East Lancashire Railway in the 1990s

Previously unpublished images of the popular heritage railway in the 1990s showing how the railway became one of the premier preserved lines in the country.

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The East Lancashire Railway is a well-established and popular 12.5 mile preserved line travelling from Heywood to Rawtenstall via Bury and Ramsbottom. The East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society decided to reopen the Bury to Rawtenstall line after its closure by British Rail, and under the auspices of the East Lancashire Railway Trust it finally reopened the line between Bury and Ramsbottom to passenger trains in 1987, and eventually to Rawtenstall in 1991.

From around 1989, Doug Birmingham started to record the line and documented the change from operating small industrial locomotives to using ex-British Railways steam locomotives to haul passengers up and down this 8-mile section of the former Bury to Bacup line. The images in this book covers the line during the four seasons of the year and primarily feature the many ex-BR steam locomotives, though various ex-BR diesel locomotives that operated on the line during the 1990s can also be found.

This book shows the railway progressing thanks to the enthusiasm and efforts of the members and volunteers, ultimately becoming one of the premier preserved railway lines in the country for both steam and diesel enthusiasts, as well as a stellar tourist attraction.