The History of the Railway goes back to 1967 when a group of six schoolboy railway enthusiasts decided to attempt the preservation of examples of Industrial Narrow Gauge Railway equipment, which was rapidly disappearing from local industries.
The Initial move was made in mid-1967 with negotiations for a small Lister Petrol locomotive from a local brickworks being unsuccessful due to difficulties in transportation and storage.
Undeterred, the group eventually located a site around a flooded claypit at Hesketh Bank and on 23rd September 1967 the first 150 yards of tracklaying was commenced. The materials utilised came from the adjacent Alty's Brickworks, whose site had been host to many different gauges and railways in the previous years.
The search for motive power began, and at last a letter was received offering two Ruston & Hornsby 2-foot gauge diesel locomotives at a reasonable sum from nearby Burscough Brick & Tile Works Ltd. Negotiations were soon concluded and the first locomotive delivered on site on 6th April 1968, being followed on the 4th February 1969 by the second locomotive.
Things had been moving on other fronts and the opportunity had been taken to acquire some rolling stock, the most useful vehicle being a six-seat 4-wheel passenger coach which was constructed by the group members, and enabled visitors to the line to be carried in greater comfort than the open wagons.
In 1970 the Southport Pier Railway declared two of its 'Silver Belle' bogie passenger cars surplus to requirements, and the opportunity was taken to acquire both for the Railway, thereby improving the passenger facilities yet further.
Work had also commenced on the construction of a large engine shed cum workshop, being brick built with an inspection pit. The Group had always aimed to have full workshop facilities to meet the necessary engineering requirements of restoration work of this nature.
Much hard work went into track laying and by the summer of 1970 the railway had reached 370 yds in length. Much has been learnt since, the entire trackwork having been replaced over the years, and is now considerably straighter and weed-free (before the undergrowth hid the kinks in the track!)
The Group's thoughts had not unnaturally turned towards the acquisition of a Steam locomotive, but upon examination of the possibilities, they appeared to be out of the financial reach of the Group. However, in December 1969, due to the closure of the Dinorwic Slate Quarry in North Wales, there was an auction of equipment which included three complete steam locomotives and one incomplete Locomotive. The incomplete loco consisted of Frames, Cylinders and Wheels, and was described by the auctioneer as requiring enthusiastic work to restore it to working order.
The Group were successful in their bid for the incomplete loco, thereby acquiring 'Irish Mail', which was minus one essential component - a boiler! A search for a suitable boiler was commenced.
Meanwhile the list of acquisitions was growing, with the addition of a Petrol Locomotive, another Ruston Diesel Locomotive, and the lower saloon of a Lytham St. Annes tramcar rescued from a nearby local garden, which is currently undergoing rebuilding into a passenger coach with balcony ends and which is to provide greater all-weather comfort to visitors.
The search for a suitable boiler for 'Irish Mail' continued, when it was learnt that an enthusiast who had purchased a similar locomotive from Dinorwic Quarries was in the process of dismantling a second locomotive for spares. However on enquiring it was discovered that the second locomotive was in fact located at the top of Dinorwic Quarries. However the owner was prepared to sell the remains of the loco which included a boiler at a nominal sum, provided the group undertook to remove it from the top of the quarry themselves.
Being unable to locate any other boilers which were suitable they were left with no alternative but to purchase the loco remains and attempt to transport them to Hesketh Bank.
The Locomotive was formerly named 'Alice' and was considered by most enthusiasts to be in an un-retrievable position, high on the notorious 'Dinorwic Mountain in a quarry, the top of which half had been derelict for some years.
However the Group persevered with their task and in five and a half months through the summer of 1972 they managed to move the locomotive into a position where it could be collected by a lorry, and so on the 23rd November 1972, the remains of 'Alice' were finally delivered to Hesketh Bank
The boiler was examined and it was found that although the outer shell was sound, the boiler was in need of a new inner firebox and so work commenced on what is quite a major job for a steam locomotive, and for the group, the removal and fitting of a new inner firebox.
In the meantime a various assortment of diesel locomotives was acquired from local sites and the collection of wagons also continued to increase.
Whilst most of the work was concentrated on the Steam Locomotive 'Irish Mail', the group were still pursuing the possibility of acquiring further steam locomotives.
When in 1974 a reply was received from a French Quarry that the steam locomotives they had were in fact sold to a couple of enthusiasts in the South of England it was decided to investigate further, and so by September they had been successful enough to agree the purchase of a Kerr-Stuart 0-6-0 Tank Locomotive, and delivery was taken on 14th October 1974. This locomotive had lain disused for some 20 years before being purchased, and was in a fairly rough condition, and it requires extensive rebuilding.
The locomotive was placed into store, however Work on this locomotive finally commenced in 1992 but it is not anticipated that it will be completed for some 4-5 years.
The locomotive was originally built by Kerr Stuart in Stoke-on-Trent for the French Government Artillery Railways in 1915, and was presumably sold to the Quarry following the war. It is a 'Joffre' class locomotive, which became the forerunner to the 'Haigh' class of locomotive.
The Railway continued its search for items of equipment and in June 1975 were given on indefinite loan by Liverpool City Museums a 'PIanet' Diesel locomotive from Liverpool Corporation Waterworks, Llanforda Hall, Nr Oswestry, Salop. This locomotive has a severely cracked cylinder block and a replacement National diesel engine is being sought to enable it to be operated.
The Planet Locomotive in May 1990
During 1976 the Railway acquired two 40 Horsepower Motor Rail Locomotives which were unusual as they possessed 'breadbin' cabs. However one of the locomotives was beyond economic repair and was therefore cannibalised for spare parts, and the chassis was utilised for the basis of a brake-van.
Work was continuing at this time on the restoration of 'Irish Mail' with the construction and fitting of a new inner-firebox. In order to finance this work to be carried out the Railway disposed of the frames of the Hunslet locomotive 'Alice' to the Bala Lake Railway, and this locomotive is currently being rebuilt to working order by one of the Bala members.
The line was already at a length of 425 yards, and work was being undertaken on the construction of a large loco shed to supplement the already overcrowded railway workshops, as it was becoming essential to place the restored items under cover to prevent deterioration.
During 1978, 1979 and 198O further diesel locomotives were acquired from a variety of sites in the North West, including a Baguley petrol locomotive, fitted with a Ford 'Popular' side-valve engine, of 1937 vintage. It also has the unusual addition of a winch, for use in connection with its work around the filter beds of a water treatment works. This was one of two locomotives acquired from the defunct Rossendale Forest Railway Preservation Group
In 1980 the Railway saw steam operating over its tracks for the first time, with the completion of the overhaul of 'Irish Mail".
During 1981 two major industrial Narrow-Gauge Railway sites finished utilising railways as their source of transport, both involved in the transport of sand.
The first site had local connections, being the glass manufacturers 'Pilkingtons', who had many sites in the Ormskirk and Skelmersdale area, in their search for good quality sand for glass making. The opportunity was taken to acquire several of their powerful and relatively modem Motor Rail locomotives, and one of these is currently on display in Southport Railway Centre.
The second system to close in 1981 was situated in Bedfordshire, and belonged to George Garside & Co., who operated sand quarries in the Leighton Buzzard area. The Railway took the opportunity to acquire three identical Motor Rail locomotives from this source, and since then two of these locomotives have gone back to this line, having been restored by a similar preservation society to the West Lancs.
In 1984 the Railway acquired two steam locomotives from a coal mine in Spain, having been located several years earlier by one of the members. The two locomotives were derelict having been out of use for many years, and upon making a thorough examination following delivery, it was found that their boilers were beyond economic repair, and new boilers were designed by the railway and built by a nearby company in Preston.
One of the two locomotives 'Montalban' has been fully restored to working order and can be found in regular use on trains. The restoration of the second locomotive is scheduled for competion in 1997.
Montalban in 1989
In 1986 the railway acquired a fifth steam locomotive. This was another ex Dinorwic Quarry Hunslet locomotive, formerly named 'Bernstein' and now named 'Jonathan' which is on long term loan to the railway from one of its members. This locomotive had previously been at the Bala Lake Railway for a period of years. The opportunity has recently been taken to overhaul this locomotive, and it is now back in traffic.
The line is at present some 430 yds in length, although there are plans to extend the line. It commences at 'Becconsall' station, off Station Road, Hesketh Bank at which the locomotive sheds and workshops are situated. This is about 75 yds from the old standard gauge Southport to Preston line of the former West Lancashire Railway (closed in 1964 by B.R, and from where the Railway takes its name), and it heads straight for approx. 150yds to the one intermediate station Willow Tree Halt, where there is a small platform, name-board and a Willow Tree! A slight left curve brings the line onto a short straight after which it bears right onto a curve of approx. 1OOft radius to head along the northerly side of the lake. The line now rises at a gradient of approx. 1 in 70 to arrive at the end of current operations at 'Delph' station. The actual line continues for a considerable distance, but is unsuitable for passenger operation, due to the severe curves and gradients and is utilised for stock storage at present.
Over the past few years the acquisition of locomotives has slowed down, as effort is concentrated on the restoration of the steam locomotives and several diesel locomotives have been disposed of to other societies, many of whom were less fortunate than the West Lancs.
Also much work has been put into the upgrading of the trackwork, and buildings, and it is envisaged that more work will be undertaken as soon as time and finances permit, to produce a greater number of exhibits of interest to the general public