Girl Guides steam through Rochdale

Date published: 06 September 2009

A special steam train visited Castleton and Rochdale stations on Saturday morning (5 September).

The train, specially hired by the St Helens Girl Guide group and upwards of 250 guides were on board bound for York, passed through Castleton at 11:30 working hard up the gradient towards Rochdale station.

The locomotive Royal Scot 46115, Scots Guardsman, was renamed especially in honour of the movements centenary.

Dozens of spectators and photographers gathered to watch the spectacle, which brought nostalgic memories to those of a certain age and a marvellous sight for those too young to remmeber when steam ruled the rails!

One photographer who had travelled from York to capture the train commented: "The vantage point towards the motorway is the best location for this kind of train with the line curving and the canal in shot."