The 8D Association is dedicated to promoting the history of the railways of South Lancashire, Merseyside and North Cheshire.

The Association is open to anybody who has an interest in the area and covers lines within a ten mile radius of the former Widnes Locomotive Depot (8D).

The aim of the ‘8D Association’ is to promote the study and research of the railways of South Lancashire, Merseyside and North Cheshire in particular the railway lines that lay within a ten mile radius of the Widnes Motive Power Depot (8D). To develop an archive of documents and photographs related to the lines as well as undertake educational activities such as walks and talks. Also to publish booklets, maintain a website and encourage the installation of memorial and interpretative plaques. The 8D Association also produces a quarterly journal ‘On Shed’ to be distributed amongst the membership. 

An image taken in May 1963 of Widnes (8D) shed with a visit of a Hughes Fowler 2-6-0 ‘Crab’, No 42878(?) which was allocated to Aintree (27B/8L) at the time. In the shed is an unknown 2-8-0 ‘8F’ along what seems to be two Class 08 shunters, likely to be D3793 and D3794 which were allocated to the shed at this time. 

Photographer: John Cashen (8D Collection).

Updates and Developments

Welcome to the “8D Association” website .

The ‘Events’ page was updated on 6th December 2023.

‘Widnes Loco Shed 8D’ page was previously updated with locomotive allocations in January 2023.

In the meantime, if you see any errors or have updated information on the subjects on the website, please do not hesitate to contact the Association with the amendments.

A new Flickr image site has now been opened to allow the Association to show off many railway images from its collection to the wider world. This Flickr image site is in addition to this website. Images will feature steam, diesel, electric locomotives, multiple units from various locations in and around Merseyside and Cheshire. Many of these images have been obtained from various sources, including member own collections, as well as ‘unknown photographers’.

8D Association Photographic Collection

Please Note; ALL photographs contained within this site are subject to Copyright and the holders permission must be sought before they are reproduced in any format.

Certain photographs contained within this site are credited to an individuals collection and have sometimes been purchased on the open market, without an original photographers credit. All credited photographs have been used with permission. If, through no fault of our own, photographs or images have been used without due credit or acknowledgement, then apologies are offered. If anyone believes this to be the case, then please let us know and the necessary credit will be added at the earliest opportunity.

Please e-mail any concerns to ‘8d.association at gmail.com’