Bridging the Gap

Repairing and replacing worn and damaged rail and sleepers is one of our ongoing tasks for the Poulton & Wyre Railway Society (PWRS). Obtaining the rails is not too much of a problem for us as several lengths of rail were left alongside the track when it was replaced by welded track in the seventies before the line was closed.

Obtaining replacement sleepers is not so easy we have to purchase them. Thankfully due to our "Sponsor a Sleeper" appeal by the crew at Thornton Station and the "Bridge the Gap" appeal by the team at the Fleetwood end, we have managed to purchase a number of sleepers to enable us to push forward with restoring the track, both at Thornton Station and Jameson Road.

Thanks to a donation of some sections of rail and concrete sleepers by Mr. Matt Lodge of Fleetwood Tram Preservation Society in Fleetwood, our team at Jameson Road, led by Peter Williams, are starting to bridge the gap left in the track when the rail was severed years ago.

These sections of track were being stored at the Tram Preservation Society's depot in Fleetwood but as they were no longer required by the Tram Society, Mr Lodge kindly gave them to the PWRS.

The A E Engineering crane at the Tram Preservation Society depot

As the PWRS does not have the heavy equipment needed to lift and transport these items for us, help came from two local companies; A.E. Engineering of Fleetwood, and Alan J Hargreaves Ltd. of Thornton.

Ready to lift rails and sleepers

Mr Anthony Elwood, the owner and managing director of A.E. Engineering, who are specialists in heavy lifting and transportation kindly arranged along with one of our members, Simon Miller, to have these sections of track and sleepers lifted and transported to near the track at the rear of Alan Hargreaves' engineering works in Red Mash.

Loading the final rail via crane

Mr Alan Hargreaves, whose company service and repair railway equipment, has kindly agreed to assist the Society by transporting these items to Jameson Road ready for our group of trained volunteers to install the track.

The PWRS is most grateful to both of these companies for their help in our hour of need.