CorusRail 125

On 14th September 2002, Corus celebrated 125 years of railmaking in Workington. Most of the previous week was a corporate celebration involving customers, suppliers and company staff invited to view displays, presentations, mill tours, and an exhibition. A large marquee hosted the main exhibiton with displays from Corus, their business partners, service providers and an archive of old photographs and memorabilia. The mill was working late on Tuesday & Thursday and tours were given at these times to invited guests.

At the end of the week. On Saturday 14th September, the site was open to the public for a steam, diesel & bus rally. This included:

• 3 steam locomotives: Ex Midland Railway half-cab 0-6-0T (formerly used at Staveley Iron & Steel Works) :41708, a Peckett 0-4-0ST No 2084 " F.C. Tingey" and a Bagnall 0-4-0ST "Hawarden".
• The operating debut of Haig Colliery Mining museum's Hunslet 0-4-0 diesel shunting locomotive (formerly in use at RNAD Broughton Moor).
• Visiting main line locomotives from EWS & DRS Railway companies. Diesel locomotive classes 20, 37, & 66.
• Celebration of 30 years since the production of Leyland National buses at nearby Lillyhall.
• Lifeboat open day
• Lifting equipment, steam road lorry, narrow gauge locomotive and fairground organ displays.
• A bus and commercial vehicle rally,including some from the Glasgow Bus Museum.
• A free bus service linking car parks, the town bus station and the lifeboat station using a mixture of preserved classic buses and examples of the most modern bus types currently in service.

Photos By: Nigel Wright and Martin Creese.

The Leyland National bus enthusiasts had a great time, the vintage bus enthusiasts, live steam enthusiasts, local people and overseas visitors, and railway enthusiasts. We had 10000 visitors with about 5000 using the free bus services and over 80 arriving by train. 

The event received widespread publicity in the local and national press and on local television. A superbly composed picture of former Midland Railway haf-cab 0-6-0T, 41708 graced the cover of the November 2002 edition of the Railway Magazine with a two page illustrated spread inside Trevor Lodge of the Industrial Railway Society was sure that it would have a positive effect on other Corus plants. Bob Branch, who arranges the visiting steam locomotives would dearly love to stage similar events at other Corus Plants but some simply do not believe it is feasible. This weekend demonstrated otherwise.

Photos by Nigel Wright