Many visitors to the Ribble Steam Railway will admit that their love of steam began with journeys by train to the seaside. There was always something magical in boarding a train hauled by a big express locomotive which would whisk you away for a week at your family’s chosen destination. Were those not happy days! Many steam excursions came through Preston on the way to exotic places such as Blackpool, Windermere, Grange-Over-Sands or Morecambe. There really is nothing to compare with a day out by steam train.
The Ribble Steam Railway based on Preston’s Docklands mixes those heady days of steam travel with a look back at England’s Industrial Heritage, when not only passengers travelled by train but all our goods trade was moved by the railways rather than by modern day road traffic. The History of the Dock is a permanent exhibition for visitors to the railways museum. No longer Preston’s best kept secret the heritage line has now taken its own part in the landscape and is enjoyed by visitors from far and wide. The Ribble Steam Railway on Chain Caul Road, Preston, is a family day out in the heart of Lancashire. The railway has been open to the public since September 2005. A visit to the site will not only give you the opportunity to travel along our 1½ mile dock and riverside line, but also access our newly built museum and workshop. The line itself crosses the Preston Marina entrance via a swing bridge, and runs alongside the diverted River Ribble on the site of the former sprawling docklands. Trains leave on the hour from the museum Platform (Preston Riverside) for the 3 mile round trip. Our first train of the day is at 11am and the last at 4pm, total journey time around 35 minutes. The end of the line is adjacent to Strand Road Crossing where Ribble Rail is connected to the national network. The journey (unless a ‘top-and-tail’ service is in operation) includes a run-round by the locomotive of the day at Odeon Sidings. The Ribble Steam Railway is run entirely by volunteers and you can visit the workshops to see out latest projects. Please visit the website www.ribblesteam.org.uk
RSR Publications
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Preston Docks