The East Lancashire Railway, based in Bury, has released the full timetables for its Autumn Steam Gala, which will take place from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October.

The Railway had to suspend steam services during the recent hot summer weather, but is now able to operate them again.

Trains will run into the evening, including after dark on Saturday night. These evening rides will feature the Railway’s night-time goods trains and its Beer-ex service.

Other attractions of the event will include double-headed special services and what the Railway describes as “the best views and sounds in the house” in its brake van rides behind its guest and resident locomotives.

Visitors must board the freight train for their brake van ride at Bury Bolton Street station, from where trips will run to Ramsbottom and back, with the journey lasting approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Nine steam locomotives will run across the three days. Alongside the home fleet, the four visiting locomotives will be:

• Urie S15 30506 (from the Watercress Line in Hampshire), visiting the East Lancashire Railway for the first time since 1993
• GWR Pannier 7714 (from the Severn Valley Railway in the West Midlands), one of the earliest Class 5700s, out-shopped in 1930
• SECR 01 no.65 (from the Bluebell Railway in Sussex), which was rebuilt to class ‘O1’ in 1908
• Hudswell Clarke Works No. 1208 Illingworth (from the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway in North Yorkshire), built by Hudswell Clarke in 1916.

The Railway’s resident locomotives will also be hauling trains at the Autumn Steam Gala:

• West Country 34092 ‘City of Wells’
• Standard 4MT 80097
• LYR ‘A Class’ 52322
• LYR 11456/752
• ‘Pug’ 11243 (Friday Only)

Enthusiasts can pre-book their tickets online to travel in the Railway’s Lancashire and Yorkshire saloon with comfortable sofas and panoramic views of the Irwell Valley.

Visitors will be able to make bookings with the Discounted Resident’s Permit; ATOC and ELRPS will be on the day by presenting the appropriate pass.