20/10/2026
- ‘Barclay Beginnings’
Whilst at the East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Autumn Steam Gala’ last weekend, I visited Bury Transport Museum for the first time. Amongst the plethora of cars, buses and traction engines on display inside the former Castlecroft Goods Warehouse, a small blue saddle tank engine caught my eye.
No.1 was built by Andrew Barclay in 1927 for the Burnley Corporation Gas Department, as a shunter at their Oswald Street works. Absorbed into the North West Gas Board in 1949, by the late sixties, she was believed to be one of the last industrial steam locomotives still working in Lancashire. This made her an easy target for the fledgling East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society, who purchased her in 1970 as their first engine.
Originally based at Helmshore before relocating to Bury, No.1 ran the bulk of early services for the society, consisting mainly of brake van rides along a short stretch of track from Castlecroft Yard. When the line reopened to Ramsbottom in 1987, the Barclay was relegated to permanent-way duties, including hauling the first works train into Rawtenstall two years later. However, as the railway rapidly expanded, No.1 simply became too small to meet its needs.
However, that doesn’t mean she was forgotten about. When Bury Transport Museum was revitalised in 2010, BCGD No.1 received pride of place on display, surrounded by artefacts from across the region of Greater Manchester. So, next time you find yourself at the ‘Lancs’, why not pop into the museum and spend some time with No.1? Remember, even the biggest heritage railways come from very humble beginnings.
East Lancashire Railway
