Preserving the transport heritage of Workington and the surrounding area

Boxing Day free buses

After a gap of several years, we came back in 2023 with an hourly free service using three of our heritage buses running hourly from Whitehaven to St Bees reliving the Cumberland Motor Services route 20.

National KHH 378W leads Volvo 10 K779 DAO and M.A.N. X805 SRM in Lowther Street, Whitehaven

Leyland National 52

After 2 successful events, we are doing it yet again! LN52 will be on May Day bank holiday weekend Sat/Sun 4/5th May 2024. Booking form here as a word doc or here as a pdf.  Contact mike.morton22@icloud.com if you are interested in joining us at Whitehaven harbour.

Allerdale and Lakeland Lottery

This lottery gives players the chance to win up to £25,000, with smaller prizes also available. There is a 1 in 50 chance of a win.

Nominate WTHT as your chosen charity and we get a percentage of your ticket price.  Please take a look at http://allerdalelottery.com

WTHT background

Since its formation in 1997, the Trust and its members have developed their collection of locally important buses, fire appliances and other vehicles. Currently housed at two sites, these are used at a variety of community events.

We have buses that were built by Leyland in Workington or operated by Cumberland Motor Services and Stagecoach. We give a home to fire appliances, large and small, with local connections.

We normally attend a number of local events and open days. Our vehicles attend local rallies and shows including those at Distington, Cockermouth, Keswick, Silloth and Carlisle.

Some of our vehicles are maintained to Class 6 MoT standards and are used on day trips & rail replacement; they are also available for hire locally.

Join Us

We have volunteering opportunities in all aspects of restoring, maintaining and driving vehicles. Also in buildings and site maintenance, cataloguing & running our archive, producing educational materials, running trips and events, staffing our shop at Workington railway station, and fundraising.

If you are interested in getting involved, please feel free to contact us or download the Membership Application.

Subscriptions run from 1st April to 31st March, but anyone joining in January, February or March has their membership extended until April of the following year.

Rates are:

Adults from 1st April 2024: £15, Unwaged £10, Family £20

Our 28 page quarterly newsletter Wheels and Tracks  is published in January, April, July and October.

2024 anniversaries

  • It was 45 years ago on 1st April 1979 that our ex Cumberland National Mk 1 CHH 210T was first registered.
  • It is 35 years since our Lynx F251 JRM was registered on 1st June 1989. It is currently undergoing major body frame rebuilding.
  • On 1st April 2024, we celebrate 20 years of WTHT as a charity and limited company. The previous body was Workington Transport Heritage Centre.
  • 15 years ago in 2009, Workington suffered devastating floods which damaged or destroyed the town’s road bridges. For Boxing Day free buses we provided 2 vehicles on a cross-river services to link Maryport to Harrington.
  • 10 years ago, we ran 3 buses on Boxing Day linking Maryport to Whitehaven hospital, plus a Workington town service.