from the Chasewater Railway after purchase by private owner for future restoration to running order. FW
  • Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 1147 "John Howe" built in 1908. Boiler certificate expired in May 2015, parts recently removed from the loco and will shortly be moving into the museum for display before an overhaul is undertaken. FE
  • Avonside 0-6-0ST No. 1883 built in 1922. Awaiting restoration.
  • Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST No. 1925 "Caliban" built in 1937. Arrived on 14 July 2015 in pieces from Carnforth MPD. FE
  • Hunslet 0-6-0ST No. 1954 "Kinsley" built in 1939. Work began on her restoration before the move to Preston, but efforts have been focussed on other locomotives since.
  • Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST No. 2003 "John Blenkinsop" built in 1941. On loan from the Middleton Railway and currently[when?] awaiting cosmetic restoration prior to moving into the museum.
  • Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2343 "British Gypsum no 4" built in 1953. Recently purchased by private owner for restoration to running order. Arrived on 16 July 2015. FW
  • Hunslet 0-6-0ST No. 3855 "Glasshoughton" built in 1954. Boiler off site awaiting attention for the replacement of the inner firebox. Chassis is in a non-public access building. FE
  • Hunslet 0-6-0ST No. 3696 "Respite" built in 1950. Stored awaiting major restoration. The boiler will shortly be installed into fellow Hunslet engine "Shropshire". FE
  • GWR 4900 Class 4-6-0 No. 4979 "Wootton Hall" built at Swindon Works in February 1930. Recently[when?] moved from Appleby heritage centre to Preston; restoration planned to commence shortly. FE

Diesel locomotives

The railway has a large collection of diesel locomotives either for shunting or use on passenger trains.

Operational diesel locomotives

File:Preston Docks Exchange Sidings - Stanlow No 4 running round.JPG
Stanlow No. 4
  • British Railways 0-6-0DM No. D2148 built in 1960. Recently returned to service following a power unit swap.
  • British Railways 0-6-0DH Class 14 No. D9539 built in 1960.
  • English Electric 0-6-0DE No. NS663 built in 1956. Arrived at the railway in 2012 for varied use on bitumen trains and occasional passenger use.
  • Hunslet 0-6-0 No. D2595 built in 1959. Probably the most regular diesel locomotive on passenger trains. One of the most powerful locomotives on the line.
  • Thomas Hill 0-4-0DH 160V "Stanlow No. 4" built in 1966.
  • North British 0-4-0 No. 27653 "BICC" built in 1957. It is occasionally used for shunting.
  • Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus No. E79960 built in 1958. on loan from the North Norfolk Railway
  • Sentinel 0-4-0DH No. 10165 "Energy" built in 1965. Sees occasional use on bitumen trains
  • Sentinel 0-4-0DH No. 10282 "Enterprise" built in 1968. Sees regular use on bitumen trains
  • Sentinel 0-4-0DH No. 10283 "Progress" built in 1968. Sees regular use on bitumen trains

Diesel locomotives under restoration / repair

  • British Railways 0-6-0DM No. 03189 built in 1960. Currently undergoing a major overhaul (on hold whilst work completes on D2148).
  • Yorkshire 0-4-0DH No. 2677 "D2870" built in 1960. Currently awaiting completion of replacement clutch mechanism. Hoped to return to traffic in 2013 / 2014

Diesel locomotives stored awaiting repair

  • Fowler 0-4-0DM No. 21999 "Fluff" built in 1937. Owned by the Furness Railway Trust.
  • Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0DM No. D629 built in 1944 "Sparky". Currently awaiting restoration.
  • Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0DM No. D1031 built in 1956 "Margaret". Currently awaiting restoration.

Locos on display in the museum

File:Riverside Railway Museum - BR 46441.JPG
Ivatt Class 2 46441

Locomotives that aren't currently planned to be overhauled or if there isn't a space available in the workshop are displayed inside the museum until their called into the workshop.

Steam locomotives

  • LNWR 0-4-0ST No. 1439 built in 1862. FE
  • Borrows 0-4-0WT No. 48 "The King" built in 1906. FW
  • Avonside 0-6-0ST No. 1568 "Lucy" built in 1909. FW
  • L&YR Class 21 0-4-0ST No. 19 "Pug" built in 1910. FE
  • Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 1598 "Efficient" built in 1918. FW
  • Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 1865 "Alexander" built in 1926. Requires boiler repairs. FW
  • Andrew Barclay 0-4-0F No. 2 "Heysham" built in 1928. Recently had a cosmetic overhaul. FW
  • Andrew Barclay 0-4-ST No. 1969 "JN Derbyshire" built in 1929. Arrived at the railway in 2005. FW
  • Sentinel 4 wheeled No. 8024 "Gasbag" built in 1929. Boiler ticket expired in 2008, and will be stored for the time being whilst "St Monans" is restored. FE
  • RSH 0-4-0ST Agecroft No. 2 built in 1947. Boiler ticket expired in late 2008, and the loco will be on display in the museum until workshop space is available. FW
  • British Railways (Crewe Works) built Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 No. 46441 built in 1950. Arrived from the East Lancashire Railway. FE

Diesel locomotives

Operational locos elsewhere

Steam locomotives

Diesel locomotives

N/A

See also

References

  1. ↑ RSR history page
  2. ↑ The Railway Magazine issue 1294, February 2009
  3. ↑ Visit Lancashire information on the train services
  4. ↑ The Railway Magazine issue 1294, February 2009

External links

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