Historic railway is halfway down track to £200,000 rescue
THE East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has begun the return leg of its epic fundraising mission, 11 weeks after it was forced to close.
The Valley’s heritage railway - which runs through Heywood with plans for an extension to Castleton - has reached the halfway point of its £200,000 target, attracting more than a thousand donations from as far afield as Australia, the US and the United Arab Emirates.
But unless it reaches its fundraising destination, bosses say the railway risks remaining closed for good, as it costs £2,000 just to get a steam engine down the track each day.
The emergency ELR Support
Fund, launched in March, has now raised in excess of £100,000, while a silent auction backed by preservation society president Pete Waterman OBE has already raised nearly £4,500. A government loan has also come through, while some devoted enthusiasts have even been selling off their own memorabilia to help the funding push.
Chairman Mike Kelly said: “It’s been really heartwarming to see the support for our emergency appeal from every corner of the globe. On behalf of everyone at the East Lancashire Railway I would like to say how grateful we are for each and every contribution.
“We’re making great progress towards our £200,000 target which will secure the future of the railway for generations to come.
“But we’re not quite there yet.
“Our volunteers have come together to create a fantastic tribute to our railway. To make sure we can survive and everyone can return to enjoy it with us, I urge anyone yet to donate to do so now.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors once more when it is safe to do so.”
The registered charity’s silent auction has raised £4,485. Items include a guided tour of Waterman’s model railway, currently up for grabs at £500, and £850 for an ELR nameplate.
In a blog on the ELR website this week, Mr Kelly added: “I know some volunteers have been selling their railway memorabilia on eBay and donating the proceeds to our appeal. People have been donating the costs they would have paid to travel with us, unused car fuel money, pocket money, volunteers selling railway photos and donating some of the sale to the appeal and finally, many of our visitors have turned down a refund and donated it to the appeal.
“It is a fact that every pound donated is a pound less we may have to borrow and (avoid saddling the ELR with huge debts) to ensure the railway gets through this most challenging period in its history.
“However, we need to keep going to get as close to the £200,000 target as we can.
“As we can all see the lockdown is progressively easing and a pathway is opening up as we move into the summer months.”
He also thanked volunteers walking and checking the condition of the track, cleaning and sprucing up the stations at Heywood, Bury and Ramsbottom.
Waterman said: “The East Lancashire Railway is one of the most important heritage railways in Britain. I’m delighted to take part in their fundraising efforts.
“My model railway has provided me with countless hours of enjoyment. I look forward to sharing it with the lucky auction winner.”
To mark the milestone, volunteers have united to record ‘Dreams of Steam in East Lancashire,’ a poem written in tribute by the chairman. To donate to the appeal visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com and search for ‘ELR’ and follow links to ‘ELR Support Fund.’ To view the auction items visit www.eastlancsrailway. org.uk .