Nick Larkin explains how a historic vehicle trust turned its hand to rail replacement as a regular source of income to help maintain its fleet of classic vehicles
A Cumbrian classic transport group is boosting its income from an unlikely source – rail replacement work. The Workington Transport Heritage Trust bought low-floor Alexander ALX 300-bodied MAN 18.220 X805 SRM in 2016. It was new in 2000 and latterly with Stagecoach in Lancaster, and is now the Trust’s front-line vehicle for use on rail replacement work.
An operator’s licence was acquired in 2016, enabling the MAN to be used for outings and wedding hire.
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“Obviously the wedding work has largely dried up this year but we have been lucky to have managed to secure rail replacement work,” said Trust secretary Alistair Grey. “We recognised their was a demand, and not many operators in the area taking on this work.”
Floods affecting a local rail line meant three months of regular work earlier this year and there have been several occasions where the MAN has been used since. “We have four drivers available for the work and it has been very useful to us,” Alistair added.
The Trust was set up in 1997. Sixteen Trust vehicles plus ‘guests’ are kept at its Lillyhall premises. Leyland Nationals were built locally, so not surprisingly there are several in the fleet. These include GRM 353L, which was new to Cumberland Motor Services in February 1973 making it the oldest preserved example from this operator; ex-Leyland demonstrator WHH 556S and immaculate restored CHH 210T, new to Cumberland and latterly with Staffordshire-based Chase. CEO 720W was new to Barrow Corporation Transport Department, later passing to Cumberland, Ribble and Lancashire United after Blazefield took over operations in Blackburn.
Other vehicles include F251 JRM, the last of four Cumberland Motor Services Lynxes to survive, and Jonckheere-bodied Volvo B10M S797 KRM, new to Stagecoach in October 1998 and donated to the Trust after an impressive 21 years of service.
The Trust is also home to an Alexander-bodied Volvo B10M which was new to Stagecoach in Manchester and finished its days, after a conversion costing £44,000, as a mobile gym for Carlisle City Council. The bus is now an exhibition unit. Similar bus R983 XVM was latterly a training vehicle.
The Workington Transport Heritage Trust also has a shop at the town’s railway station, which is normally open Wednesday to Saturdays from 0900 to 1400hrs and also serves refreshments.
Local services are operated on Boxing Day, and the Trust publishes a quarterly newsletter, Wheels and Tracks.
Further details can be found via the trust’s website at wtht.co.uk
