Whittingham Hospital Railway
Encyclopedia
The Whittingham Hospital Railway (W.H.R.) was a private light railway
operated by Lancashire County Council
to serve their local mental asylum at Whittingham
. Opened in 1889, it carried goods and passengers between Grimsargh
on the Preston and Longridge Railway
and the hospital grounds. It closed to all traffic in 1957.
In the early days of the hospital, all supplies, including coal and provisions, had to be transported by horse and cart from Preston – a distance of 7 miles (11 km) – or from Longridge
at the terminus of the Preston and Longridge Railway some 3½ miles (5.6 km) distant. The cartage was expensive; permanently staffed with a stud of horses and vehicles. In 1884, the significant costs of this operation prompted the authorities to consider building a railway between the hospital and the village of Grimsargh 2 miles (3.2 km) to the southeast.
and London and North Western Railway
– joint owners of the Longridge branch line – would work the service. They refused, but did grant junction facilities at Grimsargh.
Strong opposition from local land owners and a lack of support from the hospital’s own Finance & General Committee stalled the project. Further revision of the cost brought the estimated price down to £9,000 but the project still could not gain sufficient support to proceed. Refusing to admit defeat, the committee obtained a hearing before the more senior General Committee who approved and the matter was placed before the Annual Session at Preston in 1885. Success was followed by the presentation of a Bill to Parliament that year at an initial cost of £550.
was ready, but the Tramway Committee had to ask for a further £5,000 to complete the works plus purchase a locomotive and two goods vans. Traffic for goods commenced in June 1889.
At £14,000, the construction price was not overly expensive for its day, comprising a deep cutting about a half mile (800 m) in length and an embankment in similar proportion. Two substantial bridges were also required, one of which was a skew bridge construction.
Further expansion took place in 1921/22 when the line was extended to a new boiler house at a cost of £3,200. The total length of the railway was then 3,386 yards (3096 m).
The station at Whittingham Hospital was of brick and corrugated iron construction which sported an overall glass roof above its single wooden platform and track. Access was by the means of steps as the station was situated on a high embankment.
saddle-tank (works number 304) built by Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.
in 1888 at their Caledonia Works, Kilmarnock
.
The original locomotive was fitted with outside cylinders gave good service until 1947 when it was scrap
ped. A further Barclay locomotive (works number 1024) arrived in 1904 becoming No. 2. It sported a 0-4-2
wheel arrangement with identical cylinders to engine No. 1, and 4 ft 1 in. (1.25 m) wheels. This locomotive worked until 1952 when it was also scrapped.
With the scrapping of No. 1 just following the Second World War, new steam locomotives were only available on four year lead times, therefore a second-hand
engine was acquired in 1947 from the Southern Railway
at a cost of £750. This was a William Stroudley
0-4-2
D1 Tank
and was named James Fryers in honour of the Chairman of the Hospital Management Committee. The engine was originally built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
in 1886. Numbered 357, it carried the name Riddlesdown. In Southern Railway service it bore the number 2357. Serious boiler defects in 1956 curtailed its working career and the engine met the scrap-man that year when it proved beyond economic repair. Before scrapping, it was the sole surviving member of its class.
A further locomotive was thus required and a 100 hp Sentinel shunter, named Gradwell, was acquired from Bolton
gas works. It worked for only 18 months before the line was closed.
. In later life, these were replaced by three ex-L.N.W.R
20 ton goods brake vans that were converted by the hospital joiner
s. Gas lighting was also fitted.
Being single track with a passing loop only at the Grimsargh end, it was the practice for many years to propel the train from Whittingham. However, following an accident involving some cattle
, the train was subsequently pulled by the engine in each direction. Running around was achieved at Whittingham by hauling the train into a siding using a cable.
Light railway
Light railway refers to a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail". This usually means the railway uses lighter weight track, and is more steeply graded and tightly curved to avoid civil engineering costs...
operated by Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
to serve their local mental asylum at Whittingham
Whittingham, Lancashire
Whittingham is a civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England. The parish measures east-to-west, from the outskirts of Longridge to the outskirts of Broughton, but only 1 mile north-to-south. Its population was 2,189 in 2001...
. Opened in 1889, it carried goods and passengers between Grimsargh
Grimsargh
Grimsargh is a village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 2,164. The parish is part of the electoral ward of Preston Rural East.-Geography:...
on the Preston and Longridge Railway
Preston and Longridge Railway
The Preston and Longridge Railway was a branch line in Lancashire, England. Originally designed to carry quarried stone in horse-drawn wagons, it became part of an ambitious plan to link the Lancashire coast to the heart of Yorkshire...
and the hospital grounds. It closed to all traffic in 1957.
The asylum
The asylum was built in 1873 and enlarged in 1879 to accommodate 2895 patients. Before becoming the hospital, it was the long-time residence of the Waring family. The house was built in 1869 by Cooper and Tullis of Preston, to the designs of Henry Littler for £338,000.In the early days of the hospital, all supplies, including coal and provisions, had to be transported by horse and cart from Preston – a distance of 7 miles (11 km) – or from Longridge
Longridge
Longridge is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is situated north-east of the city of Preston, at the western end of Longridge Fell, a long ridge above the River Ribble. Its nearest neighbours are Grimsargh and the Roman town of Ribchester , ...
at the terminus of the Preston and Longridge Railway some 3½ miles (5.6 km) distant. The cartage was expensive; permanently staffed with a stud of horses and vehicles. In 1884, the significant costs of this operation prompted the authorities to consider building a railway between the hospital and the village of Grimsargh 2 miles (3.2 km) to the southeast.
The committees
A four man committee made its first report in August, 1884 when it estimated the cost of the 2,863 yard (2,617 m) line at £12,000 giving an annual saving of £1,050 over road haulage but this assumed that the Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
and London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
– joint owners of the Longridge branch line – would work the service. They refused, but did grant junction facilities at Grimsargh.
Strong opposition from local land owners and a lack of support from the hospital’s own Finance & General Committee stalled the project. Further revision of the cost brought the estimated price down to £9,000 but the project still could not gain sufficient support to proceed. Refusing to admit defeat, the committee obtained a hearing before the more senior General Committee who approved and the matter was placed before the Annual Session at Preston in 1885. Success was followed by the presentation of a Bill to Parliament that year at an initial cost of £550.
The construction
A goods only, horse drawn operation was envisaged at this stage on the "proposed Whittingham Tramway". Prolonged financial negotiations with reluctant land-owners saw two years pass before the final plot of land for the line was acquired. With £10,000 allocated for construction the first sod was cut at Grimsargh in 1887 but work proceeded only with great difficulty. Land slips caused by an exceptionally bad winter of 1887 delayed completion and increased costs. Finally in March 1889, the contractor reported that the permanent wayPermanent way
The permanent way is the elements of railway lines: generally the pairs of rails typically laid on the sleepers embedded in ballast, intended to carry the ordinary trains of a railway...
was ready, but the Tramway Committee had to ask for a further £5,000 to complete the works plus purchase a locomotive and two goods vans. Traffic for goods commenced in June 1889.
At £14,000, the construction price was not overly expensive for its day, comprising a deep cutting about a half mile (800 m) in length and an embankment in similar proportion. Two substantial bridges were also required, one of which was a skew bridge construction.
Further expansion took place in 1921/22 when the line was extended to a new boiler house at a cost of £3,200. The total length of the railway was then 3,386 yards (3096 m).
Stations
The railway had two substantially built stations, one at each terminus, the one at Grimsargh being diagonally opposite the level crossing from the mainline station. This station had the only run-around loop on the railway and a connection with the Preston and Longridge branch facing in the direction of Longridge. Two sidings were also provided. On a single short platform, the station building comprised an open fronted shed of brick and wood with an overall roof and canopy. The building was some 40 ft (12 m) in length by 12 ft (3.6 m) wide with a 10 ft (3 m) waiting room at the Longridge end.The station at Whittingham Hospital was of brick and corrugated iron construction which sported an overall glass roof above its single wooden platform and track. Access was by the means of steps as the station was situated on a high embankment.
The line
The route of the branch commenced on the north side of the level crossing in Grimsargh and curved sharply westward on a falling gradient into the deep cutting and on to the embankment before crossing Brabiner Lane. The line then climbed on a gradient of 1:120 to the hospital grounds passing over a small accommodation bridge before entering Whittingham station. A small coal storage area and engine shed existed beyond the hospital station and the 1921 extension continued for 523 yards (478 m) across the hospital lawns, beside the fish pond, to the boiler house.Locomotives
The first locomotive purchased by the W.H.R. was an 0-4-00-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
saddle-tank (works number 304) built by Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.
Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.
Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. was a builder of steam and diesel locomotives, based in Kilmarnock, Scotland, that was founded in 1840 and is now owned by Wabtec Rail.- History :...
in 1888 at their Caledonia Works, Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
.
The original locomotive was fitted with outside cylinders gave good service until 1947 when it was scrap
Scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
ped. A further Barclay locomotive (works number 1024) arrived in 1904 becoming No. 2. It sported a 0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
wheel arrangement with identical cylinders to engine No. 1, and 4 ft 1 in. (1.25 m) wheels. This locomotive worked until 1952 when it was also scrapped.
| No. 1 | No. 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | 0-4-0 0-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven... saddle tank |
0-4-2 0-4-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... side tank |
| Builder | Andrew Barclay & Sons Co. Andrew Barclay & Sons Co. Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. was a builder of steam and diesel locomotives, based in Kilmarnock, Scotland, that was founded in 1840 and is now owned by Wabtec Rail.- History :... |
Andrew Barclay & Sons Co. |
| Works Number | 304 | 1026 |
| Date | 1888 | 1904 |
| Cylinders | 13 x 20 inch stroke | 13 x 20 inch stroke |
| Boiler | 120 pound per square inches (827,370.9 Pa) | 160 pound per square inches (1,103,161.2 Pa) |
| Coupled wheels | 3 ft 7 in dia. 5 in 6 in (1.68 m) centres | 4 ft 1 in dia. 5 in 6 in (1.68 m) centres |
| Trailing wheels | 3 ft 0 in dia. 2 in radial | |
| Total wheelbase | 5 in 6 in (1.68 m) | 12 ft 4 in |
| Heating surface: Boiler | 440 sq ft (40.9 m²) | 460 sq ft (42.7 m²) |
| Heating surface: Firebox | 48 sq ft (4.5 m²) | 52 sq ft (4.8 m²) |
| Capacities: Water | 640 gallons (2,909.5 l) | 640 gallons (2,909.5 l) |
| Capacities: Coal | 10 cwt Hundredweight The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which... |
25 cwt |
| Locomotive weight: Empty | 19 ton Long ton Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton... , 5 cwt |
21 ton, 5 cwt |
| Locomotive weight: Loaded | 23 ton, 5 cwt | 25 ton, 0 cwt |
With the scrapping of No. 1 just following the Second World War, new steam locomotives were only available on four year lead times, therefore a second-hand
Second-Hand
Second-Hand was a 2005 Romanian film directed by Dan Piţa.-Plot summary:The film's plot surrounds the romantic involvement of two contrasting characters: Petre , a Mafioso, and Andreea , a young violin player. The pair meet and fall in love...
engine was acquired in 1947 from the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
at a cost of £750. This was a William Stroudley
William Stroudley
William Stroudley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers of the nineteenth century, working principally for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway...
0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
D1 Tank
LB&SCR D1 class
The LB&SCR D1 class were powerful 0-4-2 suburban passenger tank locomotives, designed by William Stroudley of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway in 1873. They were originally known as "D-tanks" but later reclassified as class D1...
and was named James Fryers in honour of the Chairman of the Hospital Management Committee. The engine was originally built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
in 1886. Numbered 357, it carried the name Riddlesdown. In Southern Railway service it bore the number 2357. Serious boiler defects in 1956 curtailed its working career and the engine met the scrap-man that year when it proved beyond economic repair. Before scrapping, it was the sole surviving member of its class.
A further locomotive was thus required and a 100 hp Sentinel shunter, named Gradwell, was acquired from Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
gas works. It worked for only 18 months before the line was closed.
Goods and passenger vehicles
For the opening of the line, two goods vans were acquired. Notwithstanding the committee’s remit to convey only goods traffic the original desire to transport passengers was facilitated by the purchase of a carriage from the Lancaster Wagon Company. Three more were later acquired; all four wheelers: two from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the other from the North London RailwayNorth London Railway
The North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...
. In later life, these were replaced by three ex-L.N.W.R
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
20 ton goods brake vans that were converted by the hospital joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
s. Gas lighting was also fitted.
Operating the railway
As well as carrying the goods needs of the hospital – mainly coal – a regular booked service of passenger trains was operated. In addition to serving the needs of the asylum’s visitors and staff, the trains were available to any member of the public and were free of charge to all users. With the closure of the Longridge branch to passengers in 1930, the hospital trains were retimed to connect with the local bus service from Preston. About nine passenger trains ran each day – Sundays excepted. In 1918, 3000 passengers per week used the line and the annual tonnage of freight exceeded 12,000 tons (12,200 tonnes).Being single track with a passing loop only at the Grimsargh end, it was the practice for many years to propel the train from Whittingham. However, following an accident involving some cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, the train was subsequently pulled by the engine in each direction. Running around was achieved at Whittingham by hauling the train into a siding using a cable.
Decline and closure
With declining economic circumstances, the line closed to all traffic on 29 June 1957 following the 7:20 pm service from Grimsargh to Whittingham. Mr G. Wright, who had spent his entire working life as a driver on the Whittingham Hospital Railway was at the controls. After closure, the trackwork was soon lifted and the cutting filled in. The bridge over Brabiner Lane survived until the late 1970’s but was subsequently demolished. Housing has been built on the Grimsargh station site and Whittingham Mental Hospital itself closed in the early 1990’s.External links
- "Asylum" – a potted history of Whittingham Hospital