Ribble Steam Railway
| Ribble Steam Railway | |
|---|---|
.JPG) |
|
| Linda crossing the swing bridge | |
| Locale | Preston, Lancashire, England |
| Terminus | Riversway |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Ribble Branch Line |
| Built by | North Union Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | Ribble Steam Railway |
| Stations | 1 |
| Length | 1 1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1882 |
| Closed | 1990s |
| Preservation history | |
| Opened | 2005 |
Coordinates: 53°45′32″N 2°45′22″W / 53.7588°N 2.7561°W
The Ribble Steam Railway is a standard gauge preserved railway in Lancashire, in the United Kingdom. It was opened to the public on 17 September 2005, running along Preston Docks. The railway began by housing much of the collection from the previously closed Southport Railway Museum (Steamport), which was based in the old Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway engine shed at Southport (BR shed code 27C).
The project was first started in 1973, a preservation centre opened in Southport, on the Derby Road, in a refurbished Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway steam shed. However, the shed was becoming a costly burden to handle for the museum, so a relocation scheme was started. Preston Docks was chosen as the new location for the museum. Preston Docks has a large railway network, that used to serve the vast docks and quays. But when the docks closed, the railway was not used. The project finally closed the Southport Railway Museum in 1999.
The project's new site now could be re-developed with new large workshops, platforms and a museum. The first building to open was the Workshop, in 2001. Locomotives could now go into the building, and more space could now be utilised. Next to the workshop, is the machine shop, built in 1978. At the other end of the workshop is the visitor centre, which contains the museum, cafe, shop and railway platform. The museum was finally completed in 2004. The collection of locomotives (61, two on loan from the National Railway Museum, one from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust. 58 are currently on site.), is one of the largest collection of locomotives in the United Kingdom.
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