PGH's photographs of British Railways from c1960

[PGH]

Just found this thread which doesn't seem to have been added to for a while - Ooh, hang on its mine !  

 

So - Something a little more up to date before more serious stuff:

 

 

45699 GALATEA worked the North Wales Coast Express on Sunday 19th July and seemed to be going well as it passed Mochdre, just west of Colwyn Bay

 

 

 

However a hot box was discovered during the water stop at Llandudno Junction and the loco taken off the train with its support coach

 

 

 

 

47760 which had been attached to the rear was run round to the front of the train

 

 

 

and departed for Holyhead about 30 minutes late

 

 

 

45699 ran round the support coach in the station and later departed for Chester

Edited August 15, 2015 by PGH

[Longdog]

That's some seagull that is! You'd know if that hit you in the face.

[PGH]

Abram was the terminus of a freight only branch to the south east of Wigan which served as the interchange point for NCB traffic from Bickershaw Colliery.  From 1975 to about 1983 it also served the adjacent NCB Opencast Executive's Albert Disposal Point and required the services of a resident 08 shunter.

 

 

[Photo removed]

 

In April 1979 the NCB loco WESTERN QUEEN and BR 08126 stand at the entrance to the sidings

 

 

[Photo removed]

 

A Class 25 arrives with two brakevans and two HAA hoppers

 

 

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12 months later NCB loco WESTERN KING backs a loaded train from Bickershaw Colliery into the sidings

 

 

[Photo removed]

 

A roadway separated the disposal point sidings on the left from the BR sidings.  A noticeboard just to the left of the NCBOE Sentinel reads "DP loco must stop here when BR are shunting"

 

 

[Photo removed]

 

The NCBOE Sentinel loco outside its small and rather neat shed

 

 

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For a week in April 1980 the two remaining workable Austerities at Bickershaw were steamed and No.7 (HE 3776) has just arrived from the colliery alongside BR 08356

 

[Photo removed]

 

[Photo removed]

 

The "Holy Grail" of photography was to get as many different locos as possible in one shot, and here on the left is a Class 25 arriving with empties, centre the NCB's WESTERN KING, between the two in the distance (barely visible) under the loader the NCBOE Sentinel diesel and on the right 08356.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2018 by PGH

[PGH]

 

Rail traffic ceased from the disposal point about 1983.  In 1985 merry-go-round operation was introduced from a rapid loader at the colliery and the use of NCB locos ceased.  BR trains were top and tailed with four Class 20s as seen with this distant view of a train being loaded in 1986

 

 

 

and passing the former exchange sidings with 20181 + 20192 leading

 

 

 

and nearer Wigan with 20087 + 20058 at the rear.  The train would have continued on to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station with just two locos. 

[stewartingram]

That's some seagull that is! You'd know if that hit you in the face.

A couple of weeks ago we went to Gt.Yarmouth for the day. Whilst the wife and daughter went into a clothes shop, they suggested that I went to a nearby chippy to get 3 portions of chips. The girl behind the counter left them open, and said "are you going outside? Mind the seagulls, they will come after them, keep them covered." So out I went, struggling with 3 bags of chips etc, avoiding the birds. Eventually wife & daughter came out, took their chips, and we were just walking off when the birds pounced yet again. Nothing lost, but then the big noisy one re-appeared, and actually collided with my head!

 

Stewart

[LMS2968]

They take me back! I live only a mile from Bickershaw Colliery and spent a lot of time watching No. 7.

[flyingsignalman]

I hope these diagrams of Abram may be of interest.

The first two are my sketches of signalling diagrams.

 

The first is dated 1955.

 

The second is undated but is after the line had been downgraded to siding status.

 

The third is from the BR engineering notice (WE2) sometime in 1975.

[LMS2968]

It might be worth pointing out that the working into and out of the Albert Colliery line was independent of that from Bickershaw Colliery proper; the little 0-4-0 Sentinel at Albert did not venture down to Bickershaw, and theBickershaw locos, incuding the saddle tanks, did not go on to the Albert lines. I several times saw the BR main line loco propel the loaded wagons out as described on the diagram above.

 

The big shunters at Bickershaw (there were two, but one never worked), would bring 14 loaded MGRs over the summit; the Austerity was booked for only seven, although it was much faster than the diesels. I once saw Fred Larner use it to bring eleven from the colliery to the exchange sidings, which made the old girl bark just a bit!

[PGH]

 

Birkenhead Docks - On a October 1977 visit to photograph Rea's locos at Bidston Dock and Duke Street Wharf, 08 078 was seen stabled near Duke Street.

 

 

 

 

In May 1982 03 189 was also found here

[PGH]

In July 1983 I followed 03126 working over to the Wallasey side of the docks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LNERGE]

Any close ups of the industrials in the background in 3520048 and C20238? super pics.

[keefr2]

I really like the clarity & definition of your photo's, especially the black & white ones - I wish my 80's pics were half the quality of yours! Really nice stuff, thanks for sharing!

 

Keith

[Bangor Lad]

I recently came across this topic and have taken a couple of days to enjoy it from start to finish. Living in Bangor it was great to see the photos of the A55 related construction work and the plethora of 37s which once inhabited the North Wales Coast.

 

Looking forwards to more!

[PGH]

Any close ups of the industrials in the background in 3520048 and C20238? super pics.

 

Yes, but unfortunately they don't qualify for inclusion in this topic, however the 3 below probably do, being ex BR locos:

 

 

 

The former D8568 at Ribblesdale Cement, Clitheroe in May 1980.  The only survivor of its class and now on the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.

 

 

 

The lime encrusted 12083 at Tilcon Ltd., Swinden Works, Grassington in April 1981, now on the Battlefield Line.

 

 

 

D2272 at British Fuel Co., Blackburn Coal Concentration Depot in July 1983, now at Peak Rail.

[Ray M]

I too have pic of D2272 at Blackburn .

And it looks like its standing in the same spot, but in the issing rain.

will try to find it, and post it.

[railsquid]

Fascinating pictures! Many thanks for this thread which I just discovered, has been most enjoyable.

[PGH]

I too have pic of D2272 at Blackburn .

And it looks like its standing in the same spot, but in the issing rain.

will try to find it, and post it.

 

Thanks for the offer, but if its the same view taken in the p. rain I can't really see the point.

Edited July 30, 2015 by PGH

[PGH]

Colwyn Bay Goods Yard occupied the site of a former gravel pit and was accessed by a steeply graded branch which passed under the station forecourt in a tunnel.

 

The site was originally excavated during the building of the Chester & Holyhead Railway to provide material for constructing the embankment to the east of Colwyn Bay Station.  Later maps show it either as a ballast pit or gravel pit with a siding connection so evidently further excavation took place there later in the 19th Century.  In 1904 it was opened as the new goods yard as the first part of a comprehensive scheme which included quadrupling the main line west to Llandudno Junction and building a new Colwyn Bay Station with four platforms instead of two.  It was closed in 1981 and replaced by a new yard at Llandudno Junction to make way for the new A55 trunk road and a shopping centre.

 

 

 

Although living locally I must confess that I didn't take much interest in the yard, but in March 1976 I photographed a Class 25 on a short train waiting to depart, although the main interest was finding examples of 16t mineral wagons to model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In March 1981 40098 is about to depart on a train of 10 empty 16t mineral wagons

 

 

 

and joins the main line after ascending the gradient from the yard

 

On 24th September 1981 a Class 40 cleared away the remaining wagons in the yard.  This was probably the last train out as the yard was officially closed on 28th September 1981.

Edited August 1, 2015 by PGH

[PGH]

The following photos were taken in April 1982, just before the track was lifted the following month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2015 by PGH

[PGH]

 

The office attached to the good shed

 

 

 

View towards the exit tunnel, Colwyn Bay Station is beyond the trees to the right

 

 

 

The eastern end of the tunnel was originally just a road bridge over the siding serving the gravel pit and it was later extended under the new station forecourt

 

 

 

Western end of the tunnel

 

 

 

Notice on the retaining wall just beyond the western entrance

Edited August 1, 2015 by PGH

[PGH]

In 1988 the redundant up slow line platform at Colwyn Bay Station was developed into a leisure facility known as "Platform 3".  This incorporated a restaurant in a Mk 1 coach obtained from Steamtown Carnforth.  To accompany it a steam locomotive was obtained, also from Steamtown, as a static exhibit.  The development was also intended to provide a number of retail premises including a model railway shop, although this was soon relocated to the existing station building on the other side of the track.

 

 

 

In October 1988 the loco arrived on a low loader from Steamtown, its ultimate destination being behind the glass screen on top of the embankment behind the loco

 

 

 

 

 

 

The coach followed with the bogies being lifted separately

 

 

 

[PGH]

 

The loco and coach were later moved into the required position under the platform canopy in the distance

 

 

 

 

 

The locomotive was built by Hudswell Clarke in 1952 for the National Coal Board and latterly at Newmarket Colliery, Yorkshire.  It was moved to Steamtown in 1979 where it was named FIREFLY.  The conical chimney denotes that in the 1960s it was fitted with the Kylpor Exhaust and Hunslet underfeed stoker and gas producer combustion system, measures adopted by the NCB to comply with the Clean Air Act

 

 

 

 

The development was not a success and after several years disuse was demolished in 2000.  The locomotive was sold to the Dartmoor Railway and here awaits removal at the west end of the station, now in green livery with a red (!) chimney

Edited August 2, 2015 by PGH

[N15class]

The following photos were taken in April 1982, just before the track was lifted the following month.

 

 

6.CBGY 001B.jpg

 

 

7.33808B.jpg

 

 

8.33812B.jpg

 

 

9.CBGY 004B.jpg

 

 

10.CBGY 005B.jpg

Lovely track work photos.

[Merfyn Jones]

Thanks very much Phil and Larry for those Platform 1/3 pictures. I never saw the crane-ing from the prom.  Happy memories however of my second wedding reception in that coach, and the model railway shops.

Merf.

[gismorail]

Those photographs of the old goods yard at Colwyn Bay are very interesting and I was unaware of the extent of the goods facilities, would make a nice model on it;s own