Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.
IN mid-December, the East Lancashire Railway was on course to carry a record number of passengers on its traditional Santa specials – reaching the 43,000 mark for the first time.
Passengers on the line’s Santa specials started and finished their journeys at Bury Bolton Street station after enjoying a return trip to Rawtenstall – the diagrams being top-and-tailed. With limited parking at Bury but no shortage of free parking space at Heywood, a Santa diesel shuttle service ran between the two stations using Class 144 ‘Pacer’ No. 144009.
The Santa specials featured two steam locomotives which were due be withdrawn for overhaul as 2022 drew to a close.
Following the expiry of its boiler certificate on January 3, SR Bulleid Pacific No. 34092 was due to receive an inspection of its firebox, including a Non-Destructive Test (NDT) to establish whether there are any cracks in the steel firebox. If the NDT finds nothing of concern, the small tubes and two flue tubes will be removed. Small tubes will all be replaced during the overhaul, while
