158849 arrives at Hebden Bridge on our train to Blackburn.. Geoff Morris

The Lancashire Day Ranger fixture on August 25th attracted a very healthy turnout of 19 members and guests (including one lady). Most of the party assembled on the Northern line platform at Liverpool Central for the 10:05 train to Kirkby with one joining us at Wigan Wallgate and another at Manchester Victoria. We were back at Liverpool Lime Street just 8 hours later having visited Kirkby, Manchester Victoria Rochdale Hebden Bridge, Blackburn, Clitheroe, Bolton & Preston. This apparently hectic schedule still provided 30+ minutes breaks for refreshments at Manchester Victoria & Blackburn. The full itinerary was as follows:

This shows that all travel was in multiple units but, to our surprise and relief, we avoided Pacers all day. All trains were punctual and, although many were very busy, no-one in the party had to stand on any part of any journey.

Kirkby station with some of our party joining 150144 on the 1032 to Manchester Victoria. Richard Neale

	Metrolink 1011 reversing at Manchester Victoria while 158902 waits on a service to Leeds. . Geoff Morris

Our trip from Liverpool to Manchester followed the Lancashire & Yorkshire route. Sadly this is now split at Kirkby with the electrified section from Merseyrail ending at buffers short of the road over bridge and the diesel-operated section starting on the other side of the bridge. The two sections are not joined. The section of the electrified line from Fazakerly Junction to Kirkby station is single track as is the section between Kirkby and Rainford Jct. After Hindley we took the direct route through Atherton to Manchester. Most stations on this section have island platforms with the more important ones (Atherton, Walkden & Swinton) retaining their original L&Y roof canopies. Signalboxes with semaphores also remain in use including the splendidly named “Crow Nest Junction”, where the line to Bolton diverges.

As we arrived at Manchester Victoria 66189 headed west on stone hoppers for the terminal at Hope St (Salford) that we had passed just a few minutes before. Metrolink trams were unable operate though the City Centre due to track renewals and all services were reversing in the Bury-bound platform. We had plenty of time for a coffee in the L&Y refreshment room which, although now operated by the Pumpkin chain, retains much of its period features, including a splendid stained glass “dome”.

Some of the party take a tea break in the buffet at Manchester Victoria. Geoff Morris	Well-preserved original features in the buffet at Manchester Victoria.. Geoff Morris
Platform indicator at Manchester Victoria: trains via Oldham cease on October 3rd.. Geoff Morris

The next section was one of the day’s highlights. We travelled to Rochdale via the Oldham loop which will close to heavy rail traffic entirely on October 3rd for conversion to light rail operation by Metrolink. Evidence of this was present at Thorpes Bridge Junction where a new concrete flyover has already been built to allow trams to access the Oldham line without fouling trains on the Network Rail direct route to Rochdale (via Castleton). We were very pleasantly surprised to find a class 156 operating our train - the previous one had been a Pacer.

Some of our party in 156425 on the run over the Oldham loop.. Richard Neale

	Our party (and a few members of the public) await the Selby train at Rochdale.. Richard Neale

We had a tight 5 minute connection at Rochdale and a signal stop outside the station gave the Fixtures Secretary a few nervous moments ! However we arrived only a minute or so late and added substantially to the passenger complement of the Cl.158 on Manchester Victoria - Selby (via Bradford) service. Another highlight (unexpected for some,) was our wait at Hebden Bridge where the station retains most of its original features and boasts tubs and hanging baskets which provided a superb floral display. The “Friends of Hebden Bridge station “ group doubtless have contributed massively to the superb period ambience that awaits anyone using the station. It also boasts a privately-run buffet (and also has toilets) so it well worth 30 minutes of any rail enthusiasts time.

153378 and 155345 depart Hebden Bridge for Manchester. Geoff Morris

	Further view of the superbly preserved (and well kept) station at Hebden Bridge.. Richard Neale

Another Cl.158 (consecutively numbered from our previous unit) took us to Blackburn via the Copy Pit. This route saw few, if any, stopping passenger services for many years although it now boasts an hourly service (normally running between Blackpool & York via Bradford). Blackburn station was comprehensively rebuilt (at platform level) in the 1990s and boasts an impressive curved glass roof over the island platform. However the station building at street is a listed structure. It also boasts a privately run refreshment room and we had time to sample its wares before heading for Clitheroe.

150143 attracts the attention of a young admirer as it shunts from the down to up platform at Clitheroe.. Geoff Morris

	A complete contrast in station architecture at Blackburn as 142048 departs for Colne . Geoff Morris

Services to Clitheroe were reintroduced in 1994 (having been withdrawn in the 1960s) following a successful campaign led Ribble Valley Rail. It was pleasing to note that our train to Clitheroe was very busy throughout. One major engineering feat is Whalley Viaduct where the line crosses the broad valley of the River Calder. On arrival at Clitheroe the unit ran north to the crossover at Horrocksford Junction (where a connection is made with a cement factory, that is once again sending traffic by rail). Normally it has about 20 minutes to do this but with the service we had chosen it had much less and so there was no time for us to inspect Clitheroe.

Trains services run between Clitheroe and Manchester Victoria and our next leg saw us continue through Blackburn to Bolton where we changed on to a pair of class Cl.185 units for the run to Preston. Here the units split, with one going to Edinburgh and the other to Windermere. However we did not have time to view this as we arrived about 2 minutes late and we had only a 7 minutes connection (which entailed transferring between island platforms) into the final train of our itinerary. This was a crowded Cl.156 (originating at Blackpool North) which took us to Liverpool Lime St via Wigan North Western and St Helens Central. We arrived on time at Lime St and made our way back to our home stations by various means after an extremely enjoyable day out.

The start of the highly secret (up to now) Clitheroe Cocoa Ceremony !.. Geoff Morris

	150275 departs Bolton for Manchester. A weedkiller train might do good business here !. Geoff Morris