SteamingNorth.com ... (Click on a picture to open that album and then on a picture to enlarge it...........Pictures copyright of Author

Personal blog of Steam Galas & Mainline Steam running from around the North of England. Pictures copyright of Author!!

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SR Pacific 34092 "City of Wells"291 views25/04/2021 - SR Pacific 34092 "City of Wells" returning from Rawtenstall at Irwell Vale on staff training on the East Lancashire Railway.

LMS 4-6-0 Royal Scot Class - 46115 "Scots Guardsman" 291 viewsLMS 4-6-0 Royal Scot Class - 46115 "Scots Guardsman" running on "The Dalesman" from Chester to Carlisle in the down goods loop waiting to depart Hellifield.

Peckett 2003/1941 ‘John Blenkinsop’291 viewsThe locomotive was supplied to the Ministry of Supply, used at first in Swynnerton Royal Ordnance factory. It moved to the Royal Ordnance factory at Salwick, later the UK Atomic Energy Authority and finally BNFL.

It was a standby loco with two Hudswell diesels doing much of the work so it remained in good condition.
It went to the Middleton Railway in 1972 and was in use for 18 years.
Since 1990 the locomotive has been out of use and moved to RSR to join the two Salwick diesels ‘Mighty Atom‘ and ‘Sparky‘ in 2015 (Jan 28) for display in the museum.

The locomotive is on loan from The Middleton Railway, Hunslet, Leeds, being jointly owned by Mrs Sheila Bye and the Middleton Railway Trust Ltd.

The loco was named after John Blenkinsop (1783-1831) who was an English mining engineer and an inventor of steam locomotives, who designed the first practical railway locomotive. In addition to managing the Middleton Collieries, in the 1820s John Blenkinsop was the consulting engineer for Sir John Lister Kaye of Denby Grange, owner of Caphouse Colliery. Also, as a qualified “Viewer”, he was hired by various other colliery owners to examine their collieries and report on such vital matters as the expected future production of a pit, as well as to make suggestions as to how its operation and production could be improved. Blenkinsop died in Leeds in 1831.

Greenwood Batley 2000/1945 ‘Greenbat’291 viewsThis unusual locomotive was constructed to works no 2000 by the Leeds firm of Greenwood & Batley Ltd in 1945. It is a four wheeled battery-electric locomotive and draws it’s power from banks of lead-acid cells which are housed in the bonnets at each end of the centre cab.

It was used by the Central Electricity Generating Board for shunting wagons at Stourport Power Station until the conversion to merry-go-round system of coal delivery rendered the locomotive redundant. The locomotive was used on many occasions whilst on display at Southport, and at the time was considered the only operational locomotive of it’s type in preservation. Unfortunately, the cells have since become unserviceable. It is hoped that sponsorship may be available to replace these extremely expensive resources, and the locomotive will be used to manoeuvre vehicles in and out of our museum complex, reducing the pollution and dust created by other types of locomotive.

Avonside 1568/1909 ‘Lucy’291 viewsLucy was built by the Avonside Engine Company at Bristol in 1909 and delivered to the Hutchinson Estate & Dock Co. Ltd. at Widnes. She was one of three class B3 0-6-0STs supplied having 14″ x 22″ cylinders and 3′ 3″ driving wheels, a type so familiar for so long in Liverpool’s dockland. They were named ‘Gertrude’, ‘Lucy’, and ‘Mary’ and dated from 1906, 1909 and 1913 respectively, and were named after the daughters of John Hutchinson, one of the founders of the Widnes chemical industry.

The engine ‘Lucy’ spent it’s entire working life on the Widnes dock system.
It was dismantled in August 1952 and sent to the Hunslet Engine Co. for overhaul. One year later, she returned to work very smartly painted green with yellow lining.

Lucy was retired in January 1971 and was purchased by the Liverpool Locomotive Preservation Group in February 1972 and stored together with ‘Efficient’ in a dockside engine shed at Seacombe. She was transferred to Steamport Southport on 1st August 1973, but briefly returned across the Mersey in July 1978 to take charge of the Birkenhead docker No.4 railtour. Once again in the early 1980’s, Lucy took retirement, and remains a static exhibit.

Lucy moved to Preston with the rest of the stock from Southport, and arrived in Preston on 27th February 1999. Recently given a new coat of paint for exhibition in the museum, the long term plan is to return Lucy to working condition once more when time and materials become available.

L & Y 0-6-0 Tender Engine -52044 (957) ,L & Y Class 27 0-6-0 Tender Engine 52322 (1300)291 views15/10/2022 - Saturday - L & Y 0-6-0 Tender Engine -52044 (957) ,L & Y Class 27 0-6-0 Tender Engine 52322 (1300) leaving Rawtenstall on the 13.30 service back to Bury and onto Heywood.

L & Y Class 23 0-6-0 ST steam locomotive 51456 , LNWR Coal Tank 0-6-2 - 1054291 views16/10/2022 - Sunday -L & Y Class 23 0-6-0 ST steam locomotive 51456 piloted by LNWR Coal Tank 0-6-2 - 1054 heading into Burrs cutting on the 12.30 service from Bury to Rawtenstall.

LMS Royal Scot Class - 46115 "Scots Guardsman" 291 views11/02/2023 - LMS Royal Scot class - 46115 "Scots Guardsman" on the Winter Cumbrian Express on the approach to Ais Gill summit

290 views18/03/2010 - Rear tender view of LMS 2-8-0 8F 48151

290 views03/07/2010 - 71000 "Duke of Gloucester" heads northbound at speed on the WCML at Fowler Lane with the "Cumbria Coast Explorer"

290 views24/07/2010 - 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" returns with the CME to Liverpool pulling off Whalley Viaduct in the gloom & light drizzle

290 views21/08/2010 - 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" approaching Whalley at the first of the two footcrossing at Barrow on the returning "Cumbria Mountain Express" to Liverpool