Steamport Southport

[robertclark125]

As a young boy, in 1988, I remember reading about an attraction at Southport called "Steamport". In 2007, when I was in Southport, I visited a retail park near Southport station, built on the site of a former railway terminus. I do know that Steamport no longer exists. Was this retail park Steamport? If not, where was it? And also, what happened to Steamport and its exhibits after closure?

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

In 1999 it was decided that alot of the stock from Steamport, Southport would be retained and moved to what is now the 'Ribble Steam Railway' on Preston Docks - a short stretch of track running along the docks and linking up with the west coast main south of Preston station. Interstingly the line is not exclusiveley a heritage run operation - it is still used as a freight route because of the nearby bitumin plant. The RSR is responsible for shunting the wagons which are delivered/picked up by (usually) by an EWS freight locomotive.

The heritage line runs from Preston Riverside to Strand Crossing, and although only being a short running line (1 mile here-say), has a decent amount of operational locomotives and museum exhibits.

 

[thelem]

Are you saying the wagons are pulled by steam, or just that The RSR must give permission for EWS to use the line?

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

The bitumin wagons are shunted from the bitumin plant at the top of the line down to the bottom of the line (Strand Road crossing) using a sentinel shunter owned by the RSR. Then an EWS locomotive will deliver/take-away the wagons.

 

[Csalem]

I was in Southport a few years ago. 1991 I think it was. We visited Steamport and my two memories of the place was a brake van ride on a short stretch of track, and Cherry Coke and Cherry Sprite!

Also when I was there, the green weedkiller train hauled by the Hunslet Barclay 20s spent a few days in Southport.