ELR launches 'Save Oldham Station Canopy' Appeal

More details will be on the ELR website over the next day or so - please support us if you possibly can. ​

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PRESS RELEASE – IMMEDIATE​

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Emergency appeal launched to save Oldham’s historic station canopy from demolition​

In October 2009, the Oldham Loop line between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale was closed to allow the route to be converted for use as part of the Manchester Metrolink tram network.

Following behind-the-scenes negotiations the East Lancashire Railway has been offered the opportunity to purchase the large surviving Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway canopy currently standing at Oldham Mumps station and which is due to be demolished in the next few weeks. However, time is against us and we need to raise funds to secure the Oldham Mumps station canopy for the benefit of future generations at stations on the nearby Heywood to Rawtenstall railway line, which is operated by the ELR.

As such, we need to raise £50,000 urgently to fund the purchase and to transport the canopy to Bury. We are also attempting to source some external funding towards this project, but we need as much financial support as possible towards the project. By purchasing the canopy we will be able to safeguard the structure and ensure it is taken down sympathetically by the contractors who are working on the conversion of the Oldham Loop line for Metrolink. We cannot stress enough just how important the acquisition of this structure could be for the ELR and our stations in future years – the component parts along with existing canopy components already on site would allow us to provide canopies at all of our staffed stations – and should we be unsuccessful in our fundraising efforts this historic remnant of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway will be lost forever.

We are urgently seeking donations or firm offers of interest-free loans towards this project, but we are urging supporters to act fast, as time for this appeal to be successful is short and the canopy could be demolished within a few weeks should we not be able to raise the necessary funds to secure its future. Details of how people can help are available on request from the ELR and on our website at www.east-lancs-rly.co.uk.

The ‘Save OIdham’s Station Canopy’ appeal is being managed by the East Lancashire Railway Holdings Company Limited, which is a registered charity working to support the development and heritage of the East Lancashire Railway.

ELR General Manager Andy Coward said: “This is probably our final chance to purchase such a large station canopy which is architecturally similar to structures which were on our line between Heywood and Rawtenstall. We realise that in the current economic climate it is probably the wrong time to launch a major fundraising appeal, but we only have a very short time to raise the funds required to secure the canopy, otherwise is will be demolished and the opportunity to save it will have been lost. Any offers of support are very much welcomed and hopefully we can save this historic piece of Oldham’s railway infrastructure from the wrecking ball.”

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Aren't ELR working infrastructure trains for Manchester Metro link?. Could METROLINK & ELR possibly come to some "arrangement" with the canopy, or is the canopy still owned by BRB (Residuary)?

Would be a real shame to see it go to waste


JIM

 

About half way down this page are a dozen pictures of Oldham Mumps's station.. do a search for "A quick look at Oldham Mumps station." in this page...

http://bevanprice.me.uk/Oldham_P3.htm

and here is an example of Ramsbottom's station canopy and what the ELR could do with it

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/913636

Would the ELR be able to obtain those LMS yellow brick rooms and LMS railings as well or just the canopy ?

 

The Oldham Loop was owned by Network Rail and nothing to do with BRB Residuary

presumably it has been transferred freehold into the hands of GMITA

 

Thanks for the comment guys. Frank is right that the stations on the route are owned by GMPTE/GMITA and are nothing to do with BRB and we are working with them to secure the canopy. The main problem is that from a contractors point of view it is easier to just demolish it, but to dismantle it in a way that will allow it to be reused will take much longer and therefore costs more. We are hopeful the our friends at Metrolink/GMPTE/GMITA will be able to assist us in some way to secure the canopy, but it is so large it is going to be an expensive project.
However, as has been pointed out, it is similar in design to the canopy recently installed at Ramsbottom and it is our intention to eventually install canopies at Rawtenstall, Platform 1 at Ramsbottom, Platform 2 at Bury Bolton Street station (alongside the pub) and also possibly extend the island canopy at Bury Bolton Street station. We already have a number of canopy components in stock towards this aim but nowhere near enough to do everything we would like to do - Oldham would go a long way to us having sufficient components to provide the facilities we aim to provide for our passengers in the medium term.

 

Thats a fabulous canopy if they can get it. Its so big it could easily be used for more than one station as you suggest.

 

PRESS RELEASE – IMMEDIATE​

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Oldham Canopy appeal receives a massive boost​

Works are well underway to convert the Oldham Loop for Metrolink services to Rochdale. Earlier this month, the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) launched an emergency fundraising appeal to save the sizeable remaining portion of the historic Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway canopy from Oldham Mumps station, which is due to be demolished in early March.

Following meetings with M-Pact Thales, the contractors dealing with the conversion, Stagecoach Metrolink and Councillor Keith Whitmore, the Chair of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority, agreement has been reached for the ELR to purchase the canopy at a greatly reduced price, with some of the costs of dismantling the structure being met by the contractors as a gesture of their goodwill towards allowing us to secure this important part of Oldham’s railway history.

Arrangements are now being made for the canopy to be carefully dismantled and transported to Bury. Once the necessary funds have been raised to cover the purchase of the canopy, the ‘Save Oldham’s Station Canopy’ appeal will remain open to allow us to raise the funds to allow restoration of the structure and re-erection of part of it on Platform 2 at Bury Bolton Street station, helping to improve the facilities that the ELR is able to offer to our passengers and visitors.

The ELR has a long stated aim of providing canopies at all of our staffed stations and with a number of canopy components already in stock, the purchase of Oldham’s canopy should hopefully allow us to fulfil this ambition in the future. We believe that the acquisition of Oldham’s canopy is probably the last opportunity we will have to purchase such a structure which is architecturally similar to canopies which used to stand on our route between Heywood and Rawtenstall, but which have long since been demolished.

The ELR is still urgently seeking donations or firm offers of interest-free loans towards this project. Details of how people can help are available on request from the ELR and on our website at www.east-lancs-rly.co.uk. Support to the appeal has already come from a number of individuals, as well as members of our supporting East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed to the appeal so far.

The ‘Save OIdham’s Station Canopy’ appeal is being managed by the East Lancashire Railway Holdings Company Limited, which is a registered charity working to support the development and heritage of the East Lancashire Railway.

ELR General Manager Andy Coward said: “We are delighted and extremely grateful to GMITA, Stagecoach Metrolink and M-Pact Thales for all their assistance in helping us to secure the canopy and the reduction in the cost of securing it will greatly aid us in raising the cost of purchase and transporting it back to our premises in Bury. We are hopeful that it won’t be too long before we can start putting it back up”

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Excellent news, well done and look forward to seeing the results in the future.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8530283.stm

excellent news