Wigan Album
Railways
10 Comments
Photo: Mick Langton
Item #: 26779
I am fairly certain that was taken at Bradley with Jubilee 5716 Swiftsure racing north on the down slow, probably in the late 1930s or early 1940s.
That's how our Railways should look today, no overgrown mess of unwanted trees and growth. Must be horrible for passengers today when all you see is trees skipping pass you windows.
Yes, was built 1936, and renumbered 1949, so it has to be between those dates. It is very clean-looking, but that is no guide. Anyone know when those signals were swapped from lower quadrant to upper quadrant?
Definitely Bradley,Mick.The houses in Platt Lane and Hutton Street in the left centre and the railwayman's house on the right just before the low,narrow bridge under the railway are proof of this.Brings back memories of happy days with yourself,Iain Henshaw and others many years after this photo was taken.Owdbill.
Happy days indeed Owdbill, I often stay with Iain Henshaw when I'm in The Highlands, at his B&B in Banavie.
I have another similar photo which I will post later this evening
Down slow towards Coppull
It is an LMS number. Swiftsure was renumbered 45716 after nationalisation in 1948/49. The locomotive is carrying a Fowler type tender (not unusual in LMS days). These locos were common around Wigan right up to the mid sixties, until the cull of steam became an obliteration. A lovely photograph of a lost era.
Mick ,I know I only worked with you at Horwich for about a year but I never realised you were such a railway enthusiast ,your photos are the best. Keep them coming.
The railway cottages, to the right are between the main and a branch line. If you drive under the bridge now, there is a little gap. Hard to believe they two houses there: had it on good authority.
5716 was a Carlisle kingmoor engine in 1948
Photo probably taken before 1940, there is no sign of a branch which was put in around then going on to the Bradley armaments factory.