East Lancashire Railway Summer Diesel Gala 2024. 29/06/2024

The East Lancashire Railway held their Summer Diesel Gala at the end of June 2024. The visiting locomotives were:

BR Class 20 No 20066 (Courtesy of HNRC)
BR Class 26 No 26007 (From Barrow Hill Roundhouse)
BR Class 37 No 37425 (Courtesy of HNRC)
BR Class 47 No 47830 Beeching's Legacy (Courtesy of Freightliner)
Freightliner Class 70 No 70014

These operated services with the line's resident Diesel Fleet.

0:00 We begin at Bury Bolton Street Station. The weather during the day was rainy and pretty miserable.

0:10 Arriving into Bury Bolton Street Station is BR Class 14 No D9531 Ernest with a service for Rawtenstall. It is one of 2 Class 14 Shunters based at the Railway.

0:40 BR Class 37 No 37109 arrives at Bury Bolton Street with a service bound for Heywood. The locomotive has recently been repainted into BR Trainload Metals livery. Below the cab is a Depot Plaque which locomotives wore whilst under Railfreight operation. The Kingfisher Plaque indicates a locomotive allocated to Thornaby Depot.

1:50 A double departure at Ramsbottom as BR Class 25 No 25279 departs on the rear of a train bound for Rawtenstall (Hauled by D9531 Ernest.) After that leaves, BR Class 20 No 20066 departs with a train bound for Hopwood. The Chopper is owned by The Harry Needle Railroad Company.

4:06 BR Class 45 No 45108 arrives at Ramsbottom with a shuttle from Bury Bolton Street. After dropping off its passengers, The Peak then heads towards the sidings near the station. On the rear of the train are various vans which include an LMS Stove R, a SR PMV and a Southern Region Ferry Van.

7:04 BR Class 25 No 25279 arrives into Ramsbottom with a service for Heywood. BR Class 14 No D9531 Ernest is on the rear.

8:11 BR Class 37 No 37109 arrives into Ramsbottom with a service for Rawtenstall. On the rear is BR Class 40 No 40012 Aureol.

9:12 From inside the Bar Coach, we see BR Class 37 No 37109 depart Ramsbottom. The Driver is applying power to the locomotive gradually.

11:52 At Rawtenstall, we see BR Class 40 No 40012 Aureol awaiting to take the train back to Heywood. Built in 1959 as D212, she was withdrawn in February 1985. But she was reinstated and renumbered 97407 and used in the remodelling of Crewe Station until final withdrawl in April 1986.

12:03 BR Class 40 No 40012 Aureol departs Rawtenstall for Heywood. These locomotives were nicknamed "Whistlers" by enthusiasts due to the sound the Turbocharger makes.

13:43 BR Class 40 No 40012 Aureol departs Bury Bolton Street bound for Heywood. The line to Heywood takes a sharp curve to the left of the main engine depot.

14:59 BR Class 45 No 45108 departs Bury Bolton Street with a shuttle bound for Ramsbottom. The Class 45 (Along with the Class 44 and Class 46) were nicknamed "Peaks" as the Class 44 were named after various mountains found in Britain.

15:55 BR Class 25 No 25279 is the next to depart Bury Bolton Street, on the rear of the train is BR Class 26 No 26007. This Class 26 was actually the first member of the class built in 1958 and has been finished in BR Trainload Coal Livery.

17:20 Running light engine through Bury Bolton Street is BR Class 42 Warship No 832 Onslaught.

18:04 BR Class 42 Warship No 832 Onslaught entered service in 1961 and was withdrawn in 1972 due to the class using Diesel Hydraulic Transmission. After spending time at Railway Technical Centre. It was restored to operational condition using parts from D818 Glory.

18:16 BR Class 37 No 37425 arrives into Bury Bolton Street with a train for Heywood. The locomotive was named Concrete Bob until recently when its former owners (Direct Rail Services) removed them and put them up for sale. The locomotive is now owned by The Harry Needle Railroad Company.

19:04 BR Class 40 No 40012 Aureol arrives at Bury Bolton Street. It will be replaced by the Warship for the journey to Rawtenstall.

19:51 BR Class 42 Warship No 832 Onslaught departs Ramsbottom with a service for Rawtenstall. In the opposite platform is BR Class 25 No 25279 on the rear of a Heywood bound service.

21:02 BR Class 42 Warship No 832 Onslaught arrives into Ramsbottom with a train bound for Heywood.

22:09 BR Class 47 No 47830 Beeching's Legacy arrives into Ramsbottom with a service bound for Rawtenstall. On the rear is Freightliner Class 70 No 70014.

23:10 At Rawtenstall, we take a look at the 2 locomotives. BR Class 47 No 47830 Beeching's Legacy was built in 1964 and is (As of this video) the last member of the class owned by Freighliner. Freightliner Class 70 No 70014 was built in 2011 (Estimated) by General Electric in the USA.

23:28 We end with Freightliner Class 70 No 70014 departing Bury Bolton Street with a train for Heywood. BR Class 37 No 37425 is acting as a translator vehicle for the brakes. BR Class 47 No 47830 Beeching's Legacy is on the rear carrying a headboard reading "Freightliner Brush Type 4 1965-2024" as Freightliner are to withdraw it from service later this year.