Wigan Album

The covered footbridge was still there in the 1960's possibly early 70's. The ticket office closed in the mid 1980's, it was a gym for a time and then became derelict. It was demolished about 2 years ago.

Definitely there in 1969 as I caught the train every day to college in Liverpool. Joe Colley was in charge of the ticket office sadly no longer with us.

Just under the road bridge, to the right, you can just see the down loop that ran to Winstanley Colliery sidings; it then re-joined the main down line at Pemberton No2 signal box. The long coal trains from Wakefield to Liverpool were stabled on the loops; the up loop coming off just yards further down from Orrell station. There were times during the early sixties when these trains were stabled for many hours waiting for a suitable slot to go over the Pemberton Loop and via Hindley North to Manchester, and then onwards to Wakefield with the returning 'empties'. The crews on these trains, normally pulled by Fowler 0-6-0 'Coffee Pots', were relatively young and would often exchange friendly banter with us kids who would sit on the grassy embankment across from Pem No2 Box. When they eventually got right of way, it was a sight to behold as the long train moved towards the loop line as quickly as it could. These trains were normally banked going the other way towards Liverpool. Happy times.

Yes Jarvo not a lot of people realised the gradient from Pem. to orrell and the need for the glorious "double headers" or as you rightly said being "banked".A fantastic sight!!

Looks like a "not-so-small" child seated atop the shoulders of one adult waiting for train! Perhaps unable to walk for some reason... or else spoiled rotten haha!!