Lever's Centenary weekend 1988

[flyingsignalman]

Arising from Beast's feeling blue thread I thought I would post these photos taken at the open weekend at Port Sunlight and at Rock ferry the following day.

On Sunday 1st May 1988 we went round the display in Sunlight village where one of the exhibits was Princess Margaret, an ex Lever's loco that had been preserved by a group whose name completely escapes me at the moment

 

That evening we had tickets for one of the trains so we made our way to Port Sunlight Station

The train arrives headed by 4566

 

With a LMS jinty at the rear

 

4566 in the temporary platform, standing by the loco, holding his tie is Ronnie Reade, a signalman at James Street. He was known by the drivers as "Red Light Ronnie" due to his ability to stop trains for no apparent reason!

 

The train was crowded so there wasnt the opportunity to get photos from it of the journey.

The next morning I went back to get a couple of photos

Leaving the Van Den Burgh's sidings

 

With 4566 trailing

 

A reversal at Bromborough Dock meant that 4566 leads towards Port Sunlight

 

With the Jinty trailing. I thought I would get a good "going away" shot, completely unware until I ran across the road of the pipe line over the cutting

 

That afternoon I was on late turn at Rock Ferry where the preserved class 502 was operating a shuttle to Hooton.

The first thing I saw as I went on the platform to go to the box was 03 162 though

 

The class 502 waiting to depart to Hooton

 

Normal sevices were strengthened to 6 cars.

 

When the 502 had finished its shuttles it was shunted to platform 3