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AERPS Coach Excursion 2013

Blackpool Tramway, Knott End Ferry, Windermere cruise, Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway

Andrew Macfarlane with pictures by Steve Crawley

Star Gate
Bombardier “Flexity 2” tram at Star Gate
knott end ferry
Ferry at Knott End, across the Wyre estuary from Fleetwood
Approaching Lakeside
Approaching Lakeside

On Sunday 14th July the AERPS and the Manchester Locomotive Society ran a joint summer coach trip to the Blackpool Tramway, the Knott End Ferry, Ambleside for a cruise on Windermere to Lakeside and then a trip on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway to Haverthwaite, from where the coach brought us home. 55 passengers (34 from the AERPS and 21 from the MLS) enjoyed the day, which was blessed with glorious summer weather. After picking up the last of our passengers from outside Horwich Parkway station we called at the Rivington Motorway Service Area before heading for the first drop-off point, Starr Gate tram terminus. From here we caught one of the new Bombardier “Flexity 2” trams operated by Blackpool Transport and it just happened to be tram no.1. A relatively slow progress along the Promenade allowed plenty of time for sightseeing. There were two conductors on board the tram and they just collect fares. They do not give the “right away” to the driver. The ride was noticeably smooth although the pre-recorded on-board announcements were perhaps a tad loud.

All too soon we arrived in Fleetwood where we had an hour before catching the ferry to Knott End. Some passengers chose to visit the North Euston Hotel (1841), so named because Fleetwood was the terminus of trains from Euston from 1841 to 1848 and passengers for Scotland (including Queen Victoria in 1847) would stay at the hotel before boarding a packet boat for Ardrossan in Ayrshire. Our coach party had to use two separate sailings to cross from Fleetwood to Knott End because the boat only holds a maximum of 35 passengers. Boarding the vessel was somewhat hairy down a near-vertical gangplank! It is a very short crossing to Knott End, from where there are good views of Fleetwood. We rejoined the coach here and then followed the course of the Garstang & Knott End Railway as we headed for the M6 motorway. In the village of Pilling we saw a plinthed Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 saddle tank (works no.1885/1955) in the red livery of the Garstang & Knot End Railway (sic). The loco carries the name “The Pilling Pig”, the local nickname for the passenger train on the Garstang & Knott-End Railway, which closed to passengers on 29th March 1930.

Four of the locos, which ran on the original line, were 0-6-0 saddle tanks built by Hudswell Clarke of Leeds. The name “Pilling Pig” refers to the squeal made by the whistle of one of these locos, the “Farmer’s Friend” of 1875.

Our coach then brought us to Ambleside, where we had a break before boarding the steamer Tern, built for the Furness Railway in 1891 and converted to diesel in 1956. It is the oldest vessel in the fleet. It was a marvellous day for a cruise on the lake and not far out of Ambleside a long line of ducks came past the boat heading in the opposite direction. There were some great views from the boat and we called at Bowness before arriving at Lakeside, where our connecting train to Haverthwaite was waiting. This was the last service of the day, the 16.50 from Lakeside, and was hauled by 0-6-0 saddle tank Repulse (Hunslet 3698 of 1950), a former National Coal Board engine. We dropped down the 3.5 miles to Haverthwaite, where fortunately the souvenir shop was still open. There are two 3 foot 6 inch gauge vans in the yard, which are from the horse tramway, which used to link a gunpowder works with Haverthwaite station goods yard. The line included a bridge over the River Leven and a level crossing over the A590 (imagine that today!) and closed in 1935.

Thanks must go to Bullocks Coaches and their driver Mike and to Mike Hayward and Chris Tasker of the MLS for doing most of the organisation prior to the day.


Approaching North Pier Stop
Approaching North Pier Stop
North Euston Hotel
North Euston Hotel
Ferry Terminal
Ferry Terminal
Lakeside Platform
Lakeside Platform
Engine and coaches
Engine and coaches
Lakeside Signal Box
Lakeside Signal Box
coach in the back-ground
Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway with Bullocks coach in the back-ground
Repulse at Hatherthwaite
Repulse at Hatherthwaite
footbridge
Hatherthwaite Station & footbridge


Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society

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© November 2013