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.

In addition to serving the needs of the asylum's visitors and staff, the trains were available to any member of the public and were free of charge to all users.

[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.

[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.