Wigan Album

Thanks for these photos Ron. Bring back memories of train spotting days in the seventies over Whitley. To the right, over the lines, would have been Cub's Hill, to the left Scout's Hill. Please put other photos on if you have them.

Here's one for Cullie. Another lovely old photo.

Think the collection of buildings to the right of the tracks was Beech Hill R.O.F. later to become Tupperware and currently Milliken. Great pics, Ron.

nothing nicer than a steam heat beast from hell class 40 gggrrrrrr pity i can't see the number though ggggrrrrrrrr hear it growl .

These drab monsters replaced our beloved steam engines in the mid sixties. At the time, we [trainspotters] treated them with mild contempt; little did we know that by August 1968, the dream was over and these 'daleks' were running roughshod over the metals of Britain...Trainspotting literally died a death overnight.

Yes it's Milliken but this train is going Boers Head direction. Interesting to note all the "funnels" or whatevever that have disappeared from these buildings, what were the meaning of these, ventilation? I see Beggar's Walk also which still exists alas planning permission for the building of homes on Spencer Road has a gap in the middle on to Dawson Ave to keep open this very ancient public right of way. Shame everything got overgrown, this photo seems so innocent and simple in the way of fences and cut grass. Scouts Hill is overgrown too, of course it was pit dirt from Elms Colliery.

In all the time I spent over Whitley as a kid/teenager and up to now I never knew that path was known as Beggar's Walk. Where it was once possible to walk along it from Whitley crossing to the bottom of Walter Scott Avenue, it is now impassable from a point at the bottom of Scouts Hill. Did there once used to be a tennis club somewhere near to Scouts Hill?

Yes, DerekB, I remember the tennis club. I lived in Queensway from 1936 until 1958. I also remember the pond on the other side of the railway line opposite Scouts Hill and climbing the trees around it!