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West Lancashire steam railway to host Summer Gala this August

The West [1] Light Railway (WLLR) Summer Gala will take place on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August from 11:30 until 17:00.

WLLR is a short-line (400-metre) narrow gauge railway which boasts a large number of industrial locomotives. It is located on Thornton Drive, off Station Road, Hesketh Bank, about ten miles south of [2].

Narrow gauge locos line up at the West Lancashire Light Railway
Narrow gauge locos line up at the West [3] Light Railway // Credit: WLLR

This year’s special guest is S9 [4] 1238 ‘Ashanti’ visting from the [5]. [6] built Ashanti at its Foundry works in [7] in 1916, then exported the Ghana, where it fell into a river in 1952, killing its driver. Recovered in 1995, it was kept on display in Ghana until it returned to Britain in 2008. Ashanti was fully restored in 2008.

Irish Mail on the West Lancashire Light Railway
Irish Mail // Credit: Richard Marston

WLLR’s resident 0-4-0 saddle tank ‘Irish Mail[8]‘ will also be operating. This steam locomotive was built by the Hunslet Engine Company in 1903. It has been with the West Lancashire Railway since 1972, and operational since 1980.

The Gala continues WLLR’s 2023 season[9], and includes:

  • frequent passenger and freight trains
  • the opportunity to drive a diesel
  • narrow gauge engines on display
  • live steam model railway
  • tearoom
  • ‘Fireman’s Shovel’ railway wagon for hot food
  • the Pianola Man playing old-time tunes
  • a licensed Real Ale bar with draught beers from the local [10] Brewery.

Gala visitors can pay on the day or can buy discounted tickets on the the WLLR website[11].

References

  1. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  2. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  3. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  4. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  5. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  6. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  7. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  8. ^ Irish Mail (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  9. ^ WLLR’s 2023 season (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  10. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  11. ^ the WLLR website (www.westlancsrailway.org)

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