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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



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

Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 4th April, 2012)

The train now standing in platform 1..


The train now standing in platform 1..
Steam special "Auld Reekie" on its return leg from Edinburgh to Manchester. Taken at Wigan North Western station.

Photo: John Morris  (Nikon D700)
Views: 12,295

Comment by: owdkewyed on 4th April 2012 at 00:46

Another great atmospheric steam pic, It's inteesting to note the new LED lamp in the centre as opposed to the old parrafin ones each side of it. It was one of the conditions to allow steam on the main line that there should be a bright visible light up front to alert people to the oncoming presence of a hundred ton, smoke belching, steam hissing, whistle blowing, decibel spitting, track hammering, ground shaking, almost invisible twenty foot high monster creeping up on them.

Comment by: Ernest Pyke on 4th April 2012 at 06:20

What time was it, on Sat.24 Mar.`12, when you took this photo of the `Oliver Cromwell`? If it left Edinburgh - Auld Reekie - at 3.15pm it would have been around 9.35pm in Wigan. Adult fare return (steam powered only on return) from Manchester: Premier class £189 and Standard class £84.
This loco, one of 55 `Britannia`class, was completed at Crewe Works on 30 May 1951.
Bradshaw`s timetables had a footnote on Wigan page "Passengers cross over from Wigan NW to Wigan Wallgate at their own expense." Bit of a laugh eh! as it`s only 110 yards.
My nephew, Colin Morris - no relation? - had his retirement `do` at Wigan NW yesterday after working there for many years.

Comment by: Jed on 4th April 2012 at 07:30

Excellent photo John

Comment by: Ernest Pyke on 4th April 2012 at 07:34

Just the one lamp lit at the front. Did you know, John, that Northern Rail have a rule which states that at least one headlight should be lit at all times?
I boarded a Wigan train at Man.Victoria on a cold and sunny day and had to get off at Salford Crescent as it was taken out of service due to headlight failure.

Comment by: Helen on 4th April 2012 at 08:26

What a great photo. The town where I live in Norfolk reinstated the rail track between the main line & the heritage line a couple of years ago & the Oliver Cromwell was the first engine to use the crossing. It was awe inspiring to see this great beast emerge from between the buildings on Station Rd. A great day.

Comment by: Maggie on 4th April 2012 at 08:55

Excellent picture there, John.
Very emotive.

Comment by: Ellen M on 4th April 2012 at 09:30

Oh, dear.....

Comment by: john on 4th April 2012 at 09:48

well done john ,would look good in black & white or sepia ?

Comment by: 6ppe0 on 4th April 2012 at 10:08

Super photo john. Nice composition and very good detail for a night time shot. It's great to see a wide variety of subjects on Photo-a-Day.

Comment by: aitch on 4th April 2012 at 10:15

when I worked on the railways, im sure one lit lamp was the designation for a light engine, and theres nowt light about that leviathon, good picture brings back loads of memories

Comment by: Rev David Long on 4th April 2012 at 10:51

There's a pic of this engine in the Album, showing her running light on the section between the cemeteries behind my house: http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=3&id=18432&gallery=Railways&offset=620
Great pic, btw.

Comment by: Ernest Pyke on 4th April 2012 at 12:03

There`s a good photo of `Oliver Cromwell` at Preston 2 years ago on
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnyenglish/4446185484/

Comment by: irene roberts on 4th April 2012 at 14:51

This is lovely. Wish we still had steam.

Comment by: Ernest Pyke on 4th April 2012 at 15:23

For video`s of `Oliver Cromwell` on You Tube refer:-
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=loco+oliver+cromwell&oq=loco+oliver+cromwell&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=youtube.12...41791l59105l0l63569l20l20l0l0l0l0l437l2784l8j9j2j0j1l20l0.

Comment by: David on 4th April 2012 at 17:35

Well exposed - great picture.

Comment by: Bill Eatock on 4th April 2012 at 18:06

If oil runs out,Irene; we may have to go back to steam...

Comment by: John Morris on 4th April 2012 at 22:19

Thank you for all the comments folks. In reply to your question Ernest it was taken at ten past nine. As for your comment about Northern Rail, I was on the train from Kirby to Wigan and the driver would not set off because the door to his cab wouldn't shut. He had to get clearance from a supervisor before he could drive it to Wigan. Perhaps they are afraid it might get hijacked!

Comment by: bill 7 on 6th April 2012 at 11:53

Went to museam of science and industry in mcr on the 28 march it was parked up there on that day , looked fantastic , served my time at horwich as a boilermaker from 1957 they were still building new steam engines for a few years

Comment by: Loz on 6th April 2012 at 16:47

What's the deal with trainspotters? I counted 27 the other day. (My record's 41).

Comment by: alan wink on 12th April 2012 at 05:00

hi there john super photo was wandering was brian your dad also was colin your uncle?

Comment by: John Morris on 12th April 2012 at 22:30

Thanks for the comment Alan but no my dad was not Brian nor my uncle Colin.

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