NOTICES

New Section -  Video Archive  - New Section
Thanks to the wonder of YouTube... Here are a selection of video gems featuring Preston down the years.

New Section -  Visitors Extra  - New Section
a selection of photos from around the region, kicking off with a cracking selection of photos from the Lancaster area.

Who's Who - Part two

Do you recognise any of these faces? (click them to enlarge)
This photo was taken by on 24th July 1968, by Tony Gillett. An especially clean 45305 was on display at Preston station, where the public were invited to climb up onto the footplate. Perhaps you were there... 

DVD Listing Page

I have put together a listing of Preston-related DVDs, which I hope will grow into a comprehensive guide to relevant video material which covers Preston and the surrounding area. The list is divided into two sections, with the first listing Preston-specific titles and the second covering those which have a wider focus, but may include a small amount of Preston footage.

The new pages are HERE.

 
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NEWS

It was reported last year, that a demonstration tram line could be built on the former Preston - Longridge trackbed, in the Westview Leisure Centre area. At the time, it was envisaged that such a project could be up and running by Easter 2010, with extensions to the Station and to the Bluebell Way park & ride planned for the future.

It's perhaps not surprising that the ambitious Easter target was not met, but the project isn't dead. Negotiations between Network Rail and Tram Power Ltd are still on-going and the company estimate that the demonstration track could be ready within 3 months of signing a lease.

There have been numerous traction changes announced for steam tours over the next month or so. Chief amongst these is a complete re-hash of the Great Britain III, which will now feature 70013 in place of 6201 (and before that, 6100) on the Day 2 Bristol - Preston leg. 

46113 is still booked for the day 3 Preston  - Glasgow leg, with no stand-in loco yet identified to cover, should the Scot not be fit in time.

The final day of the Great Britain III was to have seen 46113 Scots Guardsman hand over to A4 no. 60019 at Preston, but this will now take place over on the ECML at York. 6201 will cover for 46113, if required.

On the previous weekend, The Waverley tour will now feature 6201 Princess Elizabeth instead of 70013 Oliver Cromwell.

Phew.... I hope I've got all this right...!

The Green Express tour schedule seems to be concentrated to the north and East of Preston this year, with only their 8th April trip from Carnforth to Brighouse will passing our way.

Details are on their website www.greenexpressrailtours.co.uk

The proposed route for the "HS2" north-south high speed rail line, has been announced. The notion of a new station for Preston, has now been dropped along with anything north of Manchester and Leeds. Under the proposal, the high-speed trains from Scotland would run over existing rails as far as Manchester before joining the new high-speed line. Quite how that squares with the can happen when the northern part of the WCML is already considered to be congested, is anybody's guess. Capacity issues must also arise for any route between the WCML and Manchester.

Phase one would see an expanded Euston linked to a new station in Birmingham, with separate lines to Leeds and Manchester coming in the second phase.

Pathfinder's Yorkshire Dalesman tour on 17th April is now booked to be hauled by a Freightliner "Ugly Betty" class 70. The tour passes through Preston in both directions.

2010 looks like being another sparse year for classic diesel railtours, through Preston particularly. It's good therefore to see that Spifire's Capital Deltic, which takes Martin Walker's 55022 from Preston to Kings Cross via Doncaster and the ECML, is now taking bookings.

By June, Royal Scots Grey will be back running on two Napier power units after receiving D9016's good engine, which is currently being overhauled.

There doesn't seem to have been much to report for the last couple of weeks... 

News on 46115 is that it is still on-course for a return on 27th.

Various ECS moves have been added to the Timetable / Gen page. Thanks to the PrestonRailGen group for the information.

Good news for anyone wondering if / when the WCML-Cam might be back in action... The camera has been returned in working order from the manufacturer and is currently on-test. It should be back in-situ in the next few days...

The latest news on 46115 is that the damage to the inside motion, whilst costly to repair, won't keep the loco out of action for too long. It is currently hoped that the loco will be fit and well in time for the Help For Heroes special on 27th March.

It seems that Scots Guardsman has suffered a serious failure involving the inside motion and cylinder. The tour was dragged to Manchester Victoria by a WCRC class 47, where passengers had to make their way home on service trains.

46115 has since returned to Carnforth, taking the scenic route via Hellifield.
Thanks to John Duckworth

One report on the PrestonRailGen group suggests that The Cotton Mill Express may have failed again, this time somewhere south of Eccles. The report timed 9.48 says that the train is awaiting a tow back to Preston.

Engineering work north of Preston means that  the loco and stock can't return to Carnforth until Sunday evening. As always though, be aware that ECS timings can be "flexible" and it's quite likely that it could leave early if engineering is completed ahead of schedule.

Details are on the Gen / Timetable page.

The new itinerary sees the tour taking two circuits from Manchester to Huddersfield and back, the first returning via Copy Pit and Blackpool, the second via Rochdale.

The train will also terminate at Preston - hopefully at the end of the tour this time!
Details are on the Gen / Timetable page.