This thread prompted me to throw this one out for discussion.
Everything I’ve seen indicates that services were withdrawn in 1975 and reinstated in 1987. A couple of pictures have popped up on
Railcar showing scheduled services operating between those dates, the liveries supporting that. There’s nothing on Six Bells suggesting any tours running there in that period. Did some sort of service operate, contrary to the info out there?
I'd question the dates given for those photos, the documentation of them is very tenuous. To me the photos seem more likely to be post-1987.
Rail passenger services at Heysham ended with the withdrawal of the Belfast passenger services in 1975. Manx Line didn't start services to Douglas until 1978 and there was no reinstatement of rail services, even after Manx Line went bust and was rescued by Sealink (Sealink owning the harbour). Later Sealink became part of Sea Containers, which amalgamated Sealink-Manx Line with the Isle-of-Man Steam Packet around 1985. That amalgamation resulted in the cessation of regular Liverpool sailings to the island. In an attempt to improve connections the "new" combined Steam Packet (possibly with finance from Sea Containers) paid a substantial sum to BR to "upgrade" the signalling on the Heysham branch - which was claimed in the local press at the time to be unsafe for passenger use. Trains to the harbour then restarted in 1987. The press reports were quite specific as to how long the service gap had been.
Unfortunately there's little in the photos to date them, as the stretch of dual track they're on was the last bit to get singled, in 1994. The white/silver roofs on some of the DMU cars certainly indicate a later, rather than earlier date. Also in one photo the headboard reads Preston, which matches the post-1987 service pattern.
for anyone interested these are the relevant photos. Three images all with the same 8-car set, first two at Heysham Moss, third at the harbour. The third photo does have a purported date and headcode, can anyone look that up?
The history of Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs / railcars) in Britain.
railcar.co.uk
Original photographer unknown.
www.flickr.com
Class 104, 105 and 108 DMUs M50468+50499 & M50531+59178+50944 & M50761+59207+50794 make up the 8 car 1P90 12:15 Heysham Harbour-Accrington relief, seen here at Heysham awaiting customers arriving on the Isle of Man ship on 5th July 1981.
www.flickr.com
