The 1/4-mile 2ft gauge West Lancashire Light Railway celebrated the success of its Working Engines Gala last Sunday.
A good turnout of passengers attended the one-day show, which saw a mix of steam and diesel locomotives run throughout the day on passenger and goods trains, showcasing the railway’s working fleet and rolling stock.
Working locomotives included former Dinorwic Slate quarry locomotive ‘Sybil ‘, completed in 2024, ‘Montalban ‘, built in 1913 for a Spanish narrow gauge system, No. 38, a diesel formerly from Hudswell Mine, and two smaller diesels.
Also at the event were model railways and working Meccano displays alongside ‘Burg of Grangemouth ‘, an Aveling and Porter traction engine.
First set up in 1967, the West Lancashire Light Railway has come a long way in almost 60 years. From humble beginnings, the railway now owns a large collection of industrial locomotives and rolling stock, along with loco and carriage sheds, workshops and station buildings.
Responses
While offering congratulations to what is clearly fantastic railway, looking at the supplied images, I am pretty sure Utrellis, pictured in the top image was operating at the Lancashire Mining Museum Astley on Sunday. It has been based there for about 6 years.
That loco on the top is “Montalban” the sister loco of “Utrellis”