Railway’s on track to steam into the future
THE future of the West Lancashire Light Railway has been secured after trustees and members raised £260,000 to buy the land on which it is sited.
The Hesketh Bank attraction was facing possible closure when the land it had been leasing for 50 years was listed for sale to developers.
But through an impressive fundraising effort and loans to a members and friends development fund, the volunteer-run railway can begin to plan for the future.
Further investment is now planned to develop the attraction, a 2ft gauge heritage steam railway, though more fundraising is needed to make the loan repayments and fund improvements.
Mike Spall, chairman of the West Lancashire Light Railway Trust, said: “With the tremendous support given to us by our members, friends, neighbours and supporters, we have achieved our goal of raising the £260,000 required for the land purchase.
“A dark cloud over the future of the railway has been lifted and we can now start to develop and invest in our popular heritage railway. Our visitors can expect to see great things in the coming years as our plans are rolled out.”
The railway was originally the dream of six schoolboys, who in 1967 had the vision of saving items from industrial narrow-gauge railway systems that were rapidly disappearing all over the UK.
These small railways were being replaced by road vehicles and conveyor belts, or the industries which they served were being closed.
The boys began by saving pocket money to buy two small diesel locomotives from a recently-closed brickworks in Burscough.
The railway now has a collection of six 2ft gauge steam locomotives and more than 20 diesel, petrol and electric locomotives, which operate over a short semirural wooded line alongside what was an old brickworks.
It is operated entirely by volunteers, aged from 16-90, and the group always welcomes those who want to help in engineering, train crewing, shop and retail, administration, gardening, building maintenance and much more.
Current projects include the return to steam of a 1906-built quarry steam locomotive named Sybil and the completion of a new carriage designed for wheelchairusers and other impaired mobility visitors, together with their families.
For more details of the fund raising, visit www.westlancsrail- way.org/redevelopment.