Best Wishes for 2014

A Happy New Year to all our website visitors.

Merry Christmas

It's that time of year again.... Looking back, it's not been bad for the Steam enthusiasts out there, with a number of locos returning to the Main Line. The diesel enthusiast has had less to cheer about though, with classic traction tours being thin-on-the-ground. Next year has the potential for a vintage year though, if the tour operators and punters put their money where their mouth is - 40145 and D1015 are now back in the frey and we have not one but three Deltics registered for the main line. Lets also hope that the class 50s see more use this year, since they seem to haven't appeared on many tours - especially in the North West.

Merry Christmas!

Tram Power Progress

In 2010, we reported (here) on ambitious plans to build a modern tram system in the city of Preston, but sadly in the intervening years, no visible progress has yet been made. That, coupled with recent website problems have been assumed to mean that the project is sadly dead and buried. This prompted us to contact Tram Power Ltd. directly to ask for an official statement on the current state of affairs. We are pleased report that the scheme is still very much alive and small but significant progress has very recently been made.

Tram Power Ltd's Progress Summary is here.

DELTIC stay extended

Preston-built Prototype diesel loco "DELTIC" is to remain in the City for another Year. DP1 will now stay at the Ribble Steam Railway until October 2014.

Another fatality causes chaos

At 10.30 this morning, a TPE Barrow - Manchester Airport service (2U60) struck a person just north of Lancaster station, resulting in the closure of the WCML in both directions north of Preston.

Other than the obvious distress for the victim's family, train-crew and passengers, the death resulted in delays and cancellations affecting several hundred people.

The LEP have a report on-line and a video of the huge queues at Preston.

This is just the latest in what seems to be a worrying trend, with fatalities seemingly every week.

DELTIC photo-shoot

On Saturday (5th Oct), the Ribble Steam Railway are organising a rare chance to photograph the Prototype DELTIC out in the open air.

As part of an evening photo-shoot, the Preston-built loco will be posed with maroon Mk1 coaches to give photographers a unique chance to capture the Napier-engined loco as it would have looked in service with BR.

There will also be a second scene for photographers to photograph, featuring the railway's class 05 and 14 locos.

See the RSR's news panel on this page for more details.

Tours galore

The Fellsman season may be over, but this weekend has lots to offer by way of preserved diesel and steam tours at Preston.

"Western" D1015 makes a welcome return after a few years out of action.
61994, The Great Marquess now heads up day 1 of the West Highlander, with the K4 now being attached at Preston instead of Crewe.
The Cumbrian Lakelander will be hauled by WCRC class 47 or 57 locos, as will the SRPS tour from Dundee to Blackpool.

See the Timetable page for full details.