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Holy grail shots


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Dating some old photos of mine, I looked at the Six Bells Junction site for Mallard on the Northern Rubber Special to Blackpool (30 September 1961). It had the Devon Belle Observation Car on the back and was reportedly banked up Copy Pit by 90348. That would be one for the exhibition 'could never have happened' brigade.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'd like to see a pic of that old line you can see from the Rainford By-Pass and the M58, I think it might be the Victoria Colliery branch. Did it connect to the Rainford-Ormskirk line?

 

Not sure when it closed, I suspect in between the wars maybe.

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Photos of all the steam locos used on the 11th April 1966 Easter Monday Wrexham-New Brighton services - the last occasion when steam was used on those services vice DMUs.

 

Also any photos of steam or diesel-hauled trains on the line--from just north of where the Summers ore trains joined the line near Bidston--through Wallasey to New Brighton in general from November 1965 to June 1969, by then coal traffic ceased on the line and New Brighton started losing its appeal to daytrippers so there were fewer excursions to the resort.

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Photos of all the steam locos used on the 11th April 1966 Easter Monday Wrexham-New Brighton services - the last occasion when steam was used on those services vice DMUs.

 

Also any photos of steam or diesel-hauled trains on the line--from just north of where the Summers ore trains joined the line near Bidston--through Wallasey to New Brighton in general from November 1965 to June 1969, by then New Brighton started losing its appeal to daytrippers so there were fewer excursions to the resort.

 

have you got Steam on the wirral or Wirral steam DVDs?

 

footage of pannier 4683 on this working Im sure its around 1966.

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I own a copy of the Steam on the Wirral video (Merseyside memories, no.7) by Online Video, but even now, I still don't fully know which locos ran on Easter Monday 1966 on Wrexham-New Brighton services. At least two steamers would have been needed to fulfil that day's requirements.

I'm curious as I lived in New Brighton at the time although I was then only a few months old.

 

75012 is shown on the video, it was filmed at Neston but the presenter says it was in 1965.

 

4683 ran on Whit Monday, 7 June 1965 to New Brighton.

 

However, Fairburn 2-6-4T 42086 did run on Easter Monday 1966, but I haven't seen any photos or film footage of its workings on the day.

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Thanks a lot, I've seen the link to 80079 and have ridden behind the actual loco on the Severn Valley Rly.

Bidston was well photographed because of the 9Fs, etc but I'm more interested in the section from Wallasey Village and Wallasey Grove Road to New Brighton end where EMUs and DMUs ruled the roost, where the withdrawal of freight to those stations after Oct./Nov. 1965, meant after then, loco-hauled trains of any sort were few and far between.

 

Having said that. there are two photos in that thread showing excursions to/from New Brighton:

1. D5394 on the Sunday 6th June 1965 Leicester-New Brighton excursion approaching Bidston, where it was exchanged there for Fairburn 2-6-4T 42086 to New Brighton and return;

2. D5007 photographed on the return New Brighton-Rugby excursion approaching Bidston on Sunday 27th June 1965.

Source for gen: Steel wheels to Deeside, by John W. Gahan (Countyvise, 1983)

 

If there are any photos showing loco-hauled trains definitely heading to or from New Brighton that were photographed at Bidston or elsewhere dated after Nov. 1965 when our family moved there, they'll fall into my holy grail shots.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Looking for anything on the Earby Junction to Barnoldswick section, preferably 50's to closing. Anything, especially goods traffic on the line (I know there wasn't much).

 

Steve

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  • 9 months later...

Dating some old photos of mine, I looked at the Six Bells Junction site for Mallard on the Northern Rubber Special to Blackpool (30 September 1961). It had the Devon Belle Observation Car on the back and was reportedly banked up Copy Pit by 90348. That would be one for the exhibition 'could never have happened' brigade.

Ask and your wish will be granted. There is a photograph of 90348 banking the ex-Devon Belle Observation Car up by Cornholme at 13:05 on 30 September 1961 here:

http://www.hall-royd-junction.co.uk/Hall_Royd_Prototype/Northern_Rubber_special_banker.html

A couple of published references suggest that 'Mallard' left the banker behind, but the feathering from the safety valves of the WD and the location seem to suggest that the WD is set to stay the course to the top of the bank.

 

Regards

 

Keith W

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I told myself I wasn't going to get drawn in but Westwood Park box and the Loop behind Wigan - which being a Southport lad I never travelled over - caught my interest.

 

The box had gone and loop was derelict when these were taken...

 

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=3&id=18150&gallery=Railways&offset=580

 

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=3&id=18151&gallery=Railways&offset=580

 

There's also a reference to a video here:

 

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/communicate/mb_message.php?opt=f1&msd=661820&offset=&subject=The%20Pemberton%20Loop%20Line:%20The%20Remains...

 

Shots - 1960s and 1990s - taken at both ends are here:

 

http://www.wiganlive.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1293

 

A picture of the canal but wagons on the loop or a siding off it in the background?

 

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=19098&gallery=Leeds+and+Liverpool+Canal&offset=60

 

Picture of canal bridge on the loop...

 

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=21733&gallery=Lower+Ince&offset=20

 

This site is worth exploring in greater depth as there appear to be a large number of 'local interest' snaps on the site with the loop line lurking in the background, and maybe the way forward would be to see what 'attractions' were close to Westwood Park box and search for images of those features.

 

Cheers

 

Keith W

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  • 9 months later...

Holy grail shots for me are mainly two lines. The GCR from Glazebrook to Wigan Central is documented to a point, but there are large areas where no photo evidence exists.. I'd love to see a complete film of a ride down the line..

 

My other fave is the sorely under photographed Wigan (Boars Head Jct) to Adlington White Bear line. Bits and pieces exist but nothing truly outstanding. Again, for me, film would be the holy grail.. I live 300 yards from the old White Bear station in Adlington ..

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  • 3 weeks later...

Holy grail shots for me are mainly two lines. The GCR from Glazebrook to Wigan Central is documented to a point, but there are large areas where no photo evidence exists.. I'd love to see a complete film of a ride down the line..

 

 

 

Me too, except in my case I would add 'preferably from about 1912'. There are some stations on this line that cry out to be modelled. Why bother with Ashburton when West Leigh and Bedford is so much more interesting? For my era I would need to commission kits for at least two types of outside frame engines - but the private owner wagons of the area would be a fascinating project. It makes me drool just to think of it!

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  • 5 weeks later...

I've just received 20 b & w photos of the Wigan - Glazebrook GCR line taken by late H. C. Casserley - I'm sure most have never been published before. All taken around 1952...

 

And recently won on eBay - a 1964 ticket from Wigan Central to West Leigh & Bedford.

 

Now I need several miles of track, ballast, bridges, thousands of engineering bricks and a few LNER J10 locos with appropriate stock... :)

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  • 3 months later...
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It appears a Standard 4 4-6-0 made its way to New Brighton on Easter Monday 1966, according to this source:

 

http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nw1404d.htm

 

" ... from 4 January 1960 a new modern diesel service was introduced, this was diverted to serve New Brighton instead of Seacombe which was closed. ...

LMS 2-6-4T were apparently used on these trains in the early years, later BR. Class 4 2-6-4T's were used. However these were transferred away by 1965 and Croes Newydd resorted to using Pannier Tanks, as the run round loop at New Brighton was too short for anything longer than a 2-6-4T unless a second locomotive was provided to provide a shunt release. Inevitably some one did send a Standard Class 4 4-6-0 to New Brighton, at the head of a train. This created chaos at New Brighton on Easter Monday 1966 and throughout the electric Mersey railway network as its train had to be propelled to Bidston to enable the locomotive to be released and run round the stock. Croes Newydd sent out another Pannier in the afternoon to prevent chaos occurring. Unbeknown to us of course these were probably the last scheduled passenger trains to be worked by Pannier Tanks anywhere on the national network ..."

 

I wonder if anyone photographed that specific working and the afternoon pannier tank operation in 1966.

 

On the other hand Robin Jones' book "Great Western Railway pannier tanks" extract http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Bol8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT115&lpg=PT115&dq=42086+%22new+brighton%22+1966&source=bl&ots=WvmFAp0rjK&sig=CMZegkV5XI67asZcX8DPtEglvEg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FCnVU7TpH5DB7Ab-54GYBg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=42086%20%22new%20brighton%22%201966&f=false

 

says "The steam-hauled Bank Holiday extra services returned for one last time at Easter 1966, but minus the 57XXs, Fairburn tank No. 42086 from Birkenhead shed was observed on duty."

 

It'll be interesting if photographic or film evidence confirming any or all of these workings exist. They'll be my holy grail shots if they ever turn up.

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  • 1 year later...
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It appears a Standard 4 4-6-0 made its way to New Brighton on Easter Monday 1966, according to this source:

 

http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nw1404d.htm

 

" ... from 4 January 1960 a new modern diesel service was introduced, this was diverted to serve New Brighton instead of Seacombe which was closed. ...

LMS 2-6-4T were apparently used on these trains in the early years, later BR. Class 4 2-6-4T's were used. However these were transferred away by 1965 and Croes Newydd resorted to using Pannier Tanks, as the run round loop at New Brighton was too short for anything longer than a 2-6-4T unless a second locomotive was provided to provide a shunt release. Inevitably some one did send a Standard Class 4 4-6-0 to New Brighton, at the head of a train. This created chaos at New Brighton on Easter Monday 1966 and throughout the electric Mersey railway network as its train had to be propelled to Bidston to enable the locomotive to be released and run round the stock. Croes Newydd sent out another Pannier in the afternoon to prevent chaos occurring. Unbeknown to us of course these were probably the last scheduled passenger trains to be worked by Pannier Tanks anywhere on the national network ..."

 

I wonder if anyone photographed that specific working and the afternoon pannier tank operation in 1966.

 

On the other hand Robin Jones' book "Great Western Railway pannier tanks" extract http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Bol8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT115&lpg=PT115&dq=42086+%22new+brighton%22+1966&source=bl&ots=WvmFAp0rjK&sig=CMZegkV5XI67asZcX8DPtEglvEg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FCnVU7TpH5DB7Ab-54GYBg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=42086%20%22new%20brighton%22%201966&f=false

 

says "The steam-hauled Bank Holiday extra services returned for one last time at Easter 1966, but minus the 57XXs, Fairburn tank No. 42086 from Birkenhead shed was observed on duty."

 

It'll be interesting if photographic or film evidence confirming any or all of these workings exist. They'll be my holy grail shots if they ever turn up.

 

B&R Video Productions' DVD volume 58 "Wirral steam" has shots of New Brighton-Wrexham August 1965 Bank Holiday specials.

 

Today I looked at back issues of the Railway observer, Railway world, Modern railways and Railway magazine - the main contemporary magazines - to unearth any more reports of which locos participated in the Easter Monday 1966 Wrexham-New Brighton steam workings and drew a blank.

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