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May 1980 was the 150th anniversary of the original Rainhill Trials which was won by the "Rocket". In May 1980 British Rail re-enacted these trials on the same stretch of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway. Western Courier was a diesel hydraulic from the Western Region of BR.

May 1980 was the 150th anniversary of the original Rainhill Trials which was won by the "Rocket". In May 1980 British Rail re-enacted these trials on the same stretch of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway. 25298 was a BR built mixed traffic loco with a Sulzer engine, seen here demonstrating the latest car transporter.

May 1980 was the 150th anniversary of the original Rainhill Trials which was won by the "Rocket". In May 1980 British Rail re-enacted these trials on the same stretch of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway. Deltic 55015 "Tulyar" hauls 86214 (the modern day "Sans Pareil") past the crowds. The Deltics were diesel electrics built by English Electric at their Vulcan Works in Newton-Le-Willows, just up the line from here. They were introduced in 1961 and worked on the East Coast Mainline until 2 January 1982.

No 600 of the Longmoor Military Railway, built in 1943. It has carried the name 'Gordon'.

Designed by Webb of the London and North Western Railway, this is No 790, 'Hardwicke', one of some 166 of these express passenger engines built between 1874 and 1882. These engines were known as the 'Precedent' class.

The 'Spinners' were 4-2-2 passenger engines, officially known as '115' Class. Designed by Johnson, some 95 of these engines were built between 1887 and 1900. This engine was number 673.

The design for this locomotive originated with Fowler on the Midland Railway in 1911, and over the next thirty years, and extending well into LMS days, no fewer than 775 examples were built, making it the most numerous class ever built in Britain. There are four survivors, this one being LMS No 4027, later BR No 44027, built in 1924 at Derby works.

Ubiquitous on the London and North Western Railway were these neat 0-6-2T of which some 300 were built between 1891 and 1896. This is No 1054, which became LMS No 7799 and BR No 58926.

'Lion' was one of four locomotives built in 1838-9 for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and is the sole survivor of the four. Film fans may remember it as the star of the film 'The Titfield Thunderbolt'

One of some 391 locomotives to this design built for the Ministry of Supply and War Department from 1943-1953. This one was WD No 75091 'Robert', later bought by the National Coal Board and renumbered 7. A very large number of these lcomotives survive at various locations.