Jump to content
 

APOLLO's GRAND DAYS OUT


Recommended Posts

Cracking set of shots from a time when I thought that Yorkshire was a foreign country.  Now I know better.  It seems hard to believe that virtually all that is in those photos has disappeared, not just the locos but the surroundings as well.  At least the bridge and part of the platform is still at Normanton!  Even the cooling towers at Wakey have gone.

 

Now that was spectacular!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Hi Brit15

 

Just thought I would visit your post, as you were More than kind to help me with mine. Can I just say what a Spectacular collection of photos .. taken with such fondness for the railway and quite an eye for details. My favourites are the pictures taken inside the depot/shed .. Very nostalgic, Thank You :thankyou: 

 

Kind Regards

Dan  

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Thank you for sharing such evocative photos. This thread is such a great inspiration for modelling, and also a wonderful record of railways at the end of the 60's.

The photo of the engineers train pulled by a Black 5 is an especially good reference, there seem to be so few photos of engineers trains from this period.

Thanks again.

Jamie

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • 5 months later...

I live about a mile from there, having moved to Abram during 1977. Steam was still in regular use every Thursday as that was maintenance day for the diesel which normally worked the line. There were two diesels, but to my knowledge one of them never worked while there.

 

You wouldn't recognise any of it now. The track remained in place for many years after the colliery closed, but now all is gone and it's beautifully landscaped.

 

Thanks, Apollo.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

How I wish I could have seen this in it's heyday!

I moved oop north only ten years ago and it's been abandoned or landscaped for all that time but the few videos I've seen (and great photos like above) convince me I missed something great.

My mate tells me about the miners strike when they 'borrowed' one of those diesels, sounds great fun.

Oh, for a time machine!

John.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Thanks, brings back memories.

When I was about 12, a couple of freinds and I were invited to footplate Hurricane, up to Abram exchange sidings, and back.

It must have made an impression, as I am now building a layout based round the colliery.

I just need Dave Jones to deliver a model (or two) of Hurricane.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

I've not posted anything here for a while.

 

I've decided to create a Flickr account and will upload my photos to the photostream and put them as groups into albums as I have filed them on my computer.

 

The album link is here  https://www.flickr.com/photos/136789710@N03/albums

 

There are only two 1960's Wigan Springs Branch albums in at the moment. As more are added (soon) I will post a quick note here. I haven't the time or inclination (or in many cases the memory !!) to add descriptions. 

 

I have decided to go down this route for several reasons.

 

1. Time - Quicker for me to add an album to Flickr than to pick certain photos / resize / download to here.

2. Completeness - I'll download everything to Flickr, warts and all - someone might be interested !!

3. Viewers can see all my photo's and not just a selected few that I post here.

4. Time marches on for us all. I don't want my photos to be lost forever one day

5. Copyright etc. Not an issue for me, though I understand I own the copyright, Download them as you like for your personal use, put them in your posts on rmweb if you like. If anyone wishes to use them commercially please contact me, and acknowledge me (Mr R L Hall) as the photographer / owner.

 

I want my collections to be available to all enthusiasts. They will only disappear when eventually I am gone (in a long time with a bit of luck !!!). I've left the settings so anyone can download to their own computer. The more the merrier !!!!

 

If anyone wants any further info about a particular picture then post it here and I'll answer as best I can. I'll do all my black and white 60's & 70's stuff over the coming months. I have quite a bit of colour 1980's stuff also. I'll have to scan the negs / images so that stuff will be quite a while.

 

Brit15 

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Apollo, those are absolutely wonderful! A very neglected area of Britain, but you've done your but to correct that.

 

I am, for obvious reasons, particularly interested in the four of Stanier Crabs. If this is 1967these are of 2954 and 2968, the only two in existence by that time. 2013-01-08-22-26-28 is clearly 2954, as is 2013-01-08-22-19-47 (tyres are too thick for 2968), but 2013-01-08-22-25-11 and 2013-01-08-22-24-41 appear to be 2968, probably with Ivatt 2 6447 ahead of her. This pair was delivered to Barry in that order.

 

A long shot, I know, but is there any chance you could confirm the above? And now the real biggie: do you have any idea of the date. I admit that I didn't take dates at that period so don't expect too much here, but it's worth a try!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Apollo, those are absolutely wonderful! A very neglected area of Britain, but you've done your but to correct that.

 

I am, for obvious reasons, particularly interested in the four of Stanier Crabs. If this is 1967these are of 2954 and 2968, the only two in existence by that time. 2013-01-08-22-26-28 is clearly 2954, as is 2013-01-08-22-19-47 (tyres are too thick for 2968), but 2013-01-08-22-25-11 and 2013-01-08-22-24-41 appear to be 2968, probably with Ivatt 2 6447 ahead of her. This pair was delivered to Barry in that order.

 

A long shot, I know, but is there any chance you could confirm the above? And now the real biggie: do you have any idea of the date. I admit that I didn't take dates at that period so don't expect too much here, but it's worth a try!

 

Sorry LMSR2968, such a long time ago no idea now. 1966 / 7 is the best I can do. Unfortunately my trainspotting logs are long gone, working of either memory or my trip by train log book, which is no help here (I lived 1 mile from Springs Branch and walked).

 

Brit15

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks, brings back memories.

When I was about 12, a couple of freinds and I were invited to footplate Hurricane, up to Abram exchange sidings, and back.

It must have made an impression, as I am now building a layout based round the colliery.

I just need Dave Jones to deliver a model (or two) of Hurricane.

You're aware of this model, Hattons Ltd. Editon?

 

http://www.hattons.co.uk/94064/DJ_Models_Dave_Jones_J9405_Austerity_0_6_0ST_Hurricane_in_NCB_Bickershaw_Colliery_lined_green_lightly_weat/StockDetail.aspx

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just browsing your Flickr pics and found some of a Brush 4 I'm modelling:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136789710@N03/32183467343/in/album-72157678692034961/

 

I believe the painted shedcode to be 41A, is it better visible on the original please?

 

Rgds

 

Edit; corrects autocorrected 'shedcode' Grrr!

Edited by leopardml2341
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...