West Lancs residents asked for views on level crossing safety

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/west-lancashire-residents-invited-to-have-their-say-on-level-crossing-safety

Quiz time !

 Can you estimate the date of our new addition to the Document Archive page?

Paul Kirkup has kindly supplied a scan of this interesting document:
Introducing British Railways Preston

The booklet is a description of goods and freight services available from Preston, but is undated. Perhaps the 4-digit phone numbers might offer a clue? If you have any suggestions of the when this may date from, please drop me a line!

Book : Freight Trains in the North of England

An illustrated Survey 1955-2018

As the title suggests, this new book from John Mathews covers a lot of ground - geographically and chronologically speaking. It is arranged logically by area beginning in Nottinghamshire, weaving across the country as it heads north to finish in the North East.

The book is arranged in the classic album format, which always works well if two things are true - the photos are up to scratch and the captions are of a high standard. Thankfully, both are true in this case. 

Photos come from the author and a selection of the most respected names in railway photography, and are well chosen to show the great variety of traffic which has graced the rails in the chosen period. Captions too are of a very high standard - uniformly infomative and interesting, adding context to each shot, rather than mearly describing the scene as some books seem to.

Preston features strongly in the North-West chapter along with other local spots.

All in all, this is a quality publication, printed in large-format hard-back and running to over 140 pages.

Available from the publisher or from all the usual shops and online sellers.

Preston station’s historic glazing gets identical looking modern replacement

A major restoration project on Preston station’s glazed frontage is complete making it safe and reliable for passengers on the West Coast main line. The £600,000 Great North Rail Project investment has seen the North side of the 140-year-old station transformed with new glazing and a specially designed window frame system. Full Story on the Railcam News page.

Preston Tram update

Reports have circulated of track clearance around the Skeffington Rd area, leading to hopes that the much delayed Guild Line is making progress. Sadly, it seems that the clearance is unconnected with the demonstration line planned on the former Deepdale / Longridge line. However, Tram Power report good progress and support from local government, leading to a higher level of confidence that the line will go ahead, in all the years since it was first proposed. Fingers crossed!

Something to spend that Christmas Book-Token on!

The latest in Martyn Hilbert's series of North-West books is Network Greater Manchester.

Like the previous two excellent titles (Network North West and Merseyrail Electric), this is basically an "album" type book, stuffed full of photos from the authors own camera, stretching back from the 70s up to the present day. Unlike most books of this type though, the captions are detailed and informative, demonstrating Martyn's depth of knowledge as well as his eye for interesting photographs which capture the infrastructure and atmosphere as well as the trains.

This is highly recommended and an ideal thing on which to spend that book-token / Amazon voucher or Christmas-card cash.

Trampower Latest

Trampower Ltd, the company behind the proposed Guild Line utilising part of the old Deepdale / Longridge branch, have issued the following :

Transport Minister Jesse Norman MP issues invitation to Trampower to provide evidence about tramway costs and effectiveness. Trampower is also proud to be part of the Preston GUILD Line roject, that was one of two schemes cited by the Minister (p.12 para 3.7) as examples of sustainable ways forward. The Preston GUILD Line (www.Prestontrampower.co.uk) will be 4 miles long and carry initially about 2million passengers a year. “The £25million investment will create about 40 skilled and well paid jobs to operate and maintain the tramway” said Prof. Lewis Lesley Chairman of the Preston Tram Team. “We expect that the 6 trams needed will be built in Lancashire using local companies and suppliers, and start a production line needed to supply other new tramways in Britain and possibly abroad” continued the Prof.