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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Photo-a-Day Archive
Photo-a-Day Archive

Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 10th May, 2011)

Signal Box?


Signal Box?
I've always wondered what this used to be and is it a listed building, was it some kind of signal box?

Note by Brian: I emailed Ian to ask where it was taken and haven't had a reply yet... I think I know where it is but hopefully Ian will confirm.

Photo: Ian Spencer  (Canon EOS 450D)
Views: 4,710

Comment by: alan on 10th May 2011 at 00:08

Looks too high up and not enough windows to be a signal box.

Comment by: Mick on 10th May 2011 at 05:45

Good question maybe its a fancy water tower and I think its at the back of Great George St.

Comment by: Maureen Andrews nee McGovern on 10th May 2011 at 08:56

It does look like the one that I could see that from our back bedroom window in Great George Street.

Comment by: dave marsh on 10th May 2011 at 09:25

c'mon ,Harry,tell us.

Comment by: olly on 10th May 2011 at 09:29

TGWU AT BACK O POST OFFICE

Comment by: cullie on 10th May 2011 at 11:23

your right mick great george st

Comment by: Cyril on 10th May 2011 at 14:38

There is a photo on the Album taken at Wigan Northwest Station in the 1960's looking north and you can make out this building in the background, it could have been signal box 1 has there is a mention in the 'I Remember' section about the signal boxes 1 and 2 being closed upon electrification, and that signal box 2 was on the south side of the station. No doubt someone will know.

Comment by: Ian Spencer on 10th May 2011 at 17:21

Sorry Brian don't think I received your email, the picture was took in Great George St, I work at North West Seating which is situated next to this building.

Comment by: Tony on 10th May 2011 at 19:41

Hi, Always interested in this. I went to the history shop, years ago to enquire. All I could find out is: nothing to do with railways. A mill was there: this might have been a storage tower? Anyone else can light on this?

Comment by: Mick on 10th May 2011 at 22:16

Its still in very good condition so somebody must be maintaining it.

Comment by: Dustaf on 11th May 2011 at 03:11

May be wrong, but I think money was spent in this area under the City Challenge scheme in the 90's.

Is the redeveloped area known as Tower Enterprise Park? (Former mill water tower)

May have also once been part of what became the Protector Safety factory 80's/90's

Comment by: Ian Spencer on 11th May 2011 at 19:44

Yes it is called Tower Enterprise Park. Thanks for your comments

Comment by: RON HUNT on 11th May 2011 at 22:43

Went up there many times when I worked at Plessey. It was in the Plessey factory yard.

Comment by: mary ashton on 17th May 2011 at 19:17

It's definitely not the signal box, because that was by the track at the top of the embankment, you could actually see this building from inside the signal-box. I visited the signal-box often, because my dad was one of the signalmen for Wallgate box

Comment by: Duncan on 16th June 2011 at 15:08

I think this building was a water tower for a factory that used to be at the back of Wallgate,understand they used to make aviation (pilots) goggles of all things!

Comment by: TONY COOK on 3rd May 2014 at 14:49

It's Not a signal box.
I worked in Wigan no 2 signal box for seven years on top of the embankment at the north end of the station, not the south.

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