East Lancashire Railway

Introduction

This railway was opened between Clifton (Manchester) and Rawtenstall. The company went on to expand greatly.



In 1859 the company was absorbed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.



The southern portion of the original line between Clifton (Manchester) and Radcliffe North Junction (both excluded) is closed.



North of Bury the line is preserved, following closure by British Railways in 1980, and re-opening in 1987 as the East Lancashire Railway.



Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.



This is a disused thirteen arch double track viaduct north of Clifton Junction [Station] [Manchester] which crosses the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal and the River Irwell.
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Class 14 D9531 waits to take a train to Ramsbottom during an early ELR diesel gala in July 1990. 24 years later this same loco, still an ELR resident, ...
Mark Bartlett /07/1990
Visiting 8F 2-8-0 48624 climbs up the steeply graded curve from Bury Knowsley St to Bolton St with a train from Heywood to Rawtenstall on 25th March ...
Mark Bartlett 25/03/2017
Tucked away in a siding behind Bury South signal box, former Southampton Docks Ruston & Hornsby shunter 07013 awaits attention. This 275hp DE 0-6-0 ...
Mark Bartlett 25/03/2017
Although taken in 2008, processing the shot as black and white has given it a late 50s or early 60s look, as long as you don't look too closely at the ...
Norman Glen 16/08/2008


Tottington Junction was the point where the Holcombe Brook branch left the Bury to Ramsbottom line and there was a signal box situated by the ...
Mark Bartlett 01/01/2011


This is a single platform station on the East Lancashire Railway [Preserved].
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Severn Valley based GWR 0-6-0ST 813 was a visitor to the ELR Small Engines 2017 gala and is seen here approaching Summerseat with the first train on ...
Mark Bartlett 03/06/2017
In addition to two train sets running between Heywood and Rawtenstall the 2017 ELR Small Engines Weekend also featured a variety of shunting locos ...
Mark Bartlett 03/06/2017
Immaculate Drewry Class 04 D2298, operating a train at the ELR Small Engines Gala, seen at Summerseat in June 2017. The inset picture shows the ...
Mark Bartlett 03/06/2017
Resident GRC&W Bubble Car 55001 approaches Summerseat, with a CCT van in tow, on a Ramsbottom to Bury service during the ELR Scenic Railcar ...
Mark Bartlett 04/11/2017

Green liveried 40106, now named Atlantic Conveyor, crosses Summerseat Viaduct heading north during the ELR Class 40s at 60 Gala on 14th ...
Mark Bartlett 14/04/2018
40135 looks immaculate as it crosses Summerseat Viaduct and approaches the south portal of Brooksbottom tunnel heading for Ramsbottom during the ELR ...
Mark Bartlett 14/04/2018
09024 cuts a rather lonely figure as it proceeds light engine over the River Irwell on Summerseat Viaduct on 4th November 2017. The shunter was making ...
Mark Bartlett 04/11/2017
A feature of the ELR 2017 railcar gala was a number of DMUs running with trailing loads. GRC&W single unit 55001 runs across Summerseat viaduct ...
Mark Bartlett 04/11/2017

40013 Andania visited the ELR for the Class 40s at 60 gala. The pristine green machine is seen emerging from Brooksbottom tunnel near ...
Mark Bartlett 14/04/2018

EE Type 4 50015 Valiant runs south through the cutting between Nuttall and Brooksbottom tunnels hauling a Ramsbottom to Bury shuttle service ...
Mark Bartlett 14/04/2018
DMU driver's eye view of the south portal of Nuttall Tunnel on the East Lancashire Railway. The train is in the short cutting between Nuttall and the ...
Mark Bartlett 01/01/2011

BR Standard Class 9F 92214 at Ramsbottom Station in 2008, awaiting departure to Rawtenstall. ...
Norman Glen 16/08/2008
Smart looking EE Type 4 no D335 stands at Ramsbottom on 6 July during the East Lancashire Railway diesel gala. ...
Colin Alexander 06/07/2013
LMS 8F 2-8-0 48624, heading for Bury, passes 40106 Atlantic Conveyor at Ramsbottom on 25th March 2017. ...
Mark Bartlett 25/03/2017
EE Type 4 no D335 with a train at Ramsbottom station on 6 July 2013 during the ELR diesel gala weekend. ...
Colin Alexander 06/07/2013


The widening trackbed indicates this was Stubbins Junction where the Accrington line diverged from that to Rawtenstall and Bacup, although the station ...
Mark Bartlett 01/01/2011
Last train of the day and the last week of operation on the Rawtenstall branch. The sun is setting on the Irwell Valley as a Cravens DMU heads north ...
Mark Bartlett 29/05/1972
Although it has never reopened in the preservation era the platforms at Stubbins are still intact and it has changed little from the pictures taken at ...
Mark Bartlett 13/12/2008
View south towards Ramsbottom at Stubbins one week before closure. The station buildings were located at the far end of the disused platform, near the ...
W A Camwell Collection (Courtesy Mark Bartlett) 27/05/1972

GWR 'Manor' 7828 Odney Manor slows for the Irwell Vale stop with an ELR train for Rawtenstall on 1st February 1992. At this time the 4-6-0 was ...
Mark Bartlett 01/02/1992
Visiting from the Worth Valley Railway, Spam Can West Country 4-6-2 34092 City of Wells slows to call at Irwell Vale whilst running ...
Mark Bartlett 19/08/2017
EE Type 4 40135 has been based on the East Lancashir Railway since 1988. It went to Barrow Hill in late 2016 for bodywork repairs, followed by a full ...
Mark Bartlett 19/08/2017
In a sudden downpour, that thankfully was quickly over, 40135 approaches Irwell Vale halt with a five coach train for Rawtenstall on 19th August 2017. ...
Mark Bartlett 19/08/2017

The dilapidated old wooden goods shed at Ewood Bridge in March 2017, as seen from a passing train on the East Lancashire Railway. The goods yard ...
Mark Bartlett 26/03/2017
Peak Class 1Co-Co1 45108 passes the closed station at Ewood Bridge & Edenfield with a train from Rawtenstall on 11th February 2017. In the ...
Mark Bartlett 11/02/2017
The old goods shed at Ewood Bridge & Edenfield is still (just) standing. From the goods yard entrance as seen here it doesn't look too run down but ...
Mark Bartlett 11/02/2017
The remains of Ewood Bridge and Edenfield station, as seen from the rear of a passing ELR DMU heading for Bury. The station closed in 1972, with the ...
Mark Bartlett 01/01/2011

Class 40 D335 runs round its train at Rawtenstall on 1st February 1992. Rawtenstall station had been reopened the previous April. The EE Type 4 had ...
Mark Bartlett 01/02/1992
LMS Hughes Crab 13065 standing in the rain at Rawenstall on 20 June 2015. ...
Peter Todd 20/06/2015
Hymek D7076 photographed at Rawtenstall on the East Lancs Railway in 1997. ...
Colin Alexander //1997
GCR based 8F 2-8-0 48624 draws into Rawtenstall on 25th March 2017. The loco had been part of the Lostock Hall themed steam gala earlier in the ...
Mark Bartlett 25/03/2017