Riley Relocation Statement - ELR

PRESS STATEMENT

Tear Down the Wall!

Germany’s Berlin Wall came down in in 1989. The East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Berlin Wall’ is coming down on New Year’s Day 2016!!

Constructed in 1995, the ELR’s wooden ‘Berlin Wall’ was erected in the Locomotive Works building at Bury to segregate Riley & Son’s flourishing loco engineering business from the railway’s steam loco running and maintenance facility however, the ceremonial tearing down of the wall at the beginning of 2016 will herald a new era for both the ELR and Riley & Son.

Ian Riley, Managing Director of Riley & Son commented “The scope of our business activity has meant we have now outgrown the facilities available to us in the ELR’s Loco Works and we have been looking for alternative premises for some time now. We will be re-locating to new premises close by in Heywood and this will allow us to establish a ‘fit for purpose’ and modern engineering works. These new arrangements are going to mean huge improvements in working conditions for our staff and a massive improvement in the services we can deliver to our customers. The only thing we will be lacking is a rail connection but in the short term, thanks to a kind offer from the ELR, we will continue to operate and maintain our operational steam loco fleet at Bury. In the meantime we are pursuing opportunities to establish a modern, purpose built works with rail access that will allow us to consolidate all of our activities on one site.”

Andy Morris, the ELR’s General Manager remarked, “The news of Riley & Son’s vacation of the Loco Works has been universally welcomed by the ELR as it now means we can proceed with our plans to seek funding for major renovation work on our prestigious building, which is arguably the oldest standard gauge locomotive works in the world still used for its original purpose. This will then allow us to establish our own universal steam and diesel traction engineering capability, develop our skilled workforce and offer further apprenticeship opportunities for local youngsters. The scope of works we want to undertake in future has not been possible previously due to having to share the building. And we’re pleased that Ian and his colleagues will be maintaining some presence on-site for some time to come as both organisations can benefit going forward from a continuing, productive and cordial working relationship.”

Plans are already well underway for a multi-million pound bid for the refurbishment of the Loco Works building roof and provision of improved working and visitor facilities on the Baron Street site. Work will commence very early in the New Year in establishing a comprehensive locomotive engineering capability in the 170 year old building that will help sustain the ELR’s reputation as the North West’s premier heritage railway.

 

Kind of suggests that the new site doesn't have a rail connection now but could have one in the future. New connections to Network rail can be complicated and expensive. A new connection to the ELR at or beyond Heywood station perhaps easier to achieve. Good luck and best wishes to both parties.

 

Alternatively it could suggest a further move in the future!

 

Sincerely hope both businesses realise their ambitions and prosper. A loco works in both Bury and soon Rochdale will be incredible.

 

Where's the new site or is that not known?

 

I think that goes without saying, Ian of course will have his own business needs to think of, my only concern is that the ELR works does not become a competitor to his core business, there may be cases of where co operation between both can be very useful and a working relationship is going to be needed if ELR metals are needed for testing engines .

 

There are a number of photos of the new works on Ian Riley's "works" site, a quick look on google earth shows that it is not too far away from the ELR

 

Alongside Heywood station.

 

Alongside the station but with a road separating them. A rail connection might not be possible. Shame, if that is the case.

 

Different business model? The locos are still going to be maintained at Bury according to the statement. How much of the external work needs to come in by rail?

 

Do you have a link? I can't seem to find the photos referred to. If it is the premises that I have in mind, then there is not only a road in the way, but also an elevation difference.

 

Look at Ian Riley's "The works" forum the from the works section. I do not know if you need to be signed in to view

 

Then google the name on the end of the shed and you should get a Streetview location.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.5...K7gG-kTEu4JQTCc9dA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

 

Thanks both. Looks like Sefton Street. Google maps https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.5880935,-2.2065571,17z

It's been a few years but, fairly regularly, on a Saturday afternoon/evening, I would have a collection from what is now shown as 'Expert Logistics'. Then it was Corby Chilled Distribution and then, latterly, Stobart's. Either through the Station, when open, or via Sefton Road, there was a pleasant walk to a Chinese Take-Away on Manchester Road.

It's not exactly an easy place to get to as, after leaving the M62, Jn 19, part way along Middleton Road there is a weight limit and larger vehicles need to go via Coronation Avenue, which is [unexpectedly] wide. Turning right onto Manchester Road isn't normally a problem but the right turn into Green Lane can be a bit 'tight'.

If there were to be a rail link into the premises then I would expect it to be towards the East. It's not as though Sefton Street sees a lot of traffic, either vehicular or on foot.

 

Perhaps. If you are only wanting a workshops facility, then fine. However, if you are going to work on locos and other stock it soon becomes a pain having to load/offload. Having two sites also involves more management and a split workforce. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

That's not quite what the statement says -

To me, that means that the operational locos will move to the new base as soon as technically possible.

Keith

 

No disagreement with your interpretation Keith so its just a matter of time before a rail link to the new base is established. Quite obviously that will be important for the operational fleet in the long term. I have no idea whether this will be technically possible, others have suggested in this thread it may not be easy to accomplish.
My comment was purely about the short term, which is all that has been announced so far.
As far as external work goes, the rail link is less critical because the nature of the work is commonly in component form.

 

Unless its co incidental,Why choose premises next to a Railway line unless a possible rail connection isn't feasible both physically and bureaucratically ?
Agreed that regardless of how quiet the little lane it crosses is - a formal level crossing would have to be installed (which is Potentially doing the ELR a favour)
and agreement with the owners of the track ( is it ELR or is it NR) would have to be reached.
But unless the whole line eastwards to the Junction is restored to good order ( which is a long term goal of the ELR in any case) in coming rail traffic would be by courtesy of ELR metals... but theres no evidence of any acrimony between the two parties anyway.
The train that eventually brings the contents of 'the waiting room' over would be an interesting sight