Last Sunday, 2nd October, the West Lancashire Light Railway held its annual Working Engines Gala on its 2ft (610 mm.) narrow gauge railway at Hesketh Bank between Preston and Southport in Lancashire.

Resident steam engines Irish Mail, recently restored Montalban, and the railway’s Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0 diesel operated a frequent passenger timetable.

Irish Mail is an 0-4-0 saddle tank built by the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds in 1903, works No.823. Montalban is an 0-4-0 tank + well tank built in 1913 by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany, works no. 6641.

As well as the passenger service, the following smaller diesels hauled an assortment of rolling stock:

• Dame Vera Duckworth, Ruston & Hornsby 30HP works number 381705, built in 1958, fleet No.40.
• Mill Reef, Motor Rail 20/28HP works number 7371, built in 1939, fleet No.31.
• Motor Rail 40HP, works number 5906, built in 1934, fleet No.11,
• Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0 68HP, works number 750, built in 1949, fleet No.38.
• Tawd, Ruston & Hornsby 20HP works number 222074, built in 1943, fleet No.2.
• Motor Rail 60HP works number 11258, built in 1964, fleet No.30.

On display was Burgh of Grangemouth, an Aveling & Porter steam road roller No. 7673 built in 1912, whilst a Leyland Panther PSUR1A/1 bus dating from September 1968 and owned by the Merseyside Transport Trust provided free tours of the local countryside and villages. Its registration number is FKF 933G, and was originally in the service of Liverpool Corporation with fleet number 1054.

Visitors also had other attractions to enjoy, including model railways and a Meccano display, whilst a traditional children’s fairground ride added to the interest and atmosphere of the event.

The railway is open every day until the end of October, and tickets can be booked online at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/westlancashirelightrailwaytrust/618470/.

Further information about the railway, including the Pumpkin Express on Sunday, 23rd October, Halloween Monday on 31st October, and this year’s Santa Specials, can be found at https://www.westlancsrailway.org/