1:02pm Friday 5th February 2010
A Chorley author has written a history of one of the long-lost railways of the region, which serviced a Lancashire hospital.
The History of the Whittingham Hospital Railway 1884-1957, has been a labour of love for Mark Cornwell, 78, of Higher Wheelton.
The retired Leyland Motors worker and railway enthusiast remembers vividly taking the trip to the Grimsargh hospital by train in his youth and wished to research the history of the line.
He said: “Long before the famous Beeching cuts it was possible to catch a train and arrive at the front doors of the largest mental hospital in Great Britain without having to leave the property of the respective railway companies.
“In the 1880s The Committee of Visitors decided to both build and run their own railway.
“This was more problematic than expected with problems with the landowners that didn’t want to sell at the original offer price forcing the asylum to double their price.
“Once construction was underway problems started with landslips of the earthworks.
“Finally after two years of hard work the railway was opened in 1889. There are no tickets in existence for the railway, due to the fact it was free to ride on, a free service to staff, patients and visitors.
“Although it was free there was a chance that there would be no return journey, that was the gamble with the only free passenger railway in the UK.”
The asylum was built in the countryside to the northwest of Preston, opening its doors in April 1873.
The first of the four locomotives was naturally, No1, built by Andrew Barclay & Sons in 1888.
The engine was towed to the North in 1947 and renamed James Fryars.
By the 1950s the line was living on borrowed time and closed.
Chapters in the book cover the building of the railway, a trip and full description of the stations and the line.
Ther book costing £12 with £1.50 postage can be purchased by calling 01254 830754.
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