Lancashire Locomotive Society 1980s?

[Wigan Wanderer]

Some of my first spotting trips away from the Wigan area as a young teenager were with the Lancashire Locomotive Society, who organised coach trips to depots for organised visits and also the odd railtour. The coach trips picked up at Preston, Wigan, Manchester and Stockport, and they were always occasions of much excitement for me.

At the time, I did a paper round and other odd jobs to raise the cash for as many trips as I could (their "Grand Scottish" trip in 1984 was a Friday night to Sunday tour covering virtually every Scottish depot, including a night's hotel accommodation for the Grand sum of £33).

Inevitably that meant I had little cash left for things such as camera film so although I have some photos, I wish I had taken a lot more. Also some of my original notes are now lost, and though I still have my original copies of "The Witch" magazine which gives lists of locos seen, I am missing which multiple units we saw, and also some of my notes don't match exactly with what is printed.

I moved away from Lancashire in 1987 so lost touch with the society, my guess is that they maybe ceased operating in the early 90s as depot permits became more difficult to come by.

So to the point, is there anyone out there who was a member of the Lancashire Locomotive Society in the 80s and was on any of the trips listed below? If so, would you be willing to share any of your photos, or sightings lists? I would of course pay any expenses to make it worth your while!

My trips were:
South Wales 14-15 April 1984
Grand Scottish 4-6 May 1984
London 9-10 June 1984
Doncaster & Humberside 22 July 1984
East Anglia 15-16 September 1984
Swindon Ambassador III (Railtour) 3 November 1984
South Midlands 24 November 1984
Doncaster & Humberside 22 March 1985
South West England 3-5 May 1985
London 7-8 September 1985
East Anglia 19-20 April 1986
Doncaster Works & North East 7 September 1986
Humberside 19 October 1986
South Yorks & Toton 21 February 1987

Hopefully we can revive some great memories!

 

[Sleeperman]

Hi I was a member of LLS from 1979 and have lists of locos seen on the tours. Sorry but did not bother with units in them days! I have some photos taken on the tours. I did all the tours in 1979/80 and certain ones later on. Do you remember the disaster tour of the South East? I can email some of the photos if you want, I can be reached at
colin.fort14@btinternet.com or through RailUK
Colin

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Was this the society in the 1980's that used to leave from the entrance near the L and Y map at Manchester Victoria on Friday evenings and have a girl in her mid-20's who worked for National Express, who lived near Whitefield, as a tour leader?

 

[theblackwatch]

Was this the society in the 1980's that used to leave from the entrance near the L and Y map at Manchester Victoria on Friday evenings and have a girl in her mid-20's who worked for National Express, who lived near Whitefield, as a tour leader?

I think you might be referring to a lady called Alison Woodrow (I think that was her name) - she was one of the people who ran the North West branch of RESL. Im pretty sure tshe later jumped ship and was involved in Phoenix Railtours which also ran similar trips.

 

[vectra33]

I never did any of the tours (bit too young at the time) but I was a member of LLS and remember going to railway film shows in bolton central libary,which they organised about once a month in the late 70s.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think you might be referring to a lady called Alison Woodrow (I think that was her name) - she was one of the people who ran the North West branch of RESL. Im pretty sure tshe later jumped ship and was involved in Phoenix Railtours which also ran similar trips.

Yes, this was the young lady in question. I remember that her first name began with "A". There were not many lady tour guides in those days. I did a few trips with the RESL in those far-off days, but I lost all my records of any railway society membershps and the booklets/tickets, when we last moved home.

Back on the subject of the Lancashire Locomotive Society. I remember picking up a coach outside Debenhams in Stockport and going on quite a few trips way back then. It was the mention of "The Witch" that got me thinking that I might have been a member in those days, but only for a short period of time, because business matters and moving home took me to the South of England then.

 

[Wigan Wanderer]

Hi I was a member of LLS from 1979 and have lists of locos seen on the tours. Sorry but did not bother with units in them days! I have some photos taken on the tours. I did all the tours in 1979/80 and certain ones later on. Do you remember the disaster tour of the South East? I can email some of the photos if you want, I can be reached at
colin.fort14@btinternet.com or through RailUK
Colin

Many thanks for your response and offer Colin, much appreciated, I'll respond directly to your email address later. I wasn't on the South East trip but remember reading about it, coach broke down didn't it? I also recall a couple of incidents myself, one when the coach shed a tyre en route to London and we spent most of the night in Oxford bus depot looking round while it was being repaired. Another time, again in London a woman in a mini broadsided the coach and ended up wrapped around some railings, we were delayed about three hours as poice investigated. Yet another puncture this time on an East Anglia trip at Ipswich caused less delay as the wheel was replaced by tour participants in 25 minutes flat. All good fun!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think the "Warcop Wanderer" railtour in 1983 was organised by the Lancashire Locomotive Society.