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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

JOHN WOOD & SONS. ENGINEERS

2 Comments

John Wood & Sons Ltd, Engineers & Ironfounders.
John Wood & Sons Ltd, Engineers & Ironfounders.
Photo: Chris Heaven
Views: 5,389
Item #: 32607
An old postcard format photo of a train passing John Wood and Sons Ltd, Engineers & Ironfounders Works. Their sign says "Winding, Hauling, Pumping and Compressing Engines". The train is heading out of Wigan on the Southport line and has just passed Field Street. The houses beyond the 2 chaps to the right are on Prescott Street. The image is undated but on the rear of the photo the locomotive is recorded as 10437 which is an LMS era number (1923-48) so perhaps the scene is c1930s. The maps below is from 1907 and the pink dot shows the location of the train. The signal box (SB) and signal post (SP) visible to the right of the carriages are marked on the map as are the tracks to the right passing into the sidings. Meadows Colliery had closed by the time of the photo.

Comment by: TommyT on 18th July 2020 at 12:48

I'm pretty sure that the colliery narrow gauge railway that is marked on the map "tramway" was what was known as Wigan Pier.
The colliery line was built on legs similar to a sea pier.
Got that from one of Geoff Shryanes books.

Comment by: Steven Buckley on 19th July 2020 at 19:17

You’re right Tommy - it stretched out to a slag heap near to where ASDA is now. Dismantled after meadows colliery shut in 1910.

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