Thompson Park Miniature Railway, Burnley, Lancashire UK

March 2025 Newsletter

Narrative by Bret Harrison, Track Maintenance Dept.

So here we go again with our regular monthly newsletter where I describe our activities in the last month. We have been very busy as we ready our Railway for the new season commencing this month.

              The month has coincided with our introduction into service of GP 40 no. 6659 in her new livery of Canadian Pacific red.  Canadian Pacific have undergone changes recently merging with a US railroad Kansas City Southern and the loco livery has changed a little but we opted to stay with the original livery which is an easier one to replicate. The paintwork has been professionally carried out over the winter and whilst the body was away at the painters we had the opportunity to completely restore and clean the chassis which has been completely dismantled, stripped off all the old paint, which was quite a lot, the locomotive having seen a lot of service in its 30 year life so far and new paint applied, then a rebuild. Regular readers may remember we did fit a new Honda engine to the loco in the summer last year and I think we can now call the loco a new 30-year-old one!!! She should now give many more year’s service. Special mention should be given to the members who have been involved in the rebuild, you know who you are.!  

       The CP as she now seems to be called is pictured alongside our other GP 40 in Union Pacific livery no. 6602 will probably be scheduled for a rebuild next winter and will also receive a new Honda engine, but she will remain in UP livery. 6602 has received attention to spruce her up for the season pending her rebuild. We do need both these engines in service for the present season. 

A new sign has been created displaying towards the carpark directing people to the station. It was felt necessary to help visitors with directions

As part of our preparations for the new season all our coaching stock fleet has been thoroughly serviced, the airbrakes checked, and all 8 coaches have been repainted. The following picture depicts them all together around the turntable. In addition to these 8 coaches, we have an articulated set of coaches and and two covered coaches which are deployed behind the steam locomotives in service. Our accessible coach is also ready for use parked in the station, this coach can carry a wheelchair and two passengers or a family group with a removable seat in the middle when in wheelchair mode. We also have a 3 car electrically powered railcar.

We have actually started our seasons running on the weekend of March 22/23 but unfortunately the weather was not too kind, but I have included pictures of that running weekend Our accessible coach can be seen in the foreground of one of the pictures while the railcar and articulated set are also in the picture.

    We have also made a start on changing one of our garden arrangements near the sheds as we have conceded victory to the rabbits, which eat the plants we put in faster than we can put them in!   It is being changed into a chipped area with large pots which the rabbits seem unable to attack but more on this next month when it will be complete.

As I write this, we are heading for a mammoth period of running as we approach Easter with mid week running and Bank Holiday running so hopefully, we will be mega busy.  Do visit and enjoy our very popular little railway. We will be giving cream eggs out to our younger riders on Easter Sunday

 Happy Easter.!!!