Whittingham Hospital Railway

was a private light railway operated by Lancashire County Council to serve Whittingham lunatic asylum.

In 1884, the significant costs of this operation prompted the authorities to consider building a railway between the hospital and the village of Grimsargh 2 miles (3.2 km) to the southeast.

A four-man committee made its first report in August, 1884 when it estimated the cost of the 2,863-yard (2,618 m) line at £12,000 giving an annual saving of £1,050 over road haulage but this assumed that the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and London and North Western Railway – joint owners of the Longridge branch line – would work the service.

Strong opposition from local land owners and a lack of support from the hospital's own Finance & General Committee stalled the project.

Prolonged financial negotiations with reluctant land-owners saw two years pass before the final plot of land for the line was acquired.

[5] Finally in March 1889, the contractor reported that the permanent way was ready, but the Tramway Committee had to ask for a further £5,000 to complete the works plus purchase a locomotive and two goods vans.

[5] At £14,000, the construction price was not overly expensive for its day, comprising a deep cutting about a half mile (800 m) in length and an embankment in similar proportion.

[8] The line then climbed on a gradient of 1:120 to the hospital grounds passing over a small accommodation bridge before entering Whittingham station.

[11] With the closure of the Longridge branch to passengers in 1930, the hospital trains were retimed to connect with the local bus service from Preston.

On a single short platform, the station building comprised an open fronted shed of brick and wood with an overall roof and canopy.

[16] The station at Whittingham Hospital was of brick and corrugated iron construction which sported an overall glass roof above its single wooden platform and track.

1 just following the Second World War, new steam locomotives were only available on four year lead times, therefore a second-hand engine was acquired in 1947 from the Southern Railway at a cost of £750.

This was a William Stroudley 0-4-2 D1 Tank and was named James Fryers in honour of the Chairman of the Hospital Management Committee.

[13] Serious boiler defects in 1956 curtailed its working career and the engine met the scrap-man that year when it proved beyond economic repair.

[21] A further locomotive was thus required and a 100 hp (75 kW) Sentinel shunter, named Gradwell, was acquired from Bolton gas works.