workington transport heritage trust
Workington
Steelworking still has a presence in Workington in the shape of the TSP heavy
engineering works. The last part of the main steelworks disappeared in 2005 with
the closure of the rail mil and long welded rail plant. Rails had been made in
Workington and exported over the world for 128 years. Leyland established its
national factory in 1971 at nearby Lillyhall. Over a life of less than a quarter
of a century the factory despatched thousands of Nationals, Lynxes, Olympians,
Titans and rail buses. As well as being bus (and rail) enthusiasts, we want to
mark the unique contribution of the town to the country’s economic and cultural
development. WTHT (Workington Transport Heritage Trust) Our vehicles include a
number of buses, fire engines and other vehicles some of which are used in
community events. Volunteers are engaged in restoring, maintaining and operating
these historic vehicles. We have an extensive archive of local bus and rail
material. This includes posters, signs, publicity materials, books, magazines,
drawings, photographs, and petrol pumps. Our shop at Workington railway station
sells hot & cold drinks, snacks, souvenirs, WTHT branded items and second hand
books. It is by the main waiting room and, in normal times, it is open Mon to
Saturday from 9am to 2pm, closed on bank holidays. All hours are subject to
volunteer availability. Using our heritage buses, we usually run local free bus
services on Boxing Day, plus park and ride services at a number of local shows.
Our premises are home to around 16 of our own vehicles plus 11 privately owned
guest vehicles. Not all of these are currently fit for the road. We work with
groups which include Cumbria Omnibus Group, The 550 Group, Barrow Transport
Group, Carlisle Bus Group, and a number of individual owners. We have two sites
only one of which has a building – but we are working on curing this fault! We
are grateful for the support of our members, and local businesses including
Stagecoach North West and Northern Rail. 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, and fundraising.
