Winter Steam Gala, Bolton Street Station © David Dixon cc-by-sa/2.0

SD8010 : Winter Steam Gala, Bolton Street Station

taken 2 years ago, near to Fishpool, Bury, Great Britain

Winter Steam Gala, Bolton Street Station

Coronation class Pacific (4-6-2) locomotive No. 6233, Duchess of Sutherland, was the “star attraction” at the East Lancashire Railway’s 2018 Steam Gala. Here, the preserved locomotive is seen waiting at Bolton Street Station in Bury on its journey between Rawtenstall and Heywood.

Duchess of Sutherland was built in 1938 for the London Midland & Scottish railway company and was painted in LMS standard crimson lake livery. In 1948, British Railways renumbered the locomotive to 46233 and repainted it in their Brunswick green livery. Withdrawn by British Railways in 1964, the locomotive was originally sold to Butlin’s holiday camp in Scotland. In 1996, the locomotive was acquired by The Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust with the intention of restoration to mainline condition. In 2001, she was restored to operating condition and since then has been repainted in the LMS crimson livery and now carries its original LMS number.

See other images of 6233 Duchess of Sutherland

The East Lancashire Railway (ELR)

The East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is a heritage railway based in Bury. It is currently (as at October 2019) operating between Rawtenstall and Heywood, with intermediate stations at Bury Bolton Street, Burrs Country Park, Summerseat, Ramsbottom and Irwell Vale, respectively.

The original East Lancashire Railway Link opened in 1844, beginning as a railway from Clifton via Bury to Rawtenstall. It was later amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. Parts of the network remain in use today, and the section of the original line between Bury and Rawtenstall is now operated by the heritage railway.

After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat was reopened on 25 July 1987 as a new heritage railway. In 1991 the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall, via Irwell Vale and in 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood was re-opened. To reach Heywood the extension had to cross over the 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'. The heritage line is now just over 12 miles long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton, just beyond Heywood. The ELR plans to extend the running line further into Castleton in the future, to where a new (and separate) platform named "Castleton Village" will be constructed adjacent to the main station itself (Link Manchester Evening News).

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. It 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.

Link East Lancashire Railway Website

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Grid Square: SD8010, 1569 images (more nearby )
Photographer: David Dixon (find more nearby)
Date Taken: Sunday, 21 October, 2018 (more nearby)
Submitted: Tuesday, 23 October, 2018
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts City, Town centre Railways
Camera (from Tags): Panasonic DC-G9
Subject Location: OSGB36: SD 801 106 [100m precision]
WGS84: 53:35.5121N 2:18.0727W
Camera Location: OSGB36: SD 801 105
View Direction: Northeast (about 45 degrees)